Yahweh’s
Food Laws
“You must distinguish
between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean”, Leviticus
____________________________________________________
A
man eating an all-meat hamburger, which is oozing its mouth-watering contents,
appears in a commercial to tantalize the viewer. Devoid of vegetables, such as
tomatoes or lettuce, but with added cheese, this hamburger is mostly filled
with juicy/spicy meat, which we trust is beef. On top of it, or rather on the
side, are deep-fried French fries, salted to the taster’s delight. The person
eating it looks so satisfied! Are you
tempted? The ones that designed the commercial are certainly hoping you are.
Seeing certain people watch a commercial like this is
similar to watching some of Pavlov’s scientific experiments on dogs in which
they would drool if certain conditions were present.
Today’s food is a sign of the times. The majority is
over-processed with additives fit to be in a starter chemical set rather than
to be served for a meal. We over-consume and are overfed as a nation, and yet,
many of us are undernourished.
Heart disease, diabetes and a number of other
health-related diseases are on the rise. The question is, WHY?
Could it be that most people who are gulping down
these monstrous meat-filled creations that are basically double-fisted
mountains of saturated grease are not considering Yahweh’s Biblical food laws?
This question and others will be answered in the
following pages. We’ll see what Yahweh’s Word says and we’ll also see what is
happening to today’s general food supply.
Man has gone beyond the basics. Man has been altering
the
When man decides to try to improve upon what Yahweh
said was “good” from the beginning, the outcome cannot be “good” in the long
run:
And Elohim
said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit
tree yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth:
and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after
its kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after its
kind: and Elohim saw that it was good,” Gen 1:11-12.
Jekyll and Hyde Plants?
Consider
what a scientist might say who believes that evolution is the reason we are
here: “We basically evolved over billions of years.” A person with that mindset
might reason, “What’s the harm in helping evolution on its way?” He might also
say, “At the same time, I’m helping fight those pesky bugs and other ailments
the earth suffers from, like drought, for example.”
One can reason away and truly believe some good can
come from genetic manipulation. Some good has actually come from it. Tomatoes
have grown in size due to man’s manipulation. They can now be sliced and put on
a sandwich, fitting just nicely. The bad, however, is certainly starting to
outweigh the good, as we’ll see.
Experimenting with the food chain, such as has been
happening in the last decade, is but one of the alarming scenarios that seems
like something taken out of a Jekyll and Hyde novel.
Scientists have been splicing and dicing genes in
their recipes for better yielding, bug fighting, drought resistant plants. In
doing so, some plants are now able to produce their own chemical pesticides
that will destroy the bug that eats it. Once planted in the field, natural
cross-pollination occurs when the plants reach a mature level of growth. What
this means is that a non-genetically altered field may be contaminated by an
experimental crop, or more likely by a crop already approved for
mass-production.
Genetic Engineered Plants
In
either case, but especially with the experimental crops, we could have a
scenario played out like the one that produced killer bees. Though these are a
type of insect and not plants, the same analogy can be used for experimental
plants that somehow escape the field in which they were first grown.
Killer bees (also called Africanized bees, since it
was an African queen that was mixed with a regular bee species) have produced a
type of “bully bee” who, with other “bully bees” of the same type, will team up
and attack animals, children, or anything else that they see as a threat to
their well being. Some people have died already because of them.
These bees are on the move having traveled quickly
from
There have been fields of genetically altered corn
that have affected at least one documented and certified organic grower of
corn. If the grower hadn’t been certified, it may have possibly gone
undetected. However, others have already noticed a difference in their fields
when infected by genetically altered corn, because the yield is noticeably off.
Since some of these plants are now producing their own pesticides, the process
saps the plant’s energy causing the yields to be less.
In a book written by Don Colbert, M.D., entitled Toxic Relief, this Board Certified
physician, who will be quoted throughout this booklet, along with other
authorities, states, “The National Academy of Sciences released a report
stating that genetically engineered products introduce new allergens, toxins,
disruptive chemicals and unknown protein combinations into our bodies…When we
ingest these foods, we will also be ingesting the pesticide produced by the food.”
He goes on to say, “It’s too early to tell all the
side effects and dangers of these foods; however, we are already seeing the
allergic effects. Unfortunately for us in the
Properly Labeled Food
Just a few days prior to
this writing, the state of Oregon voted “no” on a measure to have labels
stating that a food has been genetically engineered, if indeed it has been. The
biotechnology companies gave over $5,000,000 for funding of propaganda, such as
television ads, trying to show that there would be too much red tape and that
the food is basically safe anyway. The Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA)
had organized the campaign with the help of the funds given by the biotech
companies. There’s no doubt that campaigning of this sort will be coming to
your local area soon.
Recently, a documentary on missionary work being done
in
Other countries have regulated the corn for cattle
feed only, such as in
Be not
deceived; Elohim is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap, Gal. 6:7.
Mad Cow disease, reportedly, can be dormant in an
individual for up to a decade before it basically turns the person’s brain into
something resembling Swiss cheese.
Creating plants that grow insecticide and feeding it
to animals that, in turn, are eaten is not much different than ingesting the
toxins yourself.
If this all seems bad, just wait, because it gets
worse. In an article entitled “Sowing Disaster?” by Mark Schapiro, on the
website TheNation.com, the following information is given:
“Dr. Mike Lee, a plant biologist, is in the agronomy
department’s plant-transformation center doing genetic engineering. Lee is at
work on a research project to increase the nutritional value of corn by
inserting the most nutritious part of a hog — the gene for hog’s milk — into a
corn embryo…This is genetic engineering in action, mixing the genetic material
from two organisms that would never ordinarily mix in nature. It has been done
with flounder genes in strawberries, mice genes in potatoes, cow genes in
sugarcane and soy, and chicken genes in corn. And now, as Lee explains, he
hopes to increase the nutritional value of corn with genes from hog’s milk.”
Clean Foods
If
you are already eating pork, then the above may not sound so bad, but Yahweh
has told us that certain animals are unclean and are not to be eaten:
These also
shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth;
the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after its kind, Lev
And the
swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the
cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass
shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you, Lev 11:7-8.
Abomination in the following Scripture is mentioned
between two of the animals that man has decided to mix with edible plant life: They that sanctify themselves, and purify
themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh (hogs,
pigs), and the abomination, and the mouse (mice), shall be consumed together,
saith Yahweh, Isaiah 66:17.
Is Pork A Clean Food?
The
Those who
sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, following one in the
center, who eat swine’s flesh, detestable things, and mice, shall come to an
end altogether,” declares Yahweh, Isaiah
66:17 (
Ryrie’s notes state that Isaiah 66:15-17 is speaking
of “A vivid picture of the judgments at the return of [Messiah].” In other
words, it is prophetic for a time yet ahead of us. It also shows swine and
mice, found among the unclean food laws, are still unclean even at the return
of the Savior Yahshua.
In the section, “The Problem with Pork” in Dr. Don
Colbert’s book, What Would J-sus Eat?, we find the following comment:
“Many people declare today that pork is a safe meat to
eat in modern times. I disagree. Pigs eat enormous amounts of food, and this
dilutes the hydrochloric acid in the pig’s stomach. This in turn allows toxins,
viruses, parasites, and bacteria to be absorbed into the animal’s flesh…Pigs
readily harbor parasites including Trichinella,
the pork tapeworm, and toxoplasmosis.”
