Chapter 1 in God Given Food https://amzn.to/3YyvMIl discusses the beginning of the World and how at first all of us (including animals) were eating plants. But human bodies were created to eat both animals and plants. In Genesis, after sin entered the world, animals were sacrificed to God (Abel’s sacrifice) and were slaughtered for clothes (God made clothes for Adam and Eve out of animal skins). Death had become a part of our lives. Genesis 4:1-4. Animals weren’t mentioned as being used for food until after the flood. God specifically told Noah and his family that they may eat meat. At this time, it seems there are no limitations on the animals they are allowed to eat. Genesis 9:1-4.
One theory is that God knew that Adam and Eve would sin, that death would enter the world, and that we and other animals would start eating meat, so he created us in preparation for this transition. Regardless, we are designed to eat meat and are much healthier for it, providing other foods we are eating are also God-created foods.
Later in the Old Testament, Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, when the Israelis were becoming a nation, the Mosaic Laws were established by God and communicated to Moses. There were restrictions on what kind of meat they were allowed to eat. No pork, no shellfish, as examples. To me, this makes it clear that God cares about what we eat. He cared then and he still cares now.
In the New Testament, Acts 10, Peter had a vision. The Lord showed Peter animals that were clean and unclean, and told him that all food that He has created is clean.
Most importantly, this was Peter’s instruction to go to the Gentiles and share with them about Jesus so that they might believe and have eternal life. I believe also that God was telling Peter to be accepting of other cultures, their food and other things that they did which might have been unacceptable to Israelis. He could then move among them, dine with them, and teach them about Jesus and His salvation.
Most Christians agree with this. But I do not believe that in this passage of scripture God is telling us we can eat whatever we want. I believe we should consider any “food” produced in a lab as “unclean.” These are not foods that God created. We have never been able to improve on God-created foods. Lab produced foods make us sick, and we should not eat these foods.
Now, still in Chapter 1, we are introduced to Dr. Weston A. Price. He was a dentist who traveled around the world in the 1930s, seeking healthy people with healthy teeth and studying what they ate. He also studied unhealthy people. He took pictures of the wide beautiful smiles of those that were healthy and compared them to the deformed faces of those who were generationally unhealthy. Those that were healthy were eating their traditional food, food their ancestors had been eating for thousands of years. Those who were unhealthy were eating new ultra processed foods, and it was showing generationally – the health declined with each generation on ultra processed food.
To me, the evidence of God is all over this. He created us beautifully and wonderfully, and He created the sustaining foods that keep us healthy and thriving. He taught people everywhere how to eat healthy. Indigenous people groups all over the world even had special diets for young adults to ensure they would have healthy babies. But when we stray from His plan – His good food – health can go wrong in a hurry. How did we get in this place where food not created by God was promoted to us as healthy and we believed it!
Romans 12:1-2. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We are God’s people. We are set apart for Him. We can’t do whatever we want and expect to be healthy in our minds and spirit. We also can’t eat whatever we want and expect to have healthy bodies.
Phillipians 3:18-19. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
Is your mind on earthly things? Are you satisfying food addictions? Is food your idol? Our bodies and our spirits belong to the Lord.
Please feel free to comment and/or answer the questions at the end of the chapter.