gluttony – La Vista Church of Christ

Boredom

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 03:52:41 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Boredom.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

I. The child has a room full of action figures, video games, cable TV, VCR, a huge collection of video tapes, every piece of sports equipment known to man, his own telephone, a fully loaded computer with Internet access — but he doesn’t have anything to do. He’s bored.

A. Boredom is the plague of every parent with a child out of school. The cries of “I’m bored” seem to begin just hours after school lets out.

B. Boredom is not just an irritation, it is a spiritual problem. People with time on their hands get into all sorts of mischief. - I Tim 5:11-15

1. Boredom often leads to drug and alcohol abuse as people look for new thrills.

2. Boredom often motivates adultery, leading to divorce.

3. It even leads to suicide as people despair of life.

II. The Cause of Boredom

A. Overindulgence

1. There is a law of diminishing returns - Prov 25:16,27

a. There are limits to amount of “good things” we can handle before it becomes harmful to us.

2. When pleasure becomes the first priority, the result is ironically boredom

a. The symptom of a pleasure-obsessed age is boredom.

3. Ceaseless pleasures cause ceaseless efforts by people to rekindle the initial thrill when they are bored.

a. It leads to moral decay - Ezek 16:49-50

b. Fatness leads to leaving God - Deut. 32:15

c. Heroin addicts have to take a bigger and bigger doses to achieve an ever diminishing high.

d. Movies that once titillated their audiences with subtle innuendoes become more and more explicit to keep their audiences entertained.

e. It is the breaking of taboos that gives the thrill - Prov 9:17

(1) People keep stepping over the line of propriety to get their thrills and the line keeps moving

(2) As their conscience becomes seared, it takes more to excite.

4. Truly, covetousness and greed doesn’t bring happiness but sorrow - I Tim 6:10

5. When a child is bored, there is a temptation to “solve the problem” by giving him more things. Instead of helping, we are perpetuating it. Instead of improving we are causing harm.

6. When adults get bored, this same solution is repeated. We buy ourselves goodies to make ourselves feel better. If we can’t afford it, that is alright, we just add to our debt until we are swimming in a despairing sea of obligations we can never repay in our lifetime.

B. Under-exertion

1. Laziness causes a deep sleep - Prov 19:15

2. The slothful turn back and forth on his bed like a door on its hinges - Prov 26:14

3. Lack of work makes us disorderly and busybodies - II Thess 3:11

4. The lazy is too bored to even enjoy his indulgences - Prov 19:24

5. The lazy does not enjoy what he has - Prov 12:27

III. Solving the problem

A. Contentment

1. When will we learn that life is not defined by the abundance of the things we own? - Luke 12:15

2. In many cases less is more

a. Prov 15:16 - with fear of God

b. Prov 15:17 - with love

c. Prov 16:8 - with righteousness

d. Prov 17:1, Eccl 4:6 - with quietness

3. More leads us away from God. Less brings us close to God.

4. Godliness with contentment is a large gain - I Tim 6:6-10

5. Are you happy? If you never gained another possession, if you never received another pay raise, would you be content with your lot in life? - Phil 4:11-13.

B. Diligence

1. Our approach to life often determines our attitude towards life.

a. Prov 23:7 - We are as we perceive ourselves to be.

b. Mark 7:21-22 - Sins come from our heart — from our own attitudes.

2. The answer to boredom is deciding not to be bored!

a. If you allow yourselves to be bored, you will be. Those who decided they won’t be bored won’t be.

b. Most situations live up or down to our expectations.

3. Are you bored with services, consider these

a. Rom 12:11 - Be diligent in service, be fervent in spirit

b. Heb 6:10-12 - Avoid sluggishness and show diligence

4. Whatever we do, we are to do it with all our ability - Col 3:23-24

a. Eccl 9:10 - This life is our only chance, so make the best of it.

C. Growth

1. Notice how often diligence is mentioned - II Pet 1:5-11

a. If you are busy improving yourself and improving your knowledge, you will not grow bored.

b. Unlike indulgences, there is no diminishing returns to spiritual growth.

2. The Christian life involves a endless growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord - II Pet 3:18

IV. Be someone new

A. No longer live for yourself, but for Christ - II Cor 5:14-17

B. No longer think in terms of what I want, what makes me happy, why I’m bored, but live for Jesus. - Rom 12:1-2

C. John 15:8 - By this, glorify God

Is it a sin to be overweight?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 22:10:50 +0000

Question:

Jeffrey,

I have a couple of questions on things I’ve been having personal struggles with.