Other doctors also warn against eating unclean pigs,
such as Gordon S. Tessler, PhD. in his book,
The Genesis Diet:
“Pigs are known to carry up to 200 diseases and 18
different parasites and worms…A person may be committing slow suicide when they
eat bacon, ham, sausage, or pork chops. Even hog farmers who insist that
corn-fed hogs are safe won’t give you a guarantee that their indoor hogs
haven’t eaten any rats, mice, fecal waste, or maggots within the past few
days…Pork should be considered a homotoxin (human poison) and the probable
cause of many common sicknesses and degenerative diseases.”
Yahweh knew what He was doing for us when He said
don’t eat things like swine. It was and still is for our own good, just as are
all the instructions He gave
It’s true that we don’t offer physical sacrifices and
that we are under the Melchisedek order rather than the Levitical, but what
that means is a change in the law (Heb 7:12), not a doing away with it.
Yahweh’s ways are eternal (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8) and we are told His instructions
were and still are good for the people.
Deuteronomy 4:6, 9 (NLT) says, If you obey them carefully, you will display your wisdom and
intelligence to the surrounding nations. When they hear about these laws, they
will exclaim, 'What other nation (people) is as wise and prudent as this!' ...Do not let these things escape from
your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and
grandchildren.
Good Farming Sense
Concerning
farming, Yahweh said in Deut 22:9, Thou
shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which
thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.
Most farmers understand this common sense approach and
normally will plant soybean at one planting, and once harvested, will plant
corn at another time, but never at the same time. This is done with different
combinations of plants at one seeding with plants that pull nitrogen, while the
other seeding involves plants that add nitrogen back into the soil.
Monkey Business
Things
are getting strange, though, back on Dr. Moreau’s table. If you’ve ever seen
the movie, you know that Dr. Moreau was creating his own twisted versions of
animals on his own island. Today’s doctors are at that stage where they can
actually start doing some strange and forbidden things.
Dr. Robert White, a top neurosurgeon in his field,
recently and successfully transplanted a monkey’s head on another monkey’s
body. It was reported that the monkey only lived a short time afterwards and
couldn’t really move its lower extremities, but it did look around and even
tried to bite Dr. White at one point.
Can we blame the monkey? What is the next step for
these twisted types of experiments?
Yahweh does say something about mixing of animals,
along with the mention of seeds, in Leviticus 19:19, Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a
diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a
garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
The problem today is that seeds have been altered to the
extreme. As mentioned, even animals’ genes (parts) are being combined in the
very inner structure of different plants that Yahweh said were “good” when they
were created.
Today’s scientists are playing out a Jekyll and Hyde
type of experiment. It’s experimentation that will more than likely have dire
consequences in the long run, because Yahweh’s Biblical food laws and basic
common sense principles are being ignored.
Pesticidal Suicide
Pesticides
are nothing more than chemicals that are made to deter or kill bugs so that
crops of food can be grown without being eaten by bugs. Scientists who have
created these insecticides have already found that some of them are
carcinogenic (i.e., cancer-causing).
There have been certain pesticides that have been
outlawed for use on the soil in the
Many plants are systemic, meaning that even if you
wash the produce, the chemicals have already been taken in from the root and
are within the fruit or vegetable.
In his book, Walking
in Divine Health, Don Colbert, brings up the fact that we still have some
of these chemicals in our soil. In the section, “The Peril of Pesticides,” he
states “In 1972, the pesticide DDT was banned. However, this substance is so
difficult to eliminate that more than a quarter century later, traces of DDT
continue to show up in many soils. It continues to be found in rooted plants
such as carrots and potatoes…The various kinds of pesticides we use have
increased thirty-three times since 1940, and their toxicity has risen tenfold.
To make matters worse, crop losses to insects and weeds have multiplied at an
alarming rate, indicating that insects and weeds are becoming more resistant to
modern-day pesticides. Sadly, the response to these crop losses will be the
additional use of even more pesticides. This year [1999], more than two billion
pounds were spread over American soil. Get ready for three, four and perhaps
even ten billion pounds!”
Acid Rain
What
happens when fields are rained upon? Don’t these chemicals head straight for
the water supply? Streams, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and eventually the ocean,
which is the ultimate depository, are becoming polluted.
As it is, the lakes in a number of areas are already
dead. There was a documentary a few years back that stated in
Acid rain has been a problem even for car
manufacturers that have had to cover the cars being shipped due to the acidic
rain eating into the finish.
In some of the lakes in
In
Food Chain
Besides
the fish, other waterfowl and animals can be affected. When we look at the food
chain, humans can also be affected. As already mentioned, today’s food is a
sign of the times. Man has been given the responsibility to tend the earth and
we are failing miserably at our job. We are now suffering some of the
consequences.
Dr. Don Colbert, in his book, Walking in Divine Health, points out that, “Nearly everyone in the
Pesticides are something the world needs to reconsider
when farming and ask, “Is it worth the risk?” One nation,
“…a study from
More studies will follow, but will people listen? Will
we as a society wake up to the fact that we need to get back to the basics and
back to the Bible?
Soil Depletion
Besides
an abundance of chemicals to kill bugs which are used on foods, which could be
compared to taking a can of Raid and spraying your food before you eat it, the
soils are being depleted of vital nutrients. Concerning this, Dr. Colbert says
the following in Walking in Divine Health:
“Literally we’ve been sucking the soil dry. Today many
soils are practically depleted of selenium, chromium, molybdenum and many other
vital minerals.”
Recent studies have indicated that chromium helps
regulate blood sugar levels. Other minerals also play a role in one’s health.
There are doctors today that understand that nutrients are needed and are
speaking out, such as long term medical doctor Ray D. Strand in his recent
book, What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About
Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You.
He says, “After reviewing medical research studies, I
have absolutely no doubt that my patients who take high-quality [emphasis mine] nutritional supplements have a health
benefit over those that don’t…I am simply enabling the patient to provide the
nutrients to his or her body at the optimal levels that studies have shown to
provide a health benefit based on medical research. This approach to health I
have labeled cellular nutrition,
which enables the body to do what [Yahweh] intended.”
Ultimately, one does not need to supplement if they
are eating the right kinds of food from non-depleted soils.
Alternative Farming
Some
farmers, mostly organic growers, have been utilizing bugs as a “friend” rather
than a “foe.” In many cases it has worked well.
Take any farmed field that utilizes pesticides and put
it along side an organically (naturally) grown field that utilizes bugs and
you’ll see a startling difference in the soil. The field that has been
organically grown with bugs and worms looks and feels rich and moist, even at a
distance. And, if you look at it closely, you’ll find abundant life within.
Then, take the other soil from the pesticide side, and
it will be a paste looking dirt that if it hasn’t been watered recently, is
crumbly and dry looking, enough so that you can crumble it in your hand and
blow it away. It is dead in nature, yet amazingly enough, the plants that
Yahweh said were “good,” after he created them, are resilient enough to still
grow. However, under such conditions, it must be asked, “What is the cost to
our health?”
Many that advocate bioengineering plants basically
say, “We need drought and bug resistant plants.” It may surprise you to know
that there are already naturally produced seeds that have these qualities.
Seeds of Change, Inc., a
“Traditional refers to open-pollinated varieties that
have been grown through many centuries by native/indigenous peoples of the
world. They are often drought and pest resistant, hardy, nutritious, and many
are still cultivated around the world.”
