Proverbs 15, 17 says, better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. This proverb is basically a restatement of the previous proverb, 15, 16, which says, better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith. And then verse 17 begins with, better is a dinner of herbs where love is. The Bible usually presents a dinner without meat as a condition of poverty, illness, or captivity. For example, you may remember that Cain brought a vegetable offering and God rejected it because you can only approach God with the shedding of blood. So Cain's offering of herbs was a sign of unbelief or spiritual illness, so to speak. Then Daniel, along with Hananiah, Meshach, and Azariah, better known by their Babylonian nicknames of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ate pulse, which is basically beans and seeds, out of necessity when in captivity in Babylon. They couldn't eat the meat because it was unclean and not what we would call today kosher. That wasn't done to demonstrate some healthier way to live as people falsely promote things they call the Daniel diet and other such anti-biblical fads. The diet of herbs was one of desperation to remain clean while being held as captive slaves in a strange land. Likewise, Proverbs 15, 17 isn't promoting vegetarianism or veganism. It's presenting the case of a poor family having dinner without any meat in contrast to the more well-to-do family with a stalled ox ready to slaughter having meat to feed the whole family. But instead of pointing to the family with meat as the desirable circumstance, we are told that we'd be better off in an impoverished situation with a meatless dinner if we are right with God and if we are having that meal with others who are right with God, thus sharing the meal with love, better off than those with a table filled with meat but surrounded by the loveless company of those filled with hatred. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. Matthew Henry said it like this, If brethren dwell together in unity, if they are friendly and hearty and pleasant, both in their daily meals and in more solemn entertainments, That will make a dinner of herbs a feast sufficient. Though the fare be coarse and the estate so small that they can afford no better, yet love will sweeten it, and they may be as merry over it as if they had all dainties." End quote. The fact is, the middle class and wealthy Christians in America are an exception to the rule of history. There have always been a small number of wealthy Christians, but the mass majority of God's children throughout history have been those whose dinner tables lacked meat much or all of the time. As James 2.5 puts it, hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? I will admit that I have rarely eaten a dinner of herbs since I've been a Christian, but I have had to do so. I also remember eating meatless meals, if you can call it that, before I was a Christian. I spent my money partying and didn't buy food. I once sat with a friend in a restaurant and crushed up the free saltines provided and then smothered them in ketchup and ate. that like it was a tomato soup of sorts, and then I ate the free bread they provided at the table. That was my meal. Another time, a friend gave me some pouches of instant potatoes. I added water and ate them right out of the pouch. I was pretty miserable, but the food wasn't the problem. My heart was. Later, a few years after being saved, I had to feed myself and my three little girls. At the time, I couldn't afford meat for every meal, so we would have macaroni night once a week. Then another night, we'd have spaghetti night, noodles and sauce with no meat in it. But those meals were some of the best memories I've ever had, sitting there eating at a table where we loved one another. By contrast, when things changed and those girls were no longer living for Christ, no amount of good food helped. The dinner table became a loveless task to endure rather than a love feast to enjoy. God's Word will repeat this same lesson many times, and I hope we let it all sink in, and that we have such love for God and one another that we can live with the joy of the Lord no matter what is for dinner.