We know that gluttony is sinful. I know, or at least believe, that means in all things, not just foods. However, there are so many of us who are overweight. I recently have let myself gain a substantial amount of weight. I’ve managed to get about 20 lbs back off, but I still need to lose about 20 more to get down to a more normal level for myself. I know we are to exhibit self-control. Therefore, that is what I am trying to do now -- exhibit some self-control and get this weight back down. Anyhow, I used to try and keep my weight down for vanity reasons. Now I’m trying to get it back down for biblical reasons (self-control). My question here is this: (I hope this doesn’t sound awful or silly) Are we in sin when we get overweight?

It's tough when you're trying to do God's will and you look around and see so few trying. It really bothers me that so few people seem concerned at all for God and Jesus. It’s kind of tough to think about the world and how it’s so far off the path. How do we deal with the discouraging thoughts this brings about? I really want everyone to obey God. I don’t want to be without God and I don’t want others to be that way either. It really bothers me that so many are heading down the wrong path.

Thanks as always.

Answer:

Is all weight gain due to a lack of self-control? Not really. There are people who struggle with diabetes. There are medications that people have to take for a health issue, which cause, as a side-effect, weight gain. There are people, who simply because they are growing older put on more weight because their metabolism has slowed down. Therefore, just because you see someone overweight, you can't conclude the cause.

Next, how do we best help people who lack self-control? I know a large number of people who struggle with weight control because they suffer from depression. Food makes them feel good for a bit. It gives them comfort. They know they shouldn't eat so much -- in fact, their weight increases their depression. For people like this, it is good to teach about the dangers of gluttony and the need for self-control -- not to make them feel hopeless but to give them the motivation to try harder. That is basically how you started turning things around in your life. This is an area where encouragement works best.

Yes, most of the world is in sin because sin offers people whatever they want (Matthew 7:13-14). Few people want to work hard and deny themselves so as to serve God. But focusing on the quantity of work that needs to be done won't get it done. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men" (II Corinthians 5:10-11). I might not be able to convert the world, but I can talk to the people I meet. I can set a good example and demonstrate that living a Christian life isn't impossible. I can invite people to leave sin and come worship with the saints. These might look like small things, but each one chisels at the problem and changes lives for the better.

Gluttony (Hamilton)

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 21:50:00 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Gluttony.mp3

by Jeffrey Hamilton

Text: Numbers 11:4-34

I. Someone, reading an article on the Roman Catholic teachings of the seven deadly sins, was surprised to find that gluttony included “eating too soon, eating with condiments, eating too expensively, and eating with pleasing the palate in mind.”

A. He wrote to ask, if such were true in the Bible.

B. The quote he had found wasn’t quite accurate. A Roman Catholic, Joseph Rickably, did define gluttony as eating “too soon, too expensively, too much, too eagerly, too daintily.” [Catholic Encyclopedia]

1. I had to dig to find any mention of condiments and gluttony. I did find a Roman Catholic, John Cassian, discussing monastic living stating, “We notice that the traces of this passion are in us when perchance, having been invited to eat by one of the brothers, we are not content to eat the food with the condiment with which it was seasoned by our host but demand with importunate and unbridled boldness that something be poured on it or added to it.”[Fifth Conference: On the Eight Principle Vices]

2. Thus the complaint is not the use of condiments when supplied, but a lack of contentment with what has been served.

C. Historically, Catholicism has a history of frowning on pleasurable activities if they do not have some other purpose.

1. That is why they take a stance against contraceptives. To a Catholic, a husband and wife having sex should include the potential for producing a child.

2. Sex is pleasurable, but they oppose doing something solely for the pleasure of doing it.

3. The same conclusion is reached for eating and drinking.

a. When eating and drinking is done to sustain the body, it will be pleasurable to eat, but it has a purpose beyond pleasure.

b. To eat just for the pleasure of the taste is considered wrong.

D. But what does the Bible have to say about these matters? What exactly is gluttony?

II. The definition of “gluttony”

A. In the Old Testament, “gluttony” translates the word zalal. It means someone who is morally loose or who has no restraint.

1. Proverbs 23:20-21 - A person with no restraint on his appetite will become poor and lazy.

2. But the word can have broader implications.

3. Deuteronomy 21:20 - The charge is that the son has no restraint – he does as he pleases, whether it is regarding eating or any other fleshly appetite.