Genetically Altered Seeds
So,
why are companies, all seemingly in the
In the article “Sowing Disaster?” by Mark Schapiro, from the website TheNation.com, he states, “Monsanto [Company] alone poured at least
a billion dollars into biotech research (according to National Public Radio
technology correspondent Daniel Charles in his book Lords of the Harvest) ‘before it had a single genetically
engineered plant to sell.’ Other companies (Dupont, Dow, Aventis and Syngenta)
spent billions more on research and on a seed company-buying spree that lasted
well into the 1990s. The stakes for these companies are huge.”
New Labeling
The
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just started implementation
of regulations that will require “Organic” labeled plant foods to mean no
pesticides, no irradiation and no genetic alteration. For organic meats it
means no hormones and no antibiotics. Anything labeled “100% Organic” must be
just that, 100% organic. Everything else labeled “Organic” must be 95% by
weight.
A.J. Yates of the USDA recently said on a news
interview concerning organic farming, “It’s the fastest growing sector of
agriculture in the
That may be one reason for stepping in, but it will also
allow the government to see the big picture when it comes to the
cross-pollinization or, rather, the contamination to organic fields that has
already started to occur with the genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs,
as they’ve been termed, are the genetically altered plants, some of which now
produce their own pesticide. Again, it should be mentioned, that these GMOs
have already been affecting other field crops.
There’s no question that alternative farming that has
naturally grown food is the way to go, but it looks like it will soon become
even more difficult to grow such food in today’s world.
Clean And Unclean Of The Waters
Having already stated that waters have been polluted,
and advisories (a fancy word for “warning”) have been given, we should take a
look at what Yahweh’s Word says about the clean and unclean types of creatures
that come from the waters. It is noted that even when waters are clean, certain
fish and other life in them are unclean for us to consume.
The book of Leviticus, chapter 11, and the book of
Deuteronomy, chapter 14, have some of the basic laws concerning clean and
unclean foods, even the ones living in water.
In Leviticus 11: 9-19 Yahweh tells us, 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. 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: They shall be
even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall
have their carcases in abomination. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the
waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
In Deuteronomy 14:9-10 Yahweh basically says the same
thing as a second witness to us. There we read,
These ye
shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye
eat: And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto
you.
What these above verses are saying is that we can eat
anything that has fins and scales, but if it doesn’t have both, then it is
unclean, period. All these other creatures, such as, clams, shrimp, and crab,
don’t have fins and scales, so they are unclean for us to eat.
One may ask, “But, why are they unclean for us to
eat?” A simple answer is to give the example of a father and a son. The father
may say to the son, “Don’t touch that hot stove.” The son should obey, whether
or not he understands the reason why.
Abominations Of The Sea
A
deeper answer can be found in what many doctors are coming to understand.
Notice what one doctor says; “I was astonished by the ways dietary and
nutritional laws given in the ancient biblical texts revealed truths that
scientists were only beginning to uncover this century,” The Bible Cure, by Reginald Cherry, M.D.
Creatures such as crab are scavengers of the waters,
and creatures such as oysters are basically filters that often carry diseases.
In the recent book What
Would J-sus Eat? by Don Colbert, M.D., he states the following in the
section, “What about Seafood?”:
“All crustaceans and mollusk shellfish
have no scales and are therefore unclean. Mollusks include clams, mussels,
oysters, and scallops. crustaceans include crabs, lobsters, shrimp, prawns, and
crayfish…Raw shellfish is a major source of food poisoning in our nation, and
diseases commonly carried by shellfish include salmonella and Hepatitis-A
virus…Clams and oysters can filter between twenty and fifty gallons of seawater
a day. The toxins, however, remain in the flesh of the shellfish…Shellfish can
also concentrate ‘red tide,’ leading to blood poisoning and death in high-risk
patients. The red tide produces neurotoxins that are not destroyed by cooking…I
personally regard shellfish as the ‘cockroaches of the sea’ - they are
miniature waste collectors…We are not only told in Scripture to avoid them, but
also that they are an ‘abomination’ to human beings (Lev 11:12).”
Besides shellfish and crustaceans being unclean and an
abomination to us, we find as mentioned, that certain fish that have fins, but
no scales, are also unclean. For example, it is known that shark and swordfish
have no scales, but do have fins. What is not well known is that these two fish
have been said to have the highest concentrations of mercury and pesticides
within their fatty tissues of any other fish.
Again, if a father says to his son, “Don’t touch the
hot stove,” he means, “Don’t touch the hot stove!” Interestingly enough, you
have these food laws laid out at a time when there wasn’t the kind of pollution
there is today. The waters in ancient times were clean, and yet Yahweh knew the
end from the beginning, and tells us to obey Him, that it might go well with
us:
…Obey my
voice, and I will be your Elohim (Mighty
One), and ye shall be my people: and walk
ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you, Jer 7:23. See also Jer. 38:20; 42:6.
It has been said, “If you pick up one end of the
stick, you get the other end automatically.” Yahweh knows this, as the very
laws He created have cause and effect, blessings and cursings. He tells us to
choose life and not death. Though this has a spiritual significance for us, it
also has a physical one, too. Isn’t it time to do what is right in Yahweh’s
sight and live?
Looking further at fish, we find that certain
Biblically unclean fish like catfish are without question, unclean for a
reason.
“Like shrimp, lobsters, and all other shellfish,
catfish were initially created by [Yahweh] to act as cleansing agents for
natural water sources. These creatures have a great ability to absorb
pollutants but not become sick by them. They can and do, however, pass on the
pollutants to human beings who eat their flesh…On a positive side, clean fish
with fins and scales are extremely beneficial for human consumption,” What Would J-sus Eat?, by Don Colbert,
M.D.
Fish – Clean or Unclean?
They say that “knowledge is power.” But, it should be added, “if you use it correctly.” The following table is for your knowledge; it is an abridged list of clean and unclean fish (including other unclean water creatures, see page 17).
Biblically Clean Fish (Must have both fins and scales)
Albacore
(Crevalle, Horse
Alewive (Branch Herring, River
Anchovy
Barracuda
Bass
Black Drum
Blackfish
Blueback (Glut Herring)
(Hardtail)
Bonitos
Bowfin
Buffalofish
Butterfish
Carp
Chub (Bloater, Longjaw, Blackfin)
Cod
Crappie
Crevalle (Albacore)
Croaker
Darter
Flounder (Dab, Gray Sole, Yellow Tail)
Frost Fish (Ice Fish, Smelt)
Gaby
Graylin
Groupers (Gag)
Gruntsg
Gulf Pike (Robalo, Snook, Sergeant)
Haddock
Hake
Halibut
Hardtail (Blue Runner)
Herring
Horse Mackerel
(Albacore)
Ice Fish (Frost Fish)
Jack (Albacore)
Kingfish
Long Nose Sucker (Northern Sucker, Red Striped Sucker)
Mackerel
Menhaden
Mullet
Muskellunge (Jack)
Orange Roughy
Perch
Pickerel (Jack)
Pig Fish
Pike (Jack)
Pilchard (Sardine)
Pollack
Pompano
Porgy (Scup)
Red Drum (Redfish)
Redfin (Red Horse Sucker)
Red Snapper
Red Striped Sucker (Long Nose Sucker)
Robalo (Gulf Pike)
Rockfish
Salmon (Chum, Coho, King, Pink, Red)
Sardine (Pilchard)
Scup (Porgy)
Sea Bass
Sergeant Fish (Gulf Pike)
Shad
Sheepshead
Silver Hake (Whiting)
Silversides
Smelt (Frost Fish)
Snook (Gulf Pike)
Spanish Mackerel
Striped Bass
Sucker
Tarpon
Trout
Tuna (Albacore, Bluefin, Yellowfin, Shipjack)
Weakfish
Whitefish
White Sucker
Whiting (Silver Hake)
Yellow Perch
Biblically Unclean Fish and Seafood
Abalone
Bullhead
Catfish
Clam
Crab
Crayfish
Eel
Lobster
Mussel
Oyster
Paddlefish (Spoonbill)
Scallop
Sculpin
Shark
Shrimp
Squid
Stickleback
Sturgeon (caviar)
Swordfish
Whale
If there is a fish you have a question about, and
don’t see it listed, then we recommend a search for “kosher fish” in your local
library, bookstore, or on the internet.
