Proverbs 23:1-3
Feasting with a Ruler
1. This proverb is the sixth of thirty wise sayings.
2. This section of Proverbs is different in that the sayings are longer and usually consist of more than one verse. Thus, there is a bit of a context to be found.
3. Verses 1-3 is really one proverbial thought.
4. In the previous proverb (22:29) he stated that a diligent man might find himself before kings and rulers.
5. The man who is “diligent in his business” is a man who is experienced in his field; he does not procrastinate, is quick to get the job done, and is therefore able to accomplish much and to do so at a high level of craftsmanship.
6. He will be promoted for his diligence. And he may find himself at a royal feast, seated with the aristocracy and even kings!
7. Proverbs 23 gives advice to such a man as to how to conduct himself in such situations.
8. The theme of this proverb is often considered to be gluttony. That certainly is alluded to, but the main point seems to be HOW to conduct oneself at a state dinner or at a feast with rulers.
9. We will probably never find ourselves invited to a royal feast or a state dinner at the White House (but from what I hear, you don’t need an invitation!), but certainly the principles described here could be applied to various other settings.
10. If Solomon wrote this, these words are words of advice from a King to perhaps ordinary citizens, who because of their diligence, competence, and skill, find themselves in a setting with the upper class.
11. The point is that “commoners” don’t always know how to behave themselves before the upper crust of society and sometimes make a fool of themselves.
12. Here’s some advice on how to avoid making a fool of yourself.
1 When thou sitteth to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
1. The setting:
a. An ordinary person is sitting to eat with a ruler.
b. Ruler: Rule; govern; control; be in charge; i.e., have a person or entity exercise authority over persons or governments.
c. The ruler could be anyone in a superior position of authority or leadership.
d. It could be your boss at work; it could be the CEO of a global mega-company.
e. It could be a state senator or governor. It could be the royal monarch of Yap.
f. It could be special even at the home of a billionaire who is interested in your company… or perhaps your skills have come to his attention.
g. The term used (ruler) is broad enough to include any sort of setting where you find yourself “out of your class.”
2. The exhortation:
a. Consider what is before you.
b. “What is before you” is one word.
• The word literally means “face.”
• The term is used in Psalm 13:1 – “How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”
• The term is used in Psalm 42:2 – “When shall I come and appear before God?” (Appearing in the FACE of God or before His face.)
• It means: In front of; before; to the front of; in the presence of; in the face of; at the face or front of; from the presence of; from before; from before the face of.
• Perhaps a better way of saying this is “consider WHO is facing you” or in whose presence you are.
c. The exhortation to the man who finds himself before the upper class is this: consider WHO is before you…
• Consider: look closely; perceive; understand; consider with attention; be discerning.
• The exhortation is for the commoner who finds himself at a feast with the upper class should pay attention to the setting.
• He should carefully consider WHO this ruler is.
• It is not that God is respecter of persons. He is not.
• However, in different settings, different behavior may be expected.
• Rulers and the aristocracy have a different protocol and different rules of etiquette that the commoner would be wise to consider.
• Consider where you are… in whose company you are… what the occasion and the setting are… be aware of your surroundings.
• Consider WHO you are with, and don’t pay so much attention to the gourmet food, the elegant table, and luxurious surroundings. Pay attention to the ruler.
• You’re not at McDonald’s with your friends.
d. The host will have a careful eye for his guests and will notice.
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
1. The first part of the exhortation was to “consider whose presence you are in.”
2. The second part of the exhortation is to curb your appetite.
3. You may really LOVE to eat. The food and the presentation may be fabulous…like you’ve never seen or tasted before.
4. But before you ask for your third plateful, you might want to consider this proverb.
5. “Put a knife to your throat” before you go for thirds.
a. Obviously, this is a figure of speech – an idiom.
b. The author is not suggesting you commit suicide. This is hyperbole.
c. But in a very graphic way, he gets his point across.
d. Matt.18:8 – “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off.” The Lord also used hyperbole to make His point. The point is not “cut your hand off,” but get to the root of the problem and deal with the problem.
e. In the setting of Proverbs 23—before the ruler—you want to demonstrate restraint, self control, moderation, and self discipline.
f. This goes for eating, but could also be applied to the conversation. Don’t eat too much. Don’t talk too much. Know your place. Keep things under check… under control. Restrain yourself.
