Don’t Let Your Greed and Lust Lure You Into Corruption – (Proverbs 23:1-3
Daily Proverbs
When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you; and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.
Daily Bible Study
Daniel is the perfect picture of a Godly man who loved the Lord and followed His precepts, including this one above. Daniel was an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar and he easily could have played on the kings desires in order to enrich himself. However, Daniel instead stayed true to God and the precepts of the Lord. Daniel and his friends refused to eat the food sacrificed to idols. In other words, they refused to compromise their faith and their morals in order to fit in and receive gain for themselves. And that's what these passages are speaking about, they are meant to encourage us to be true to God and follow the Lord.
They also offer us a warning from God, they give us wisdom from God, not to be deceived by others. God is warning us not to get lured into the schemes or plots of the wicked, the wealthy or the powerful. Not to get tempted by our own greed and lusts for possessions, wealth and fame. Many times the wicked who are in power will turn to those they feel are naive in order to carry out a plan for their own gain. They will play on the human weaknesses of pride, greed and lusts in order to lure us in. And God uses His word here and throughout the Bible to warn us to beware. To encourage us to turn from such temptation. To stay in close relationship with the Lord in order that we can receive from Him the power to walk in His precepts.