Clean And Unclean Of The Land
The
story of Noah and the flood brings to mind the pictures of a big ark and the
animals going into it two by two. A closer look at scripture, though, gives a
little more detail. We read, “Of every
clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of
beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the
air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all
the earth,” Gen 7:2-3.
It is clear that “by sevens” Noah was to take the
“clean” animals into the ark, but of the “unclean” only one male and one
female. A question arises as to how did Noah know what was clean and unclean?
The answer is that Yahweh evidently told him.
In Genesis 9:2, we find the first written confirmation
that animal meat was now being allowed for human consumption. It says, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat
for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.”
Does this really mean “every moving thing” is good to
eat? Without looking at the rest of Yahweh’s Word, one could come to that
conclusion. However, it would be like taking what Yahshua said in John
It’s clear that Genesis 9:2 does now allow clean meats
to be eaten; hence, the reason why more clean animals than unclean were allowed
onto Noah’s ark.
There are some basic instructions (2 Tim
“Whatsoever
parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts,
that shall ye eat. 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.” See also Deut 14:6-7.
Something that is also noteworthy concerning clean
animals versus the unclean ones, and that is that the clean animals are all herbivores (vegetarians). Clean
animals would include moose, beef, antelope, deer, elk, goat, buffalo, and
sheep. You’ll find that the meat eaters (unclean animals) will have more cases
of disease and parasites associated with unclean fleshy foods. If you avoid
them, guess what? You’ll avoid all those diseases, too.
Clean and Unclean Of the Sky
Notice
that this applies to birds also, as the unclean ones will eat the flesh of
animals (many times already dead) and the clean do not. For birds we’re given
specific species, which we are told, are unclean and are to us an “abomination”
not to be eaten. We read; “And these are
they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be
eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; Every raven after his kind; And
the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, And
the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the
pelican, and the gier eagle, And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the
lapwing, and the bat. All fowls that
creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you,” Lev.
11:13-20. See also Deut 14:11-20.
Not listed as unclean, and therefore clean for us,
would include chicken, duck, dove, turkey, pheasant, goose, and quail. You may
remember that it was quail that was given to the children of
The account in Numbers 11:31-34 shows that people were
greedy for meat. It also shows Yahweh was not pleased, and punished them
because of their hoarding and greediness. Their action also showed they didn’t
have faith that Yahweh could continue to provide for them. It seems like a few
of us that went through the Y2K scare had a problem of trust as well.
Today, you find people are just as greedy and eat
mostly meat diets with few vegetables or grains. Yet, you’ll notice that Yahweh
first gave “manna,” basically bread from heaven (Ex
Similarly, seed bearing green plants were given first
(Gen
Before going further, have you considered that
mushrooms don’t fit in either with the seed bearing food commanded for us to
eat, nor the clean meats that are allowed? A mushroom (fungus) is basically a
non-food and therefore it is unclean for us to eat.
Clean and Unclean - Other
Going
on, we see other creatures inhabiting the land and sky, the crickets and
grasshoppers (locusts), which are considered clean. Though these are not
normally in our regular diet, they are clean to eat. The key instruction is
they have “legs above their feet, to leap” which the above-mentioned do have.
We read, 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; 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. But all other flying
creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you, Lev
11:21-23.
The account of John the Baptist shows he was eating
“locust, dipped in honey” (Matt 3:4 Mark 1:6). We therefore have two witnesses
in Scripture to the fact that a creature like this is clean for us to eat.
Fa[s]t Foods
A
Biblical diet, if followed, does not produce obesity in people. You have proof
of this as there are people in other parts of the world that, whether they
realize it or not, basically follow the Biblical way of eating and do not have
the coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity that this nation has.
Just recently, in
For
A recent report from the USDA shows that since 1990,
Americans, on average, have increased their calorie intake by more than 90,000
per year. We are fat and getting fatter fast!
There is wisdom in the Psalms for us. Psalm 119:70 says,
“Their heart is as fat as grease; but I
delight in thy law.” The question should be asked, “What is our priority?”
The Bible has something to say about fat: Don’t eat
it. “It shall be a perpetual statute for
your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor
blood,” Lev. 3:17.
Eating Of Fat
“Speak unto the children of
For their own good, Yahweh evidently didn’t even want
the people tempted, and told them to not leave any that was left after the
sacrifice. Exodus
Though we do not offer up physical sacrifices or burnt
offerings today, as already mentioned, we do find that when sacrifices were
offered, they were offered with fat.
Why would fat be offered to Yahweh and yet we can’t
have it? The answer is that fat alone is not bad, but for humans to consume
internally, it is. Spirit can handle it, which Yahweh is, but we are physical.
Fat that can be trimmed from clean animals is not good for us to consume. It’s
a simple fact.
Fat within some cuts of beef, known as marble, can’t
efficiently be cut away. One can, however, choose lean cuts only, and choose to
avoid fast food hamburgers altogether, which have excessive amounts of
saturated fat.
Saturated fat, by the way, is the worst kind of fat to
consume. Olive oil, which was used throughout Bible times, has mono-saturated
fat, which is a good kind of plant-based fat or oil. One doctor even suggested
throwing out all other oils, including butter, in favor of olive oil alone. He
had a reason for saying that. Olive oil (Premium extra virgin olive oil in the
best) has the highest amount of mono-saturated fat, which many scientists and
doctors are finding is essential in the diet. Olive oil has more than twice as
much mono-saturated fat as corn or soybean oils. Nevertheless, none of these
plant-based fats have cholesterol, which is a good thing. It’s a stark
difference from animal based oils or fats.
Even among the fats of animals though, there is a
difference. A person can get chicken fat on the hands and wash it off without
too much trouble. If lard (pig fat), for example, gets on the hands it would be
noticeably greasier than chicken fat. So much so that it wouldn’t wash off even
under warm water. You’d have to scrub it off. Think what it must do once it
gets inside of a person that eats it!
It’s not lard that’s in the fast food restaurants
(unless you order bacon on that cheeseburger), but it is over-processed, high
in saturated and hydrogenated fats, and nutritionally deficient foods that are
served for the most part. That means anyone that eats a lot of fast food in
their diet could suffer dire consequences.
“Statistics tell us that approximately half of all
Americans alive today will die of heart disease, and approximately a third of
us will develop cancer at some time in our lives. We are exporting our problem.
American fast-food chains have sprouted up across the globe. And the greater
the number of fast-food chains and outlets the greater the percentage of obesity
in their populations. From 1984 to 1993 the number of fast-food restaurants in
Honor Yahweh’s Food Laws
Most
of today’s society fails to honor Yahweh’s Biblical food laws and we are seeing
the effects of disobedience. Ignorance cannot be used, especially today when
you consider that the Bible is the largest selling book in recent history or ever for that matter.
