The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Proverbs 23:1-3,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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"When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive."
There are two proverbs in this chapter that warn us, "Do not crave his delicacies...", found in both verse 3 and verse 6. The first is a warning while dining with a ruler, the second is a warning while dining with a begrudging host. Here is what the second one says, verses 6-8:
"Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
do not crave his delicacies;
for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.
'Eat and drink,' he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and will have wasted your compliments."
For a long time I thought the first proverb was against the sin of gluttony. However, a closer look at the proverb reveals that the danger is in not "noting well what is before you" while dining with a ruler and if you are given to gluttony, it is going to make it more of a challenge.
There could be a variety of reasons we might find ourselves dining with a ruler, an authority figure, a boss, anyone who may be "over" us in any capacity. What is before us in that situation is not simply feeding an appetite, there is some objective at hand for the meal. We eat with family and friends. However, with a "ruler", there is a purpose to the meal that has nothing to do with our nourishment. At a meal like that, keep your attention on what that purpose is and don't be deceived into thinking it is just for eating's sake. Don't be deceived by taking your eyes off the ball because of the meal.
I believe the second one is somewhat similar, in that, for whatever reason, someone is feeding you who doesn't want to. Why would you be invited to eat with a host who begrudges it? There must be a purpose in there somewhere. You are not there because he enjoys your company, there must be other business there that is afoot. That host is counting the cost of what it is he is after by how much you are eating.
note well what is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive."
There are two proverbs in this chapter that warn us, "Do not crave his delicacies...", found in both verse 3 and verse 6. The first is a warning while dining with a ruler, the second is a warning while dining with a begrudging host. Here is what the second one says, verses 6-8:
"Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
do not crave his delicacies;
for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.
'Eat and drink,' he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and will have wasted your compliments."
For a long time I thought the first proverb was against the sin of gluttony. However, a closer look at the proverb reveals that the danger is in not "noting well what is before you" while dining with a ruler and if you are given to gluttony, it is going to make it more of a challenge.
There could be a variety of reasons we might find ourselves dining with a ruler, an authority figure, a boss, anyone who may be "over" us in any capacity. What is before us in that situation is not simply feeding an appetite, there is some objective at hand for the meal. We eat with family and friends. However, with a "ruler", there is a purpose to the meal that has nothing to do with our nourishment. At a meal like that, keep your attention on what that purpose is and don't be deceived into thinking it is just for eating's sake. Don't be deceived by taking your eyes off the ball because of the meal.
I believe the second one is somewhat similar, in that, for whatever reason, someone is feeding you who doesn't want to. Why would you be invited to eat with a host who begrudges it? There must be a purpose in there somewhere. You are not there because he enjoys your company, there must be other business there that is afoot. That host is counting the cost of what it is he is after by how much you are eating.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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