Clean
and Unclean
God
himself outlines the best diet for humans is a vegan –vegan vegetarian diet
Genesis 1:29-30 KJV “And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing
seed, which is upon the face of all
the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed to you
it shall be for meat”. (I found out that the word meat in the Bible actually
means food and the word of meat is flesh see references)
It
was only after the flood that God allowed humans to eat flesh foods (what we
today call meat), and this was with specific instructions on what was to be and
was not to be eaten (Genesis 9:3-4 & Leviticus 11KJV). The Clean and
Unclean.
***Did
you know that when the animals were placed into the ark only the unclean
animals went in two by two, whilst the clean animals went in three by seven?
(Genesis 7:2,8&9 KJV) ***
In
this text I will illustrate what is regarded as clean and unclean and then
further outline the latter and the former with reference to medical research. I
aim to highlight that God is the
original pioneer of health!
I
must be very blunt in saying, modern day Israel (spiritual Israel) are having certain
health issues because of our violation of God’s law. The topic of clean and
unclean does not only pertain to only flesh foods but anything that does not
promote a clear mind or healthy body. “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy
God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon
thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth
thee. (Exodus 15:26 KJV)”
Let
us first turn to Leviticus 11 and outline some of the flesh that the Lord
speaks on, and then we shall continue by illustrating how they bring about
disease with reference to modern examples.
Leviticus 11 (KJV)
11 And
the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,
2 Speak
unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat
among all the beasts that are on the earth.
3 Whatsoever
parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the
beasts, that shall ye eat.
4 Nevertheless
these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of
them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but
divideth not the hoof; he is unclean
unto you.
The
portion of scripture outlines the animals, which God had approved and
disapproved when it came to food consumption. An animal which chewed the cud and who hoofs were not divided was
considered as clean. However if an animal chewed the cud yet has a divided hoof
the Lord God pronounced this animal as unclean and was not to be eaten. The
Lord God also gives a criterion, which establishes the creatures in the air and
the sea that are clean and unclean.
Leviticus 11: 9-12
9 These
shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in
the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And
all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that
move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall
be an abomination unto you:
11 They
shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye
shall have their carcases in abomination.
12 Whatsoever
hath no fins nor scales in the
waters, that shall be an abomination
unto you.
The
sea creatures were to have scales and fins in order to be considered edible. Eating
prawns, shrimps, mussels or lobsters is not the permitted by God. All these
are very popular seafood choices by many Christians yet it was never permitted
by God for them to be eaten, as they are unclean!
Before
we begin to look at the dangers of eating the foods God has shunned. I will outline
the description of clean and unclean birds of the air and insects.
Leviticus 11: 20-12 & 23
20 All
fowls that creep, going upon all four,
shall be an abomination unto you.
21 Yet
these may ye eat of every flying
creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to
leap withal upon the earth;
22 Even
these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald
locust after his kind, and the beetle after
his kind, and the grasshopper after
his kind.
23 But all other flying creeping things, which have four
feet, shall be an abomination unto you.
The
unclean fowls moved on all fours, the clean fowls were on all fours however
they leaped upon the earth and their legs were above their feet. In regards to
insects any thing on all fours minus the insects mentioned by God were unclean.
God
continuously gives clear instructions on what he expects from those who follow
him. Yet we often err because of our love for those things, which are not of
God. Like Paul in the Bible we may find ourselves in a conflicting state, where
we want to do good but seems to do bad. “For
the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do (Romans 7:19 KJV).” However, let us like Paul, remember that we
too can do good by God working in us. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without
me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5 KJV)
“Beloved, I wish above
all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
prospereth (3 John 2 KJV)”
God
wants us to be in good health, His laws, which pertain to health, are not in
place to harm us but to help us! The world’s population is suffering because of
ill health, these health issues that are related to diet could be resolved if
one would desire to be in good health by following the instructions of God.