6. Back in the 1960’s, Hollywood TV writers came up with a comedy about this sort of setting called the Beverly Hillbillies.
a. Some low-class, uncultured Hillbillies suddenly became the nouveau riche and were thrust into the upper crust of society in Beverly Hills.
b. Jethro always made a fool of himself when they sat down to eat with the wealthy upper class of Beverly Hills.
c. It was funny in the TV show, but it is not funny in real life.
d. Thus, Solomon warns commoners here to allow the situation and the setting to affect your behavior. Make adjustments when necessary.
7. Keep in mind, that this man from the lower class, who finds himself in the presence of a king or rulers, has been promoted there for a reason.
a. This could be a golden opportunity for his career.
b. This could be an opportunity for him to be promoted by the king or ruler.
c. It may be a test to see if the invited guest could “fit in” to the company.
d. I’m told that Henry Ford took out potential employees for a meal before hiring them to an important position. He watched how they ate. If they salted their food before eating it, he would not hire them. He didn’t want people who acted on assumptions.
e. A man’s behavior at the feast could mean the difference between his family business getting the break of a lifetime before the aristocracy OR turning the rulers off and losing the potential for prosperity and promotion.
f. With all that hanging in the balance, making a fool of himself through gluttony and a lack of self-control at the feast would be sort of like taking a knife to his throat. It would be like suicide to his career and business.
1. The third exhortation is “be not desirous of his dainties.”
a. Don’t be desirous: don’t covet or crave after… don’t have a strong yearning for…
b. A relative poor man in that setting might think to himself, “I’ll never see food this good again. I’m going to eat as much as I can.”
c. Dainties: Tasty or savory food; delectable food; gourmet food; delicacies.
d. If you find yourself seated at a royal banquet, a feast fit for a King, surrounded by important, wealthy, powerful, leaders and rulers—AVOID indulging all your cravings.
e. Consider where you are. Consider in whose presence you are seated. Consider the protocol and the rule of etiquette in that setting.
f. And after considering, restrain your appetite… no matter how tempting the food may be.
g. “Be not desirous of dainties.’’
• There is good application to many areas of life here.
• A love for money, a love for the delicacies that money can buy, and a love to please the flesh has been the downfall of many a man.
• The warning here is BEWARE! Be on guard not to allow fleshly appetites of any sort cause us to make a fool of ourselves… or damage our walk with God.
• Take a knife to your throat. For the Christian, reckon yourself to be dead indeed to sin and crucified to the world and by faith experience victory.
2. The reason for the third exhortation: “they are deceitful meat.”
a. The word “meat” here is the word for grain or bread. (We saw this term with the meat offerings in Leviticus which were grain offerings.)
b. The term was used commonly for food in general.
c. The point here is that the food (though so appealing to the senses) is deceptive.
d. There is something false and phony about the setting.
e. This is the WARNING the author gives to guests at such a meal.
• Beware of what the host is up to.
• You MAY be befriended by the host who has ulterior motives.
• Solomon knew enough about the rulers and aristocracy to know that they very rarely hold a feast for a person (especially a lower class person) without ulterior motives.
• They are often attempting to butter up a person in order to get something… or perhaps to get the person to do some dirty work for them.
• This is a warning to the average citizen to have a little bit of sanctified suspicion in such a setting.
• Rulers don’t normally call nobodies to a feast unless they have something up their sleeve… unless they want something in return.
• So don’t be fooled by all the gourmet foods being offered to you. There is often a string attached.
• Don’t let the situation go to your head or to your stomach. Maintain self control AND a healthy dose of skepticism.
• Verses 6-7 deal with this aspect of the warning in more detail. (He offers you great dainties, but his heart is not with thee.)
f. The invitation to the feast might at first seem like a wonderful opportunity for advancement and promotion (and it may be)… but don’t be so sure.
• The ruler may have something sinister in mind.
• The royal feast that Haman was invited to didn’t turn out so well for him.