What does the Bible say about foods?
A Bible Study by Adam Osborne, Jr.
Originally, only vegetables were eaten
Genesis 1:29 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 the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
After the great flood, food restrictions changed
God spoke to Noah:
Genesis 9:2-5 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.
- As far as we know, up until now no meat had been eaten by man.
- Up until now, animals were not “afraid” of man, they probably walked among us.
- Now the animals feared man and became food for man.
- God prohibits the eating of “blood.” The blood is the “life” of an animal, and of man. This also prevents “cruelty” of man to animals.
- Blood was also used as “atonement” for sins. This was another reason man wasn’t to eat it.
Examples of meat eating in the Old Testament:
- Genesis 18:7-8 (KJV)And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetch a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
- Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
However, the Law of Moses has special “meat” restrictions
Here is a brief explanation of the clean and unclean animals. See Leviticus 11:1-47 (KJV)
(KJV)
- Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud (cow, ox, goat, hart, roebuck, fallow deer, wild goat, pygarg, wild ox, chamois).
- Fish = whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers.
- Birds = see the unclean listing below. All other birds were clean.
- Insects = locust, bald locust, beetle, grasshopper.
Unclean::
- 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
- Coney, hare, swine.
- Can not touch the carcases of the unclean animals.
- Fish = 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. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
- Birds = eagle, ossifrage, ospray, vulture, kite, raven, owl, night hawk, cuckow, hawk, little owl, cormorant, great owl, swan, pelican, stork, heron, lapwing, bat, birds that walk instead of fly,
- Insects = see note above, certain insects were clean. But all other flying creeping things (insects), which have four feet were unclean.
- weasel, mouse, tortoise, ferret, chameleon, lizard, snail, mole.
- There were also restrictions of “cooking utensils” that touched unclean things.
- And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.
- Also, jews were not to eat anything that had been sacrificed to idols, anything that had died (of diseases or natural death), or died in a fight with other animals.
Laws change with the coming of Christ
When Jesus came to earth and died for our sins, he was the ultimate blood sacrifice. No longer did we need to sacrifice animals to atone for our sins. Now, all foods were to be enjoyed.
Romans 14:14-16 21 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken, good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
- You could now eat anything, but, if what you eat offends anyone, then don’t eat it.
Luke 10:8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:?
- Jesus said, eat anything that is set before you.
People will try to tell you different
1 Timothy 4:3-5 (KJV) Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
- Cults and misdirected legalists might try to tell you what you can and can not eat. The above scripture clearly negates any of their arguments.
Don’t worry about your next meal
Luke 12:22-24 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
And he said unto his disciples,
To God be the Glory
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
- You should always thank God for your food.