“Thousands
have died through the centuries, however, because doctors ignored the biblical
rules. Finally, when doctors read and tried these guidelines, they quickly
discovered how to prevent the spread of epidemics. Thus Moses could be called
the father of modern infection control. Even today we are still benefiting from
God’s 3,500-year-old instructions” (None of These Diseases: The Bible’s Health
Secrets for the 21st Century, 2000, p. 11).
On
one of my readings of the chapter (Leviticus 11), I was amazed that the Word
had stated the unclean sea animals as an abomination, meaning they are an
atrocity. But what makes them an abomination? It can be detected that many of
the sea creatures have some traces of mercury. If you recall back to those science
lessons in school where the topics of metals were discussed, mercury was
regarded as a toxic metal. By eating seafood one is increasing their exposure
to toxic chemicals. It must be added, the mercury found in fish and shellfish is
a product of bad environmental practises, these practises have resulted in the
poisoning of sea life.
But
Jesus ate fish. This is an argument often used to justify the eating of fish;
we cannot compare the fish our saviour ate with the fish of today. I hope to
expand on this argument later on.
What
are some of the roles of the forbidden flesh? Shellfish such as lobster, crabs
and prawns are the original sea waste collectors. The roles of these creatures
is to keep the sea clean, they eat the rubbish. I for one am not too fond of
the smell that oozes from the rubbish collection trucks and the idea of eating
from such repulses me. Effectively when one is eating shellfish it could be
argued they are merely eating well-ordered rubbish collection tools.
God
in His mercy highlights the eating of sea life as abominable. Although certain types
were permitted, the increase of diseases within the animal kingdom and mass
pollution due to humanity, it is safe to say that God would not permit us to
eat that which is poisoned. Especially those of us who are aware of the dangers
and have come across divine instruction.
“In many places fish become so
contaminated by the filth on which they feed as to be a cause of disease….Thus
when used as food they bring disease and death on those who do not suspect the
danger”. White, 1905
“Is it not time that all should aim
to dispense with flesh foods? How can
those who are seeking to become pure, refined, and holy, that they may have the
companionship of heavenly angels, continue to use as food anything that has so
harmful an effect on soul and body “ ibid, p.317
I
have outlined briefly the danger of eating fish and associated this with what
has been showcased in the Word of God and the words of his prophet Ellen G
White. I will continue to do the same with reference to land animals and will
conclude by addressing some apparent controversial scriptures that deal with
what one is to eat and drink.
Pork
is probably one of the most common meats for consumption in the West. Pigs,
like shellfish have been given the task of keeping the environment clean. Even
before I became a vegan[1], we were
not allowed to eat pork at home. I think a lot of this had to do with the
nature of pigs. Pigs are scroungers of the earth. Their flesh is filled with
parasites. Again like the sea creatures the more one exposes themselves to the
eating of pork the greater their chances of being ill from the eating these
meats.
What
are the clean meats, you may ask? Let us
turn to the books of inspiration.
The diet appointed to man in the beginning
did not include animals. Not until after the Flood, when every green thing on
the earth had been destroyed, then man received the permission to eat flesh.
“Upon their settlement in Canaan,
the Israelites were permitted the use of animal food, but under careful
restrictions which tended to lessen the evil results…. Of the meats permitted,
the eating of the fat and the blood was strictly forbidden.”- Ibid 311-312.
Leviticus 17: 11-15
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your
souls: for it is the blood that maketh
an atonement for the soul.
12 Therefore
I said unto the children of Israel, No
soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth
among you eat blood.
13 And
whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that
sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be
eaten; he shall even pour out the blood
thereof, and cover it with dust.
14 For
it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore
I said unto the children of Israel, Ye
shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh:
for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be
cut off.
God forbids the eating of blood,
meat was to be prepared in a manner whereby the blood was poured out and the
fat removed before it was to be prepared. This form of meat preparation is
known as Koshering.