Simply put, “Many people are dying early in life
because they are not obeying [Yahweh’s] dietary laws. Today, one million
Americans die each year of heart and blood vessel diseases. These diseases are
responsible for one out of two deaths. Think of it - more people die of heart
disease than AIDS, homicides and accidents combined. I’m convinced we are dying
of coronary disease because of the fat we eat. After a meal laden with heavy
fats, your blood, all of it, becomes thicker than usual. One doctor described
it as being ‘as thick as toothpaste.’ More money is spent in the United States
each year treating heart disease than for any other illness - a mind-boggling
78 billion [dollars] a year,” Walking in
Divine Health by Don Colbert, M.D.
Yahweh had a reason for telling us not to eat fat, but
it seems that too many appetites have gotten in the way, along with false
doctrines that teach that Yahweh’s laws (instructions) were done away with.
Herbivores vs. Carnivores
Mankind
started out eating vegetables, fruits, and grains (Gen
Is one diet better than the other? From what we’ve
seen, it looks to be that way. However, even Yahshua ate fish when He came back
after being resurrected.
“And they (the disciples) gave
him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat
before them,” Luke 24:42-43.
In John, chapter 21, the implication was that He also
ate fish at a third appearance. This time it was for breakfast!
Yahshua gave examples showing that bread and clean
fleshy foods are good to give to children; “If
a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask
an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:11-12) Did you notice that Yahshua used, as
examples, serpents and scorpions that are unclean? It’s evident that He was putting some extra emphasis on what He was
saying.
After the flood, it’s interesting to see the decline
in longevity among mankind. Noah lived to be 950 years old, but after many
generations, a rare individual lived to be around 100 years old. Yahweh
evidently wanted it this way. And that may be one reason why meats were
introduced after the flood.
And Yahweh
said; “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh:
yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years” (120 years), Gen. 6:3. It was after this announcement
that the flood came and Yahweh allowed meat to be added to the diet of man.
It should be pointed out that the 120 years may have
been the actual years to the flood from the point and time of Genesis 6:3. It’s
certainly debatable as to the exact interpretation, but both views may be
correct. It’s either a time period of 120 years or the maximum life span of
individual people or both.
We find further along in time in Psalms 90 that a man
could live to be 80 years old if he had strength. This Psalm is said to be a
prayer of Moses, and if that’s the case, the date of that Psalm or the date of
Moses’ prayer is placed at roughly 3500 years later following the flood. It
seems that Moses saw men living to be 80 years old on average at that time, and only if they were in good health.
Interestingly enough, Moses lived to be 120 years old, and then was laid to
rest.
Today in
Vegetarians can live longer than meat eaters do, and
some of them up to 12 years and longer. This has been documented. The question is,
why? The answer is, it’s how we were created, compared to the animals that were
actually created to eat animal flesh.
“A carnivore’s teeth are long, sharp, and pointed -
all of them! We have molars for crushing and grinding. A carnivore’s jaw moves
up and down slowly only, for tearing and biting. Ours move from side to side
for grinding. A carnivore’s saliva is acidic and geared to the digestion of
animal protein; it lacks ptyalin, a chemical that digests starches. Our saliva
is alkaline and contains ptyalin for the digestion of starch.
“A carnivore’s stomach is a simple round sack that
secretes ten times more hydrochloric acid than that of a non-carnivore. Our
stomachs are oblong in shape, complicated in structure, and convoluted with
duodenum. A carnivore’s intestines are three times the length of its’ trunk,
designed for rapid expulsion of foodstuff, which quickly rots. Our intestines
are twelve times the length of our trunks and designed to keep food in them
until all the nutrients are extracted.
“The liver of a carnivore is capable of eliminating
ten to fifteen times the uric acid than the liver of a non-carnivore. Our
livers have the capacity to eliminate only a small amount of uric acid. Uric
acid is an extremely dangerous toxic substance that can wreak havoc in one’s
body. All meat consumption releases large quantities of uric acid into the
system. Unlike carnivores and most omnivores, humans do not have the enzyme
uricase to break down uric acid,” Fit For
Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond.
Dr. Don Colbert in his book, What Would J-sus Eat? confirms this and says,
“Carnivores also have larger kidneys and livers than
human beings in order to handle the amount of excessive uric acid and
nitrogenous waste from a diet of animal foods. The liver of a carnivore
secretes much greater amounts of bile in order to break down a high-fat meat
diet. Our bodies simply have not been created to handle a diet high in meat or
meat fats.”
Meat takes longer than vegetables to digest and go
through our system. Did you know it takes more than twice as long? That’s more
than two days!
So Eat Right
Eating
right can mean not only being healthier, but looking good, too. Look at what
happened to Daniel, who evidently knew something about eating right. He said to
the overseeing commander,
“Please test your servants for ten days,
and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our
appearance be observed in your presence, and the appearance of the youths who
are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to
what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten
days. And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were
fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the
overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to
drink, and kept giving them vegetables,” Dan. 1:12-16 (
The “king’s choice food” could have been juicy cuts of
meat and delicacies sweetened with lots of honey, which certainly would have
created an appetite for any there. However, the Bible warns us not to be
captivated nor indulge in such things, as they are “deceptive food.” “When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
consider carefully what is before you; And put a knife to your throat, if you
are a man of great appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for it is deceptive
food,” Proverbs 23:1-3 (
The commercial mentioned at the start of all this is “deceptive food,” and it’s marketed
in such a way that you’ll desire it even more.
We are a blessed nation, there’s no question about it.
When someone comes to this country for the first time and views all the
different kinds of food available in the stores we have, it is often
overwhelming. Most of us in
Over one-third of Americans are now considered obese
and over a third are considered overweight. Obesity causes health problems.
Being overweight, however, can also affect health negatively. Certainly our
appearance is also affected for the worse.
Proverbs
We are currently a nation that is overweight and
heavily in debt.
It’s time to review Daniel 1:12-16 and other
scriptures concerning Yahweh’s food laws, and make the appropriate changes.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains
Why
are vegetables and other Genesis 1:11-12 foods so good for us? A lot of the
nourishment is not just in the essential minerals and vitamins that they
provide, but also in molecular compounds and other beneficial things the
scientists have yet to discover.
Doctor Gordon S. Tessler in his book The Genesis Diet, says, “Scientific
research has ‘discovered’ the green-colored matter in plants, has almost the
exact molecular structure of hemoglobin in human blood. Chlorophyll, in plants
we eat, helps build healthy blood in humans by supplying the blood with oxygen,
nutrients and phytochemicals (compounds in plants that protect our body against
cancer and other diseases). Green grasses and green plants are rich sources of
such important nutrients as beta-carotenes, antioxidants, digestible proteins,
and fiber which help to sustain and protect us from illness and disease.”
Fiber is a critical component of these plants. This
fibril plant sinew is something that is needed for good digestion and natural
detoxification of the body. You’ve probably heard the statement, “death begins
in the colon.” Putrefying matter and other things, if not eliminated from the
body, produce toxins and imbalances that can cause problems and even death:
“Fiber helps lower cholesterol levels, stabilizes
blood sugar, slows digestion, and has been shown to help prevent hemorrhoids,
irritable bowel syndrome, varicose veins, constipation, obesity, and even colon
cancer. Fiber in the lower intestinal tract helps bind heavy metals, toxins,
and chemicals and remove them from the body before they can be absorbed and
cause damage to cells and tissues. When carcinogens and toxins are removed from
the colon, a person has much less likelihood of developing colon cancer,” What Would J-sus Eat? by Don Colbert,
M.D.
Those having juicers who think they’re getting all
they can out of vegetables and fruits may want to consider getting a Vita-Mixer
or something comparable that not only gives the juice, but also the fiber.
