We will continue the discussion on the laws by talking about
the dietary laws. I first had a conversation about this topic with my husband
after reading Leviticus 11. It describes clean and unclean animals, what to eat
and what not to eat. I noticed that some of the animals it mentioned to not eat
are some of the things we eat (DID eat for my husband and I). So, I asked him
out of curiosity, “hun, are we suppose to still follow the dietary law?” His
response was, “no”. I shrugged it off with an, “oh, ok” but still wondering if
it really should be followed. Later (some weeks later), my husband came back up
to me and said that we actually should still follow the dietary law. His
response from before was because of not wanting to let go of those things we
love to eat and have become oh so attached to. We had a pretty good discussion
about it, and my husband mentioned that he realized that the dietary law was
meant to identify what actual FOODS are (what’s meant for food and what isn’t)
and that the things not meant for food can actually be harmful.
Deuteronomy 14 also restates the dietary law. It must be
important to be repeated. God is trying to protect us. Especially when He says,
“it is unclean to you” or “it is
detestable to you”. Those unclean
animals are not good for you and your body, so don’t eat them as food! For
example, pork, which is hard for a lot of people to give up, is not meant for
food. Think of all of the health problems that are a result of eating pork.
Pork was not difficult for me to give up because I couldn’t eat much of it
anyway because it caused me really bad headaches. But you would be surprised at
how many things they put pork into, and I will get to that later!
In the very beginning, man ate only from the earth: fruit. In
Genesis 1:29-30, man was given fruit to eat and the animals were given the
green plants as food. So when did man begin eating meant? Especially since the
dietary law was made clear in Leviticus while the children of Israel were in
the wilderness, but before they left Egypt, they ate lamb during Passover. Well,
in Genesis 9, after the flood, God gives man flesh to eat. “Every moving thing
that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give
you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”
(Genesis 9:3-4)
When God explained the Dietary Law, he specified which of
those meats were good for his people, which were clean and which were not good
for them. Some of us don’t realize it, but part of honoring God is protecting
and honoring our temples, our bodies. And it starts with what we put in them. We
have to avoid those unclean things. When Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
were sent to Babylon, the king wanted them to eat what he ate. But Daniel
realized the king’s food was not clean and he challenged the chief of eunuchs
to give them vegetables for 10 days and let the other youths eat the king’s
food for 10 days and see who is better in appearance. Daniel did not want to
defile himself. Those unclean things are not good for us. Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah ended up appearing healthier than the other youths so the
other youths were then given vegetables also. God gave these four youths
learning and skill in all literature and wisdom. Daniel had understanding of
dreams and visions. (Daniel 1:1-21) Daniel is also where we get the “Daniel Fast”,
but he was in mourning for three weeks after a word was revealed to him.
Nowadays, it’s a little more difficult to avoid those
unclean foods offered by “the king” (the world). Even when we choose things
that are considered food for us, we have to look at what was put in it, and you
would be surprised!
I find that swine (pork) is mentioned several times
throughout the bible, so it seems if there is anything to avoid it is
definitely swine! But here’s the thing, if you look on the packages of the
foods you eat, you will find there is pork in much of it. What? You say it
doesn’t say it has pork in it? Well, lets look at a different name: gelatin. We
know gelatin from things like jello, gummy bears, and anything with gel-like
textures. But, what exactly is gelatin? Well, in plainest terms, it’s pig skin,
pig fat and tissue and cow bones along with other animal by-products. Gross,
right? Finding out what all has gelatin seriously broke my heart! My favorite
candy was gummy bears. No more of that. My favorite dessert is cheesecake and
Sara Lee cheesecakes (my favorites) have gelatin. No more of that. Even sliced
cheese that we all eat on burgers, sandwiches, and on broccoli (because that’s
the only way you will eat broccoli) has gelatin. No more of that! And it’s not
just gelatin. There are so many other unclean things put in the foods but
labeled under different names.
But my question is WHY??? What is the significance of
putting this stuff in the foods? Remember, there is always something spiritual
behind something natural that happens and vice versa. Just like God has plans
for us, the world also has an agenda. This post is mainly to make you aware of
the dietary law and to be mindful of what you put in your body, and also to
cause you to question the overall goal of processed food and even any food not
handled by your own hands. This sparked in me to grow my own garden. What we
put in our bodies should be important to us. What we put in our bodies should
bring glory to God. Everything we do should bring glory to God, even what we
eat. He wouldn’t specify what to eat if it weren’t important to him!
“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.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and these verses are referring to sexual sin
which is also not glorifying God through your body and is another topic to
discuss in another post!
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