4. A person without restraint ends up in shame - Proverbs 28:7

B. In the New Testament we also see a condemnation of unrestrained gratification of the flesh

1. I John 2:15-16 - Strong desires of the flesh are of the world

2. Pursuit of whatever a person might crave characterized the Gentile society (and our own) - I Peter 4:3

a. We often think of lewdness and lusts as references to sexual sins, and it does, but it also has a broader application.

b. It refers to any pursuit of strong desires without moral restraint. In other words, an unbridle appetite - Romans 13:13-14

3. It can become a person’s idol - Philippians 3:18-19

III. Incomplete restraint

A. Some people have good control most of the time, but on certain things they “pig out”

1. Such as with sweets - Proverbs 25:16, 27

2. Again, realize that these have applications beyond a lack of self-control in eating chocolate.

3. There are many things people are able to restrain themselves, but on one or two, they just can’t keep a grip on themselves.

B. An important aspect of Christianity is self-control - Acts 24:25; II Peter 1:5-8; Galatians 5:22

1. We must exercise self-control in all things - I Corinthians 9:24-27

IV. There is joy in a contented life

A. Enjoying life is a gift from God - Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

B. But pleasure can’t be our sole focus. We have to display a contentment with what we have - Hebrews 13:5

1. I Timothy 6:8 - We can enjoy what we have

2. But an unbridled pursuit of pleasure can cause us to forget caution - Proverbs 23:1-3

C. Proverbs 30:8-9 - Agur understood there is a danger in having too much as well as having too little.

D. When people have everything they want, they have a tendency to rebel - Deuteronomy 8:10-14

V. The need for restraint to avoid over-indulgence

A. Eat because you are hungry, not because you want something tasty in your mouth - Ecclesiastes 10:16-17

B. When we allow lusts to dominate our thoughts, we become ripe pickings for sin

C. Notice the trap the Israelites fell into

1. God supplied them all the food that they needed, but it wasn’t enough - Numbers 11:4-6

2. Their lust caused them to make demands, to put God on trial - Psalms 78:18

3. And when given the opportunity, they gorged themselves to death - Numbers 11:31-34

D. The sin of gluttony is about unrestrained appetites – not just in food, but in any desire of the body

1. When those appetites control us, we lose, and we are devoured by our own weaknesses.

2. Instead resist and exercise control - I Peter 5:8-9

Gluttony (Moyer)

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 04 May 2018 01:38:00 +0000

by Doy Moyer

Gluttony seems to be one of the under-taught issues of our day. This is, likely, due to our being uncomfortable with the idea that we ourselves might be guilty of it. While we think of it as generally referring to overeating, it is tied to other problems like laziness (Titus 1:12) and drunkenness (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21; Matthew 11:19). Gluttony is connected to the idea of lust or excessively craving something to the point of acting foolishly and beastly (cf. Numbers 11:33-34). A glutton is undiscerning (Proverbs 28:7) and would lust after the delicacies of rulers (Proverbs 23:1-3). It is a form of greed and lust. It's not just about eating one too many pieces of bacon at breakfast. It is tied to laziness, lack of discernment, and a total failure at any self-control. Covetousness, greed, and lust are the companions of gluttony. It is another version of the lust of the flesh and eyes.

Gluttony is not to be equated with just being overweight. While being a glutton can contribute to being overweight, it would not be correct or fair to think that all overweight problems are caused by gluttony. Judging an overweight person to be a glutton by mere looks is judging outwardly and unrighteously. Being overweight has many causes, and those who are overweight often struggle seriously with losing it (the struggle is real). It is hurtful and unkind to pigeonhole the overweight as gluttons without discernment or knowledge of their situation. In fact, a person need not be overweight at all to be a glutton, a lazy sloth, or a drunkard. Yet these are different sides of the same coin. Like other sins, gluttony begins in the heart and is a manifestation of an inner man lacking any desire to deny self to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).

Speaking of the vice of gluttony, Basil (4th century) wrote, "This vice of gluttony delivered Adam up to death; by the pleasure of the appetite consummate evil was brought into the world. Through it Noah was mocked, Canaan was cursed, and Esau was deprived of his birthright and married into a Canaanite family. Lot became his own son-in-law and father-in-law, by marrying his own daughter" [Ancient Christian Commentary].

What can we do?

