Gluttony in the Bible
Imagine the scene: a lavish banquet spread under a canopy of twinkling stars, the aroma of roasting meats and sweet pastries filling the cool night air. The tables are laden with every imaginable delicacy, and the guests are laughing, toasting, their plates always full, their cups never empty. It is a picture of abundance, of joy, of shared fellowship. But, like many things in life, there is a darker side to this scene. Hidden beneath the merry laughter and convivial banter, the unending indulgence signals an unchecked desire that veers towards gluttony.
The Bible uses this theme of a banquet to often illustrate a deeper spiritual truth. Consider the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16. The rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen, feasts sumptuously every day. Yet at his gate lies the poor man Lazarus, longing to be fed with the crumbs that fall from the rich man's table. It's a stark contrast - the indulgence of one man juxtaposed with the need of another. And while the story certainly speaks to the issue of economic justice, it also serves as a pointed commentary on the perils of unbridled consumption and the neglect of spiritual nourishment.
Throughout the scripture, gluttony isn't merely a commentary on excessive eating or drinking. It's about an insatiable desire for more—more pleasure, more power, more comfort, more consumption—that overshadows our gratitude for what we have and blinds us to the needs of others. From the warnings in Proverbs to the teachings of Paul, the Bible is rich in verses that call for moderation, self-control, and a shift of focus from the physical to the spiritual. The message is clear: our true nourishment and satisfaction come not from the abundance of our possessions but from our relationship with God and our love for others.
Warnings Against Gluttony
Deuteronomy 21:20
"And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.'"
Psalm 78:18
“They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.”
Proverbs 23:2
"And put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite."
Proverbs 23:20-21
"Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags."
Proverbs 28:7
"The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father."
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”
Philippians 3:19
“Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”
Teachings on Self-Control and Moderation
Proverbs 25:16
"If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit."
1 Corinthians 9:27
"But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."
1 Corinthians 10:31
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Philippians 4:5
"Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand."
Gluttony and Social Justice
Proverbs 22:16
"Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty."
Ezekiel 16:49
"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy."
Luke 16:19-21
"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores."
Consequences of Gluttony
Isaiah 22:13
"And behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'"
Proverbs 23:21
"For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags."
Luke 12:45-46
"But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the maidservants and menservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful."
Transformation from Gluttony
Romans 13:14
"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."
Romans 14:17
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
1 Timothy 4:7-8
"Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
2 Timothy 1:7
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
Titus 2:11-12
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."
1 Peter 4:1-3
"Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God."
1 Peter 4:7
"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers."
1 Peter 5:8
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
2 Peter 1:5-7
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love."
Examples of Gluttony in the Bible
Gluttony is not often explicitly attributed to individuals in the Bible. However, there are stories of excess and lack of self-control that we can interpret through a lens of gluttony.
Esau
Esau, in the book of Genesis, is a prime example. His impulsive decision to sell his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of stew can be seen as an instance of prioritizing immediate physical satisfaction over long-term spiritual and familial blessings.
Genesis 25:29-34
"Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, 'Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!' (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Jacob said, 'Sell me your birthright now.' Esau said, 'I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?' Jacob said, 'Swear to me now.' So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright."
The Israelites in the Wilderness
In the book of Numbers, the Israelites were dissatisfied with the manna God was providing for them daily and demanded meat. Their craving was not due to lack of food but a dissatisfaction with what they had and a longing for the foods they used to consume in Egypt. Their gluttonous demand resulted in a plague that struck them down.
Numbers 11:4-34
"Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, 'Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.'... And the Lord sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp... But while the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague."
The People of Sodom
While the sin of Sodom is commonly associated with sexual immorality (Jude 1:7), Ezekiel points to another fundamental issue, which includes overindulgence or gluttony. They had "pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy."
Ezekiel 16:49
"Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy."
King Solomon
King Solomon was known for his wealth and extravagance. In Ecclesiastes, a book traditionally attributed to him, Solomon admits to indulging in pleasures of all kinds. These admissions are part of his reflections on the vanity and emptiness of earthly pleasures. While he is not explicitly referred to as a "glutton," Solomon's pursuit of pleasure and self-indulgence could be seen as a form of gluttony.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
"I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun."
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man lived in luxury every day, which can be seen as a form of gluttony, while Lazarus, a poor man, was laid at his gate, covered in sores and desiring to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. The rich man’s neglect of Lazarus while he lived in excess was part of his sin.
Luke 16:19-21
"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores."
These instances remind us that while the term "gluttony" may not always be used, the Bible contains several stories that warn against overindulgence, neglect of others in the midst of our abundance, and the spiritual consequences that come with these actions.
A Prayer for Moderation
Heavenly Father,
We come before You in humility, acknowledging our frailty, our vulnerabilities, and our often uncontrolled desires that lead us astray. We recognize our weakness towards gluttony and the many ways it manifests in our lives, not just in our consumption of food, but in our insatiable desire for more—more pleasure, more comfort, more material possessions.
We ask for Your forgiveness, Lord, for the times when our focus on satisfying our physical desires has overshadowed our spiritual needs, causing us to lose sight of the blessings that You have so graciously bestowed upon us. We confess that we've often failed to extend a helping hand to those in need because of our selfish pursuits.
Guide us, Father, in the path of self-control and moderation. May the Holy Spirit empower us to resist the temptation to indulge excessively, to seek satisfaction not in the abundance of our possessions but in our relationship with You. Teach us to be content with what we have and to be generous towards those who have less.
Help us to remember that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, not to be abused by overindulgence, but to be used for Your glory. Inspire us to live not for momentary pleasures, but for the eternal rewards that You promise in Your word.
As we navigate this world filled with temptations, may our actions and decisions reflect our identity as Your children. Transform our hearts and minds so that our lives are centered on You, and our ultimate satisfaction comes from knowing and serving You.
In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