“Koshering is the process by which the blood is
removed from the flesh of meat and fowl before it is prepared for eating.” - http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/82678/jewish/Koshering-Meat.htm
Many
of the methods to cook flesh food are actually not acceptable to God. The blood
of the animal is not to be boiled out but rather drained and the fat removed.
Many cook the animal in its blood and eat the fat; God has said “he shall even pour out the blood…For the life of the flesh is in the
blood…”- Leviticus 17:11 & 13
The life is in the blood of the animal, so if an
animal died in great pain or suffered from great anger, if one is eating the
animal they too are eating its emotions. It may be farfetched but it is not.
Our diet impacts our health, if we are to expose ourselves to sad, depressive
stories then we are likely to become like that which we are exposed too. If the
latter is often more easily digested (excuse the pun) then why is it difficult
to assume the same with diet? If we eat food that has gone through great
amounts of suffering, we open up ourselves to such.
“But
the Bible tells us not to worry about what we eat and drink for its has been
nailed to the cross”
The
above is an argument used to justify the eating of particular flesh foods. I
will begin in saying this. The dietary laws mentioned in Leviticus were never
nailed to the cross! We just love to push our selfish ideas and baptise
it in Christianity. If people in the world can see that eating meat is wrong, (especially
for those in the West where there is ample amount of having an alternative
diet) why cannot spiritual Israel see the
dangers of eating meat?
Colossians 2: 14-17
14 Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to
us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And
having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink,
or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which
are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Verse
16 in Colossians 2 is the verse, which is often used to excuse the eating of
meat! The Word of God is to be studied line upon line, precept upon precept –
Isaiah 28:10. When we study the Bible we need to look at other verses and
lessons to have an in depth understanding of the Word of God. So let us apply
the method outlined in Isaiah. Isaiah
28:10 “For
precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon
line; here a little, and there a little…”
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an
holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days
In
some of the earlier chapters of the Bible, the children of Israel were
instructed by God to keep a number of ceremonies. These ceremonies were
referred to as festivals or feast days, these celebrations not only varied in
styles but also in symbolism. Certain feast day were kept as a reminder of how
God had led the children of Israel out of Egypt, as well as pointed to Christ
and what he was going to do through the plan of redemption. God had given
specific instructions on what they were to do during these ‘holy convocations’.
For one of the holy days God had instructed the Israelites in what they were to
eat.
The
Passover
Leviticus 23:4-6
4 These
are the feasts of the Lord, even
holy convocations, which ye shall
proclaim in their seasons.
5 In
the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover. 6 And
on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto
the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Exodus 12: 7-11,15-16, 43
7And they shall take
of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of
the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8 And
they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread;
and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.9 Eat not of it raw, nor
sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with
the purtenance thereof.10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain
until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall
burn with fire. 11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins
girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat
it in haste: it is the Lord's passover.
15 Seven
days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven
out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day
until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
16 And
in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day
there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in
them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
43 And
the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover:
There shall no stranger eat thereof:
If
we look at what is mentioned in Leviticus 23: 4-6, it can be seen that these
holy days, convocation and feasts were to be observed for a season. Why? They were
a “shadow of things to come; Christ as the only redeemer.
Verse
16 of Colossians chapter two should not be looked at without regarding other
verses within the chapter.
14 Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to
us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Some have argued that which has been nailed to
the cross is the dietary requirements in Leviticus. But this is not the case! The ordinances have
been nailed to the cross. What are the ordinances? The ordinances were
the holy days, holy convocations, feast days, the earthly sanctuary service and
the various type of offerings (See Leviticus chapters 23, 1,2, 3 &4)
Once
Jesus died on the cross these ordinances where to cease,
“Daniel 9:27King James Version (KJV)
27 And
he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the
week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Why would God
nail to the cross that which encourages good health? To me this seems rather
irrational and illogical.
References:
Meat
means food : https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H402&t=KJV
Mercury
in fish:
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/mercury-guide
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fish
White, E. 1905. " The Ministry of Healing" Pp 311-7
Stay posted for part two
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