A surplus of material or wealth, especially food or drink. Scripture criticises excessive consumption and extravagance, which are seen as exploiting the less fortunate and leading to a lack of concern for God.
Examples of excessive eating and drinking
The Israelites in idolatry
So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
The Israelites' greed, after God's miraculous provision
All that day and night, and all the next day, the people stayed up gathering the quail. No one gathered less than ten homers, and they spread them out all around the camp.
The Israelites in luxury
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge upon your couches. You dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall. You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Other examples of excess
See also 1 Samuel 25:36 Nabal; 1 Samuel 30:16 the Amalekites in victory; Isaiah 56:12 Israel's wicked watchmen; Daniel 5:1–4 King Belshazzar in pride; Philippians 3:19 the enemies of the cross of Christ; Revelation 18:3 the godless nations
Mentions of excess in Jesus Christ's parables
As a warning to the rich
Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”
As a warning against ingratitude and spiritual indifference
See also Luke 15:13, Luke 16:19–31
Excessive eating and drinking is never encouraged
Church leaders are not to overindulge
1 Timothy 3:2–3, 1 Timothy 3:8 See also Titus 1:7
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.
Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money.
It causes sickness
Proverbs 25:16 See also Proverbs 25:27
If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.
It brings poverty
Proverbs 23:20–21 See also Proverbs 21:17
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.
It brings disgrace
A discerning son keeps the law, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
It is associated with laziness
As one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
It shows a disregard for God
Isaiah 5:11–12 See also Hosea 4:10–11; Philippians 3:19
Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine. At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
It leads the unwise man astray
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
Commands for believers to abstain from such excesses
Galatians 5:19–21; Ephesians 5:18 See also 1 Corinthians 6:10–13; 1 Peter 4:3; 2 Peter 2:13
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
The charging of excessive interest on loans is forbidden
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.