Adam and Eve original diet was plant-based. What some today call a “vegan” diet was and still is the best diet for humankind. But later on, God allowed men to eat meat. So what happened?
After the flood
After the flood, God granted permission to Noah and his family to eat animal flesh.
We might wonder why God allowed Noah and his family to eat animals. After the flood there was no more plant based food on earth for Noah’s family to survive. There might have been some green herbs and small trees but it was not what could make them stay alive. It was therefore necessary for them to eat animal flesh.
But there were some conditions: God allowed men to eat ONLY the “clean” animals
In Leviticus, we can find instructions that God gave to His people. God spoke to Moses and told him which meats can be eaten and the ones that can’t be eaten; in other words which meat is clean and which meat is unclean.
“This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.” – Leviticus 11:46-47
“Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing” – Deuteronomy 14:3
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We also learn that God restricted men from consuming the clean animals blood and fat:
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- “But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” – Genesis 9:4
- “It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.” – Leviticus 3:17
- “That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood” –
This text is taken from The Bible Diet Book. Learn more.
This text is taken from “the Bible Diet” book.
You can order a printed copy of the book by clicking here or access the digital copy of the book for free by clicking here.
Is the law of clean and unclean meat valid for all today?
Many people have been misled into believing that the law of clean and unclean animals is only for the Jewish nation.
Nevertheless, way before the Jewish nation even existed, we find the notion of “unclean” and “clean” living creatures.
Prior to the flood, God told Noah:
- “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.” – Genesis 7:2
Before this event, Noah already knew what animals were clean or unclean.
We can also read in Isaiah 66:15-17 that the law of clean and unclean animals will still have to be obeyed at the second coming of Jesus:
- “For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, And with his chariots like a whirlwind, To render his anger with fury, And his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord uplead with all flesh: And the slain of the Lord shall be many. They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens Behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, Shall be consumed together, saith the Lord”.
We can also think that God’s laws were nailed to the cross. Indeed some laws were nailed to the cross, and these were the ceremonial laws that were pointing to Jesus death and resurrection. But the other laws were not nailed to the cross.
Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He said:
- “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19
- Jesus also said: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” – John 14:15
And it is written: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” – 1 John 5:3
Seems like some sort of mention of Mark 7:19 would be appropriate here.
[19] since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
Hi Dennis, thanks for your comment 🙂 I understand your input. I am sharing this below with you as a friend not an enemy. This passage is often misinterpreted. It is written in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 that it is Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defiles a man.
We need to put this into context: The issue came from the Pharisees tradition of “washing hand” before eating. They had a “test of fellowship”: If you eat the food we legislate, in the way we legislate, washing your hands the way we legislate, you will be considered worthy of fellowship. Jesus didn’t conform to that, and did not demand that His men conform to it either. Jesus is not teaching against washing our hands, neither he is teaching that it doesn’t matter what we eat or drink. He says that what defiles, is the sin that comes from our heart, not the food the food we put in our stomach or the way you wash our hands. And Jesus explicitly said that His “metaphor” was about unwashed food, not unclean food. And on the contrary, Jesus repeat here again about the commandments and the law, and that he is against traditions.
“Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift,
by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” Matthew 15:1-20