We can check out attitudes about materialism. Where are our desires? Do we lust after and crave the delicacies of this life (whether in food or other areas)?
We can refocus our attention on Christ (Hebrews 12:1-3). "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3). Gluttony is a fixation on what we can see and touch. It is about our worldly and sensual desires. As such, it runs counter to setting our minds on things above.
We can stir one another up to love and good works (Hebrews 10:23-24). What does this have to do with gluttony? The glutton is more interested in appeasing his own appetite than in loving and helping others. By refocusing on love and good works, our attention will be drawn away from our own selfish desires, of which gluttony is a sure manifestation.

This has certainly not been exhaustive, but in the end, what John says applies as much to gluttony as to any other sin: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (I John 2:15-17).

I have a problem with eating and pornography

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 20:07:00 +0000

Question:

I've never done anything like this, but I've come to your page on countless occasions. I am 23 years old and, for the most part, your average joe.

I accepted Christ in my life less than a year ago. When I first did it, I felt amazing. I had an extra stride in my step, I felt free. Lately, I've been feeling strange. I love God, and I'm a believer in Jesus who died for my sins. But I can't shake some demons.

I have a problem with eating. When I'm hurt I turn to food. I've battled depression in life, and I once was over 500 pounds. I've since dropped most of that weight, but in the last year I haven't worked out and barely watch what I eat. I promise all of this ties together just bear with me.

I also dated a beautiful girl for about a year, the year I stopped working out. She was my first love, or so I thought. She was a Christian and at the time I wasn't. I feel like I corrupted her. We immediately began sexual activities and it got to the point that's all we did. We broke up because she was starting to have so much go wrong in her life, and I feel like I was the reason.

I felt guilty. I ate, and ate. and ate more. Combine that with the feeling of heartache from losing your first love, and I just ate all day. I was even supposed to be my best friend's best man at his wedding and I did not show because I was so devastated, and we never talked again.

After becoming saved I thought the guilt and sadness would subside, but it hasn't. I've been going to church praying, speaking to my mother who is a preacher, and I just can't shake this emptiness. Now I'm at the point where I'll turn to pornography to feel loved because I just feel alone and hurt. Which makes me feel guilty and then I eat again. I feel like all hope is lost for me. I'm trying to be what God wants me to be, but I fear I'm so far into sadness, food, and porn that God doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. I just need help to be stronger. I pray for strength, I also pray for forgiveness and the ability to forgive my ex for breaking my heart. I also pray for forgiveness for making her life awful, and for not being a Christian when I dated her. I fear I'll end up alone because I'm not moving forward.

Please help me. I know this rambling, but I have so much wrong with me, why would God forgive me? How do I get over this addiction to porn and food?

Answer:

At the core of your problem is that you are trying to make yourself feel good. It doesn't work because these things are only temporary. Any boast they give to your mood only lasts while you are eating or looking at porn. When you stop, you know you did wrong, and so guilt returns even stronger than before. In addition, these things do not fix your problems. You talk about being lonely now that you no longer have a girlfriend, but looking at pornography is not going to help you find another girlfriend. If anything it will make the task more difficult. The weight you've gained will make it harder to find a girlfriend as well. Therefore the things you are doing are only increasing your loneliness.

Each decision you make is based on your emotions. But emotions are not a standard. They change constantly. "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26). Decisions must be made solely on what is right or wrong.

For example, one becomes a Christian because he recognizes that he has sinned and that his sins separate from His God (Isaiah 59:1-2). He does as God commands to take advantage of the sacrifice Jesus made on his behalf to save him from his sins. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:8-10). In doing so, he enters a covenant with God to live as His child. See: What Must I Do to be Saved? The response to the decisions made to become a Christian, but the emotions aren't the cause of the decision nor an indication that the correct decision was made.

Should you feel guilty about your fornication? Of course. I would be concerned if you could look back at sin and not be bothered by it. But there is a huge factor that you are not taking into account: You should no longer be the person who once committed fornication. Take special note of the last statement in this quote: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (I Corinthians 6:9-11). Becoming a Christian is about making a radical change in your life -- so radical that you are no longer the person you once were. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1-2).

Guilt serves a purpose. It reminds us that wrong is wrong. It encourages us not to continue in sin. But instead of heeding the warning, you wallow in sorrow without making changes for the better. True, you are not committing fornication now, but you lust after it by watching pornography. You added the sin of gluttony on top of this. While sorry about both, you do nothing to change so you can stop being sorry about who you are.

Read:

Make a decision to do what is pleasing to God and not yourself because it is the right thing to do.