In Scripture, the number seven has the meaning of
spiritual perfection. In the following, the number seven may have some
significance as well:
A land of
wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive
oil, and honey, Deut. 8:8.
These seven foods did not mention animal meat. It’s
another good indication that animal meat was not to be the main course for the
people coming into the land. With the exception of honey (though the honey
mentioned may have not been bee’s honey), all of these were green foods.
Honey, You’re So Sweet
Honey
is mentioned in the Hebrew idiom “a land flowing with milk and honey.” This was also promised (Ex. 3:8) for the people that Yahweh brought into the
land, but it was also an idiomatic expression;
it was stating that the land would be “fertile” for the people, so they could
grow crops and live an abundant life.
An idiom is
a phrase expressing an idea other than the actual statement. In
The word honey (Strongs # 1706, Hebrew word, debash,
the root means, gummy) in the Bible can actually mean two different things. The
obvious meaning is honey from the honeycomb, such as the following, which says,
“My son, eat thou honey, because it is
good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste,” Prov. 24:13.
But there’s another meaning. The word honey can refer to a grape molasses (or
possibly date/fig molasses). We read in Gen. 43:11, “And their father Israel said unto them, if it must be so now, do this;
take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a
present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds.”
Ryrie’s notes says, “The honey was not bee’s honey but a thick syrup boiled down from fresh
grape juice.”
It should be mentioned that bee’s honey is similar in
molecular structure to refined white sugar. Once it is eaten, it basically goes
straight to the bloodstream.
Doctors have for some time known that too much sugar
is bad for you. Dr. Don Colbert in his book Walking
in Divine Health says, “Eating too much sugar is related to degenerative
diseases - including obesity, diabetes,
heart disease and arthritis…The average American consumes one hundred and
seventy pounds of refined sugar per year. About 75 percent of the sugar is
hidden, and 20 percent of our diets are composed of white sugar or sucrose.
This is extremely dangerous since sugar actually feeds cancer.”
It was mentioned that the Bible warns of the “king’s
food” or “deceptive delicacies.” Do you know that the Bible also warns of
eating too much honey? “Hast thou found
honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith,
and vomit it,” Proverbs 25:16. In other words, don’t eat too much or you’ll
get sick! Verse 27 also says, “It is not
good to eat much honey….” Too much
sugar is what Americans are getting in many foods today.
When you read the ingredients of certain store-bought
foods you’ll notice that other sweet enhancers, such as high fructose corn
syrup, are added in addition to the sugar already in the product. Many times
these sugars will be at the top of the ingredient list, meaning that whatever
the delicacy is, it’s mostly sugar.
Man-made alternatives are still questionable and
studies are still being done. However, the government has approved some, like
Nutrasweet (aspertame), for human consumption.
A natural alternative, such as maple syrup (grade B) or
blackstrap molasses, doesn’t travel to the bloodstream as quickly as sugar
does, and also has the benefit of being high in nutrients. They may be a better
choice for some, especially those that are hypoglycemic or are diabetic since
they wouldn’t get such a strong fluctuation in their blood sugar levels. Birch
sugar is also another option.
With any changes in a diet, especially for diabetics,
it is recommended that one seek a doctor’s recommendations before proceeding.
Saul’s son, Jonathan, after having been in battle was
said to have eaten some honey, and it was evidently bee’s honey. Notice what
happened to his eyes, “…he put forth the
end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his
hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened,” 1 Sam. 14:27. In verse 29, it says, “…see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted
a little of this honey.”
From what we know today, Jonathon may have suffered
from hypoglycemia or even diabetes, but it is more likely that the battle he
was said to have been in had depleted his energy. The honey, being able to go
straight to the bloodstream, had an immediate effect on his body and his
alertness.
Read and Follow The Manual
The
Bible is to us as a manual is to a car. We can learn so much from the Bible. By
following its instructions, we can live not only well physically, but also well
spiritually. It is understood that the latter is certainly more important than
the former.
For good health in both areas — to maintain and grow
in both body and spirit — we need to read the manual and do what it says.
Biblical food laws are not something antiquated. Current medical authorities
are now learning that Yahweh’s Biblical food laws are actually up-to-date and
good for us to follow today.
Be encouraged to start following Yahweh’s way today
and you’ll be healthier for doing so. There is still more the doctors will no
doubt discover about how good it is to follow the Bible’s instructions.
The principles are in place, especially for us who
have a portion of Yahweh’s Spirit. Make no mistake; we are to do what is right
in His sight. “If any man defile the
If you are just now learning of these things and
you’re desiring to follow the instruction manual more fully, then start today
by following Yahweh’s food laws within it and don’t forget to ask for the
blessing. In doing so, you’ll start to show yourself approved and will be on
the path of good health, both physically and spiritually.
Were Yahweh’s Food Laws Done Away?
Ministers
teaching that the “law was done away” and that the unclean foods are now
somehow clean must be questioned by using the very Scriptures they bring out.
The following are commentaries on certain verses in
the New Testament that are used to try to show that Yahweh’s Biblical food laws
were done away. Each Scripture will be given and the commentary will follow.
Commentary On Mark 7:18-20
“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; Because it entereth not
into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all
meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man,” Mark 7:18-20 (see also Matthew
Mark 7:18-20 continues to answer the question asked by
the disciples concerning a parable in verse 15 which says, “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.”
At first glance, it seems that Yahshua nullified
Yahweh’s food laws. Is this what really happened? If this is true, then it goes
against other Scriptures in which He upheld the law, such as, Matthew 5:18-19,
John 8:11 and John 15:10. Is Yahshua double-minded? Absolutely not!
There are certain Scripture verses that seem to say
one thing, if taken out of context (proof texting), but when considered within
context say another. In proper context, we find that the Pharisees and scribes
were being addressed for their law of washing hands, something that could be
seen by other men. They had many such petty rules that they made which had nothing
to do with Yahweh’s law. Yahshua told them; “Well
hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people
honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain
do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying
aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing
of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them,
Full well ye reject the commandment of Elohim, that ye may keep your own
tradition,” Mark 7:6-9.
Yahshua had basically called these Pharisaical people
lawbreakers of the worst kind, as they were breakers of Yahweh’s laws. In verse
13, Yahshua again reiterates this fact; “…making
the word of Elohim of none effect through your tradition, which ye have
delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
As Yahshua addresses their Pharisaical rules, which
are contrary to Yahweh’s instructions, He states that it’s not what goes into
the stomach, but what comes from the heart, that defiles a man, Mark 7:18-19.
In some Bibles are the added words, “Thus He declared all food clean,” trying
to prove their belief of the law being of no effect.
The issue in Mark, chapter 7, was not the eating of
unclean animals, but was the adding to and breaking of Yahweh’s laws by the
Pharisees. If Yahweh’s laws were rightfully done away with, Yahshua wouldn’t
have been so adamantly against the Pharisees for breaking them. But Yahshua was
indeed upset with them, and any others who would add to or take away from His
Father’s laws.
Getting some dirt on one’s food, because one doesn’t
wash his hands, doesn’t defile a person. However, going against Yahweh’s laws,
such as eating something He has declared unclean, will defile the person,
because breaking Yahweh’s laws starts within the heart.
Commentary On Acts 10:12-15 “Wherein were all manner of four-footed
beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the
air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said,
Not so, Master; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And
the voice spake unto him again the second time, What Elohim hath cleansed, that
call not thou common,” Acts 10:12-15.
