Posted on 12/21/2003 3:28:26 PM PST by missyme
God's initial plan was for man to be a vegetarian. In the Bible we read "See I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. (Gen. 1.29)
In addition God's initial plan for every living creature was for it to be a herbivore (Gen:1.30)
Those who lived in the vegetarian period from Adam to Noah lived lives ranging from Adam 930 years to Methuselah who's recorded to live the longest in the Bible approx: 969 years.
After the Flood meat was finally introduced in the Human Diet. a factor that may be linked to a shorter life span Abraham 175 years and Moses 120 years.
Although man was an omnivore capable of living both on Plant and Animal Products Our physical anatomy has been engineered to eat more plant products.
WHAT DID JESUS EAT? Jesus ate a wide variety of fresh-clean species, FISH proably on a daily basis. Red meat was not abundant in the Jewish diet.. Therefore the consumption of Lamb was eaten by Jesus only during the PASSOVER, banquets and parties. Jesus never ate a cow or an ox. he would of of spent time consuming YOGURT and CHEESE. For curds and Honey everyone will eat who is left in the land (Isa.7:21-22)
Since Numbers11:5 tells us that Israelites craved Cucumbers, melons, leeks onions and garlic foods approved by GOD in the dietary laws given to Moses.
Jesus cared about the health of people certainly his many healing miracles are testimony of that fact.If we ate like Jesus did, we would be alot healthier as a country eliminating many diseases, the keys are simple, Fruits, Vegetables, Fish Beans, Nuts, Yogurts and Cheese, the diets of today are based on WHAT JESUS ATE!
Vegetarianism is not the reason they lived so long...or rather, that those following the Flood did not. It has to do with sin and the major change in the atmosphere after the Flood.
God would not permit the eating of animals in Gen 9:6, and in Acts 10 if it was harmful. You can NOT justify vegetarianism in the Bible...it is just not there.
15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
So Abel was raising sheep for...the heck of it?
Peter didn't understand the vision he had in Acts 10 to mean that all meats were now clean. God sent that vision to teach that gentiles were not to be considered unclean.
Act 10:17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate;
Peter couldn't understand why God in a vision would tell him that unclean animals were now clean. That was not a teaching of Jesus, or at least Peter didn't recognize it as such because Acts 10 takes place nearly 25 or 30 years after the death of Christ and:
Act 10:14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean."
But Peter did eventually figure out what the vision meant, and he tells us:
Act 10:28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
The Bible does not talk of consuming the amount of meat that we eat, the diet of the Bible seems to be based on a Mediterraniean style diet as eaten by the Israelites and Jesus.
This topic is of concern as this Healty Lifestyle of eating that Doctor's are recommending seems to be the diet of the Bible which of course makes total sense.
It really has to be an individual decision between you and God how you decide to eat. There have been many different "Christian Diet Plans" the only thing lost was money out of my pocket. God does give us wisdom in diet, but what works for you may not work for me. We aren't to judge others by what they eat or by what they abstain from.
The only thing I have a conviction about not eating is fake foods. Studies are coming out that they aren't really that good for you after all.
I tried vegetarianism briefly and I felt like crap and my health was deteriorating. The diet I feel best on physically is a low carb diet of real foods. If I consume too many carbs I have blood sugar spikes. However, I have finally figured out that what works for me may not work for others and that's okay.
Not a leap at all, in fact, it is the linkage to Peter understanding the message he received.
Acts 10:9-16
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
10 And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance
11 and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth.
12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."
14 But Peter said, "No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."
15 And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common."
16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
Note the sheet was lowered three times.
Acts 10:17-20
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate
18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.
19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.
20 Rise and go down, and accompany them without hesitation; for I have sent them."
Peter is pondering this vision as three men are looking for him. Thus, he makes the link between the three times he saw the sheet lowered and the three visitors.
Acts 10:28
28 and he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Thanks Zack, that's exactly right and well put. In the context of Acts 10 and 11, the whole point of the chapters is that gentiles were not to be considered ceremonially unclean anymore because God had given his holy spirit to them. The entire two chapters are the story of the beginning of having gentiles included in the promises of Israel, not about what foods to eat.
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