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Sermon Introduction

Wisdom instructs us to honor God from our wealth, practice generosity, build our reserves, avoid haste in decision-making, seek wise advice, beware of wicked advice, avoid fools, and walk with the wise. Furthermore, wisdom tells us to behave appropriately in front of people in power and position. We should avoid overeating, nor should we desire his delicacies. Otherwise, we might fall into a trap or trap ourselves if we continually take. Wisdom also warns us not to wear ourselves out for the sake of riches. There is a lot more to life than riches.

Dr. Ed Pilapil Jr.
Senior Pastor

Proverbs 23:1-5

1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what is before you,

2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.

3 Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.

4 Do not toil to acquire wealth;
be discerning enough to desist.

5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.

Notes

Wisdom instructs us to honor God from our wealth, practice generosity, build our reserves, avoid haste in decision-making, seek wise advice, beware of wicked advice, avoid fools, and walk with the wise. Furthermore, wisdom tells us to behave appropriately in front of people in power and position. We should avoid overeating, nor should we desire his delicacies. Otherwise, we might fall into a trap or trap ourselves if we continually take. Wisdom also warns us not to wear ourselves out for the sake of riches. There is a lot more to life than riches.

1. Knife to the Throat

   On rare occasions, one sits with a ruler to eat. First, wisdom instructs that one should carefully observe what the ruler offers. Then wisdom warns that one must eat conservatively, not liberally, which would be the proper behavior.
   
   1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
   observe carefully what is before you,
   
   2 and put a knife to your throat
   if you are given to appetite (Prov. 23:1-2).
   
   

2. Guard the Heart

   Wisdom warns the person in a precarious situation of eating with a ruler. The warning is about desiring the ruler’s delicacies. Do not desire it nor overindulge in it because it is deceptive food.
   
   3 Do not desire his delicacies,
   for they are deceptive food (Prov. 23:3).
   
   

3. Weary for Wealth

   When it comes to acquiring wealth, it is not good to grow weary for the sake of wealth. Building reserves to prepare for the worst is necessary, but it is not necessary to overwork for wealth. Obsession leads to disappointment.
   
   4 Do not toil to acquire wealth;
   be discerning enough to desist.
   
   5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
   for suddenly it sprouts wings,
   flying like an eagle toward heaven (Prov. 23:4-5).
   
   

Application

1. Behave Properly

   We must behave appropriately if we dine with people of power and position. If we have a large appetite, we must eat as if there is a knife to our throats. The lesson may apply in different scenarios, including non-food scenarios.
   
   

2. Remove Envy

   Do not desire the delicacies of others; remove any form of envy. Because envy leads us to a trap of our own making. Envy is the cousin of greed, which is not far behind. Both will make us work on unnecessary things.
   
   

3. Do Not Overwork

   Wisdom instructs us to build our reserves but does not instruct us to wear ourselves out. Riches have wings to fly away. For example, it might end up flying to medical bills of the overworked.
   
   
   

Reflection & Discussion

1. What does the proverb mean by putting a knife to your throat?

2. Why should we not desire the delicacies of the ruler?

3. Why should one not overwork in acquiring wealth? What does it mean?