The end of Acts 10:12-15 says, “What Elohim hath cleansed, call not thou common.” The question is,
just what did Yahweh cleanse? Was it, in fact, unclean animals or was it
something else?
In verse 10, Peter was hungry, so food was evidently
on his mind. Yahweh could have put actual food in front of him to eat. However,
what Peter saw was a vision, and that vision had a specific meaning. Verse 17
says, “Now while Peter doubted in himself
what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent
from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate.”
Notice that “Peter doubted in himself what this
vision” had meant. Just like Pharaoh’s dream that Joseph had to interpret, with
Yahweh’s help, Gen. 41:25, Peter also struggled with the meaning of the symbolism
in his vision. At first, Peter did not recognize that the unclean animals were
symbolic, as he clearly states, “I have
never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.”
Bible
scholars recognize that this was about a decade after the death and resurrection
of the Messiah. Peter never heard of any doing away with the law, as some
religious leaders teach today.
In context, we find that the animals were symbolic of
gentiles who were at that time considered unclean by the Jews. Verse 28 says, “…And he said unto them, Ye know how that it
is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one
of another nation; but Elohim hath shewed me that I should not call any man
common or unclean.”
The vision Peter had, along with the knowledge of
Cornelius’ experience of having been visited by an angel (Acts
Peter understood then, after the events in Acts,
chapter 10, that Yahweh, as stated in Acts 10:34-35, “…is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth Him,
and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.”
Peter baptized Cornelius, who was considered unclean,
but he did not start eating unclean meat. Gentiles, not unclean animal meat,
was the subject matter being described in the vision to Peter. Peter now
understood this and so should we.
Commentary on Romans 14:2-3 14-15
“For one believeth that he may eat all
things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him
that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for
Elohim hath received him…I know, and am persuaded by the Master Yahshua, 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 Messiah
died,” Rom. 14:2-3, 14-15.
Romans 14:2-3 begins by saying, “For one believeth that he may eat all things.” Were Adam and Eve
able to eat all things? Were the Israelites? Are the Spiritual Israelites today
allowed to eat unclean foods? The answer is “no” to all three questions. Yahweh
says that He “changes not” (Mal 3:6;
1 Sam
The one who believes he can eat all things is
referring to sacrificed animal meats. These, of course, would be clean animals
chosen by brethren who were not weak, and who understood that pagan deities had
no power over them, not even demons, (1 Cor. 10:20) who were evidently
worshipped as well.
The “herbs” mentioned in verse 2 can be translated “vegetables” as it comes from the Greek
word Lachonon, Strong’s #3001, the
root means, “to dig.” The verses in question seem to be saying, “Don’t trouble
a brother just because he’s a vegetarian.”
The question is, “Is one weak because they eat only vegetables?” The answer is an emphatic
“No.” It was “green food” that was commanded to be eaten from the beginning,
Gen. 1:29. And, though we are now allowed to add clean animal meat to our diets
(Gen. 9:3), 1 Corinthians 8:8 (NIV) says, “…we
are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.” And, Romans
Consider this: “Doesn’t it depend on why they were only eating vegetables?”
We find the word “weak” (Strong’s #770) used in the same context of food which
is found in 1 Cor. 8:8-10, which shows the “weak” are those that were afraid to
eat even the clean meats that had been sacrificed to idols; “But meat commendeth us not to Elohim: for
neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the
worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty (understanding that
pagan deities have no strength) of yours
become a stumbling block to them that are weak (they think pagan deities
have strength). For if any man see thee
which hast knowledge (knowing there is no power in pagan deities) sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not
the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are
offered to idols (even though he still believes they have power); And through thy knowledge (belief that
they don’t have power) shall the weak
brother perish (be drawn away after the idols), for whom Messiah died?”
The Apostle Paul further explained that the sacrificed
food was not bad in itself, but that the joining in false worship with those
who sacrificed to pagan deities was bad. The brethren, of course, would have
avoided Biblically unclean meats altogether, but that is not the issue here.
Paul starts in 1 Cor. 10:14 by saying, “…flee from idolatry.” In 1 Cor. 10:25-31 (
Paul understood that those who were to receive this
letter needed instruction concerning animals offered to idols as there were a
lot of meats for sale in the markets that had been sacrificed. The pagans were
not wasteful, but rather, sold the sacrificed meats.
The core of the problem was that some brethren were
evidently becoming arrogant, causing problems, pointing fingers, and making fun
of other weaker brethren, even to the point of ignoring their feelings, or
worse yet, condemning them. Paul wanted it to stop and said; “Now accept the one who is weak in faith,
but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions, Romans 14:1 (
“…But you,
why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother
with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Elohim,” Romans
“…Therefore
let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an
obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way,” Romans 14:13 (
“Now
concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows
anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know,” 1 Cor.
8:1-2 (
“…And thus,
by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak,
you sin against Messiah,” 1 Cor.
“All things
are lawful (which are lawful), but not all things are profitable. All
things are lawful (which are lawful), but not all things edify,” 1 Cor.
“Give no
offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the assembly of [Elohim],” 1 Cor.
The message is clear and consistent in these verses.
Love your brother, and don’t be arrogant because some lack faith in a certain
area. In this case, it’s the area of sacrificed meats, which for us today is
hard to understand since we don’t deal with this particular pagan practice. But,
the historians and Bible scholars realize that this was prevalent during the
times of the New Testament writings.
It should be noted that 1 Corinthians was written by
Paul in 55-56 A.D., during his recorded 3rd journey. The book of Romans (letter
to
The point is that the message concerning meats which
was offered to idols (that was given to
Though fasting one day over another is also mentioned
in Rom 14:5, the chapter is speaking along the lines of what 1 Cor. 8:1-13 and
1 Cor. 10:14-33 were saying.
Commentary on Col. 2:16-17
“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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Messiah,” Col. 2:16-17.
Col. 2:16-17 begins by saying, “let no man therefore judge you…” The word “therefore” indicates a
previous thought. Verse 14 says, “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 torture stake.” Some
point to this and say the “law was done away.” But, is that what it says? Our
mini-study, Colossians 2 and the Law, contains a good analysis of this
subject. The following paragraphs are taken from that publication:
Exactly what is meant by “blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances?” Nominal religion teaches that the handwriting of ordinances spoken
of here is Yahweh’s commandments, statutes, and judgments. But aren’t these the
same devices of man that verse 8 speaks of? Are Yahweh’s ordinances against us?
Are the laws of Yahweh now blotted out, forever done away? If so, then there is
no more law to break. If there is no law, there is no sin (1 John 3:4). If
there is no longer any sin, then we don’t need a Savior!
On the contrary, Yahweh’s laws are for our good,
Deuteronomy 10:12-13. Psalms 19:7 says the law is perfect and it converts the
human being. Yahshua says if we love Him we will keep His commandments, John
14:15. Paul tells us that the law is holy and the commandment is holy, just,
and good, Romans 7:12.
The preceding verses, 11 and 12, explain to the
Colossians that through baptism into Yahshua’s Name (a type of circumcision) we
are made spiritually alive and forgiven of all our trespasses. Verse 13
continues; “And you, being dead in your
sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has He quickened [made alive] together with Him [Yahshua], having
forgiven you all your trespasses.” Here Paul is countering the Gnostic idea
that the physical is inherently evil by explaining that Yahshua redeemed the
flesh. At the same time he shows that the Judaic teaching of physical
circumcision was circumvented in Yahshua’s redemption. Today, we seek the
spiritual meaning or intent.