Can a man who is obese be a preacher?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 02:46:00 +0000

Question:

Our church of Christ congregation employs a minister who is morbidity obese. His wife is also obese but not to the degree of the minister. The minister claims that his weight is not related to his ministry. Does the Bible have any teachings on this matter?

May God bless you and the wonderful work you do.

Answer:

I'm sorry, but there isn't a weight requirement on people in the Bible, including preachers. While a person can have problems with gluttony, there are other reasons, such as diabetes, that can lead to weight problems. The only appropriate questions are: Is he doing his duties and is he teaching the truth?

Thanks for the thoughtful, scripture-based article on gluttony

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:14:00 +0000

Question:

Thanks for the thoughtful, scripture-based article on gluttony. It was helpful in my study of this topic.

Answer:

I'm glad to have been of service.

Gluttony (Jacobs)

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:05:00 +0000

by Jarrod Jacobs

The subject of gluttony is misunderstood by many people. Sometimes, during the Thanksgiving holiday, or after some big meal, someone will jokingly say, "I hope the preacher doesn't preach on gluttony." At other times, I have been accused of "not preaching on gluttony" or "not condemning gluttony" when this is not the case. When I have preached against such sins as smoking, drinking alcohol, and other things, some who try to justify their sins will ask, "People today are also guilty of eating too much, so how about preaching on gluttony? Isn't that a sin, too?" Friends, gluttony is a sin. What we fail to recognize is that the sin of gluttony encompasses more than merely eating too much at a meal. It is indicative of a wrong attitude and a wrong manner of life that needs to be corrected.

Defining The Term

The word "glutton" is found only twice in the KJV (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21). Similarly, the word "gluttonous" is only found twice in the KJV (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). (By comparison, the ASV, NKJ, and ESV include Proverbs 23:20; 28:7; and Titus 1:12.) When we look up "glutton" in a Bible dictionary and other similar references, we see that the word means something far deeper than just someone eating too much at a meal. Therefore, let us study this word and learn the truth.

In the Unger's Bible Dictionary, we learn that "glutton" means, "(Hebrew from zalal, "to shake," hence to "be loose" morally). A debauchee (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21); "gluttonous" (Proverbs 23:20; 28:7), meaning a free liver, one who is unrestrained (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34)" (p. 480). Another definition for "glutton" comes from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, which says, in part, "zalel, "to be lavish; ... To shake or pour out, ... to be lavish, a squanderer." (Deuteronomy 21:20 and Proverbs 23:21) In Greek, the term is "phagos", meaning an eater, a glutton. This was a term applied to Christ in His freedom from asceticism (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). Also, Titus 1:12 ("slow bellies" = "Idle gluttons"); Proverbs 23:20; 28:7" (Vol. 2, p. 1239). "Asceticism" means one employed in devotions, a recluse, a hermit

A third definition of "glutton" is from the Holman Bible Dictionary. "...greedy and voracious eating... Associated with stubbornness, rebellion, disobedience, drunkenness, and wastefulness (Deuteronomy 21:20). A more general ... term ... good-for-nothing is reflected as, "wastrel", "profligate", "riotous". When Jesus was accused of being "a glutton and a drunkard" (Matthew 11:19) it was in this expanded sense of being one given to loose and excessive living. Gluttony makes one sleepy, leads to laziness, and eventually to poverty (Proverbs 23:21)." (p. 656).

True Gluttons

When we take the time to define the word "glutton," we see that merely thinking of gluttony as being guilty of eating too much does not give us an accurate picture of what God is saying. Yes, there are passages that condemn eating too much (as an example, Proverbs 25:16, 27). However, "gluttony" is far more than that. Overeating is but a symptom of the larger problem of laziness, of being idle, of having a sense of entitlement, having loose morals, and being unrestrained. (Can we not see this multiple times in this society?) All of these actions are condemned by God in Scripture, and are all included in the word "gluttony"! Once we know this, we must examine ourselves to make sure that we, in this land of plenty, are not gluttons. Truly, this is just another example of how we who are Christians must live in the world, but cannot be like the world (cf. I Corinthians. 5:10).

Jesus - A Glutton?

By knowing the true meaning of the word "glutton," we get a picture of just how insulting the people were to Jesus when they called Him a "glutton" and "drunkard" (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). When the Pharisees saw Him teaching the publicans, sinners, and others, they turned this into an opportunity for scorn (Think: "Birds of a feather flock together."), rather than what it was - an opportunity Christ took to teach those who were lost in sin and needed salvation (Matthew 9:11-13). The result was that the people accused Jesus of being a gluttonous drunkard! In other words, they were calling Jesus a lazy man with loose morals who was associating with folks who were like-minded!

