Everyone just fill in the diet side of the text:
Proverbs 23:1-8,
v.1) When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
v.2) And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
v.3) Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
v.4) Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
v.5) Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
v.6) Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
v.7) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith to thee: but his heart is not with thee.
v.8) The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
But the meatier section refers to an appetite for v.3 “Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.“,that refers to v.4 -7, a deceitful meat that was offered not in an honest sense but as a snare for everyone who were given to his appetite and after taken what was offered then v.8 ” The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose sweet words.”.
A warning that could be given to any minister of God’s words who has all the opportunity to be a partaker of dainty meats, for different reasons and circumstances:
1. For control
2. For compromise
3. For respect of persons.
4. For silencing of the truth in thy mouth.
5. For softening the preacher’s preaching and not use the sword in the right purpose which is to shed blood every time you use it,
Jeremiah 48:10 ” Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.”;
Paul wrote in
2Cor.12:14 ” Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you,…” the only reason of every ministers calling and filling up the office God gave as a gift to the church is to feed the flock and oversee if they are growing well (Eph.4:11,12;Col.1:28;1 Pet.5:1-3) a minister who failed in this area is not fit and should be examined if he was really called by God.
Especially if the main course is always money,money,money!