To understand properly the meaning of Colossians
► Handwriting—No. 5498, cheirographon, neut of a comp. of 5495 and 1125; something
hand-written (“chirograph”), i.e. a manuscript (spec. a legal document or bond
[(fig.]):—handwriting
► Ordinances—No. 1378, dogma, from the base of 1380; a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical):—decree,
ordinance.
The manuscript or legal document that was contrary to
us was “handwritten” by man. It does not refer to laws or commandments found in
the Bible! “Handwritten ordinances” are
“Dogma” a Man-made Rule
Strong’s
Concordance shows that the underlying Greek word for the English word
ordinances is No. 1378, dogma. It is
a civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical law, translated decree or ordinance. In
each of the five places the Greek dogma is used, it refers to man-made rules
and regulations. It has nothing to do with Yahweh’s Commandments! Let us
examine each of the four other times the Greek word dogma appears to see
whether it means Yahweh’s laws or man’s:
·
Luke 2:1: “And
it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree [dogma] from Caesar Augustus, that all the world
should be taxed.” This could just as well have been translated, “...there went out an ordinance from
Caesar...” It was Caesar who wrote the ordinance, it was not from Yahweh.
The emperor of
·
Acts 16:4: “And
as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees [dogma] for to keep, that were ordained of the
apostles and elders which were at
1.
Abstain from
pollutions of idols
2.
Abstain from
fornication
3.
Abstain from
things strangled
4.
Abstain from
blood
NOTE: (These
four prohibitions were to eradicate the extant pagan custom of; 1) worship of
idols, 2) temple prostitutes, 3) eating flesh which had not been drained of
blood, 4) ingesting animal blood alone. Notice, the next verse says, “For Moses of old time has in every city
them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.” (Acts
15:21) In other words, Gentiles are to be circumspect especially over these
four points which, as former pagans, they had practiced prior to their
conversion. These heathen ways they were to avoid, but were expected to join
with the Jews to hear Moses being preached each Sabbath, thus they would
continue learning the laws given to Israel.)
·
Acts 17:7: “Whom
Jason has received: and these all do contrary to the decrees [dogma] of Caesar, saying that there is another
king, one [Yahshua].” Plainly
these are the decrees (dogma) of Caesar and have nothing to do with
the laws of Yahweh. They deal with the question of observing Caesar’s dogma.
·
Ephesians 2:15: “Having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances [dogma]; for to
make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace.” Paul is explaining that Yahshua’s death took away
the enmity, the hatred, the animosity between Jew and Gentile that the man-made
ordinances (dogma) produced. The
hatred was to dissolve with the removal of these added human laws that
separated Jew from Gentile.
The entire second chapter of Ephesians emphasizes that
the Gentiles formerly were outside the covenants and promises given to
Where the Jews had regarded the Gentiles with hatred,
and the Gentiles the Jews with scorn; now they were unified in the common
worship of Yahweh through Yahshua the Messiah who by His sacrifice made a new
man, a new person of the former antagonists.
The middle wall of partition spoken of in verse 14
evidently refers to the four-foot-high wall in the
There is nothing in Scripture concerning establishing
this wall of partition. It came about through human performance. See
Bullinger’s Companion Bible note on
Ephesians 2:14 for a good explanation of the wall of partition. This has now
been broken down and Jew and Gentile are today one in Yahshua.
When considering the actual meaning of Col. 2:14, even
verse 15 now comes to better light; “When
He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them,
having triumphed over them through Him,” (
Col. 2:15 is saying let “no man” judge or tell those
in Messiah what to do, except those of Messiah who have the truth of the
Scriptures. Notice it says, “Let no man
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday (Holy
day), or of the new moon, or of the
Sabbath days: Which are (not were) a
shadow of things to come; but the body of Messiah.”
The “is” was an added word, identified by italics in
the KJV, seen here: “the body is of
Messiah.” It was not in the original text. Taking it out, as was done
above, corrects the verse and allows it to make proper sense in context. That
is, the body of Messiah is to judge.
It should be mentioned that, for example, one will
normally be in the shadow of a building first before actually arriving at the
building. In Col. 2:15 the thought is that the “shadow” is seen before one sees
the end of all the things that have yet to be accomplished.
There is a prophetic plan being worked out, and of the
7 annual Holy days only 3 of them have been fulfilled in their prophetic sense.
There are yet 4 prophetic events to be yet completely fulfilled. For a better
understanding feel free to write for the free booklet, Biblical Holy Days, and the bookmark, Yahweh’s Appointed Times.
Context is a very important tool when looking at the
verses of the Bible. It can mean the difference between getting the wrong or
the right understanding.
Commentary on 1 Tim. 4:2-5
“Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having
their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to
abstain from meats, which Elohim hath created to be received with thanksgiving
of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of Elohim is good,
and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.”
1 Tim. 4:2-5 is often pointed to as proof that all
foods are now clean, and that if you teach that they’re not, then you’re
somehow being led by a seducing and deceiving spirit, as it says in verse 1; “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in
the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils.”
In 1 Tim 4:2-4 there are many verses taken out of
context and it seems that the deceiving spirits understand that by taking away
Yahweh’s word in part or in whole will help their goals. Just as in the Garden
of Eden (Gen. 3:1 “…[Satan] said unto the woman, Yea, hath [Elohim]
said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?), Satan’s ploy has been
to say the opposite, be the opposite, and to compel people to act contrary to
Yahweh’s instructions.
We see that verse 4 indeed says, “For every creature of Elohim is good, and nothing to be refused, if it
be received with thanksgiving.” But, verse 5 says, “For it is sanctified by the word of [Elohim] and prayer.”
Two requirements for food are found in verse 5, “the word of [Elohim]” and “prayer.” It
needs to be emphasized that the only food for man, is the food that Yahweh made
for man, note especially Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:1-21.
Yahweh also expects us to pray and to give thanks for
the food (Acts 27:35) that He approved for our well-being and health, Acts
27:34.
John, the disciple of Yahshua, says, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you
may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers,” 3 John 1:2 (
Satan would like to take away your health, both
physically and spiritually, thereby keeping you from prospering. The message
for us all is, “Don’t let him!”
Spiritual Food
Remember,
we also learn Spiritual truth from physical lessons. The following scriptures
were taken from the Authorized Version:
And I will
give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge
and understanding, Jeremiah 3:15.—–And in this mountain shall Yahweh of hosts
make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of
fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined, Isaiah 25:6—–Wherefore do ye spend money for [that which
is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken
diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight
itself in fatness, Isaiah 55:2.—–I will
feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their
fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and [in] a fat pasture shall they
feed upon the mountains of Israel, Ezekiel 34:14.—–I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of
this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh,
which I will give for the life of the world, John 6:51.—–And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And
did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them: and that Rock was Messiah, 1 Corinthians 10:3-4.—–He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the assemblies; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of
the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of Elohim, Revelation 2:7.—–He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the assemblies; To him that overcometh will
I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the
stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it, Revelation 2:17.—–And he humbled thee,
and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not,
neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not
live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
Yahweh doth man live, Deuteronomy 8:3.—–Neither
have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of
his mouth more than my necessary food, Job 23:12.—–How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my
mouth! Psalms 119:103.—–Thy words
were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing
of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O YAHWEH, Elohim of hosts, Jeremiah 15:16.—–But thou, son of man,
hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house:
open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee, Ezekiel 2:8.—–Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat
that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel, Ezekiel 3:1.—–As newborn babes, desire
the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, 1 Peter 2:2.
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