We know this was not the case at all. Jesus did not condone their sins but went to them to teach them and bring them out of their sins. To Zacchaeus the publican, Jesus said, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10), and this included him (Luke 19:9). To Nicodemus the chief of the Pharisees, Jesus told him what to do to be in the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5). Jesus knew how folks showed favoritism (Matthew 5:46-47), but Jesus was not a respecter of persons! He taught the same thing to all people! (cf. I Corinthians 4:17).

Jesus was not a glutton. Rather, this insult was hurled at Him because the Jews who saw and heard Him did not like what He was doing.

Conclusion

When we understand what the word "glutton" truly means, then we must say that the subject of "gluttony" has not been ignored or "glossed over" by any true preacher of the gospel! When sins such as debauchery, loose living, laziness, etc., are condemned (cf. Acts 24:25; Philippians 4:6), then gluttony has been condemned!

The question is are we guilty of gluttony? Let us examine ourselves and see (II Corinthians 13:5). Let us see whether or not we are guilty of loose morals, of laziness, idleness, and the like. Are we idle or lazy in the work of the Lord? We better not be (I Corinthians 15:58). Are we guilty of having a sense of "entitlement" when it comes to spiritual blessings? May this never be the case, but may we always recognize the Source of all spiritual blessings who is above and be thankful (Ephesians 1:3; Hebrews 5:8-9; Colossians 3:15, 17). Gluttony is a terrible sin. However, we can be forgiven of it and can avoid future temptation by being in a right relationship with Christ Jesus (Mark 16:16; James 4:7-8; Ephesians 6:11).

Why was God angry with those who ate the quail?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:46:00 +0000

Question:

Hi there!

Could you please explain to me why God in Numbers 11:31-34 became angry with those who ate the quail? The Lord said He would provide meat for all to eat. Was quail a forbidden food or not considered meat?

Answer:

Right after leaving Mount Sinai (Numbers 10:11-13), where God gave them the law and many had recently perished because of idolatry, the people began to complain. “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: "Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!" ” (Numbers 11:4-6). Ever since Israel left Egypt, God has been supplying them with all the food they needed. It has now been about two years that they have had manna. Manna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oh, and if you wanted a snack there was manna. Imagine your favorite food item. Now imagine eating nothing else but that for two years. No matter how much you might like something, it will get tiresome after a while.

We need to understand this because it is easy to condemn the Israelites for their complaints without realizing that we would very likely succumb to the same temptation to complain. They were bored of their diet and its lack of variety. They wanted meat and vegetables. They wanted spice to their food.

"Now a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day's journey on this side and about a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was aroused against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving" (Numbers 11:31-34).

God gave the people what they wanted. The Israelites’ camp was not small. It would be a fair size city all by itself with such a large population. Then, all around this camp, extending a day’s journey (probably about 10 miles but possibly extending up to 30 miles), God filled the area with quail – to a depth of three feet! Not trusting that the birds would remain, even though God said it would be there for a month (Numbers 11:20), the people stayed up for two days straight gathering quail. The pickings were so easy that the smallest amount gathered was ten homers. One homer was a typical load for a donkey, or about 6.25 bushels or 50 gallons. A large trash bag holds 40 gallons, so they gathered a minimum of 12.5 forty-gallon trash bags full of quail. They spread out to eat the meat right then, but before they could even swallow it, God struck them down with a plague.

"They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" (Psalms 106:13-15).

Their lust caused them to put God on trial. The result was their own deaths because God gave them what they asked for, and they were prepared to gorge themselves to death on it.

"Men ate angels' food; He sent them food to the full. He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; and by His power He brought in the south wind. He also rained meat on them like the dust, feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; and He let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them their own desire. They were not deprived of their craving; but while their food was still in their mouths, the wrath of God came against them, and slew the stoutest of them, and struck down the choice men of Israel. In spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works" (Psalms 78:25-32).

The problem was gluttony. They showed no self-restraint.

Response:

Thank you. That makes sense.

Your lesson on gluttony helped me with my sermon

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:16:00 +0000

Question:

Greetings,

I was just surfing the 'net to expand a sermon series I'm doing on The Seven Deadly Sins. I ran across your page on gluttony, and it was quite helpful. Keep up the good work!

Answer:

Thank you for your kind encouragement.