YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. . . The Scriptural Food Laws
DISEASE AND SICKNESS
Wherever there is disease and sickness among Yahweh-God's people as a nation, they are refusing to keep and administer His laws. multitudes continue to live in pain and suffering, while countless numbers have gone to untimely graves for national failure to keep and administer the law and individually observe the requirements for continued and uninterrupted health. Also, and perhaps of greater importance, there are many who have not been able to avail themselves of immunity from sickness because of ignorance of the law and its requirements.
HEALING IS AVAILABLE NOW
Though the law of health was made a statute in the nation, assuring the removal of all sickness from the people when all of His commandments and statutes are kept, yet the individual does not have to wait until the nation is righteous before the blessing of continued health is made available. This is because healing and health were made an ordinance as well as a statute in the nation forever, and this statute and ordinance have never been abrogated. They are still operating for those who can claim their benefits through complying with the requirements. We live in a strange world. Professing Christians seldom, if ever, search the word of God for guidance in their everyday activities and particularly is this true in the requirements for health. Certain fundamental laws are given in the scriptures, which, if kept, would give that health and vigor so characteristic of the life of Moses. Moses died at the age of one hundred and twenty and the record states. . . "His eye was not dim, nor his natural face abated . . ." [Deuteronomy 34:7].
CLEAN AND UNCLEAN ANIMALS
Man was a vegetarian in the years prior to the flood [Genesis 1:29]. When Noah began to load the ark he was instructed to bring in seven pair each of the clean and one pair each of the unclean animals. This presupposes a knowledge of such classification long before similar instructions were given to Israel at mount Sinai. After the deluge, Yahweh God added meat to the diet of man. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat [Genesis 9:3-4].
PROMISE OF HEALING
When Israel in Egypt forgot God, they experienced the diseases of the Egyptians. At Marab, Israel received instruction as to how they might secure immunity from all sickness. While the keeping of the law will give immunity from disease, yet for those who have violated its provision, healing is promised. The Psalmist had this in mind when he said. . . Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine inequities; Who healeth all thy disease . . . in both cases the conditions must be kept in order to secure both forgiveness and healing.
THOU SHALT NOT
That which men consume will mean for them either health and life or sickness and death. When finally the full story is written it will be found that the diseases which afflict mankind are the direct result of eating the forbidden things. The . . . Thou shalt not . . . of the commandments is NO more binding than the than the.. .Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing... It was not necessary. to instruct Israel in the type of herbs (vegetables) and fruit that they could eat, for such instruction had already been given to man during the time that he was a vegetarian. That rule was relatively simple. man could eat the vegetables bearing seed and the fruit of the trees yielding seed. Yahweh God has provided a great variety of food without violating this rule.
ABOMINABLE THINGS ARE FORBIDDEN
When Israel received. the law regarding meat, God said. . . Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing . . . [Deuteronomy 14:3]. Simple rules are given for our instruction which are easy to remember. Of the four-footed animals, only those that have the cloven hoof and also chew the cud are to be meat to eat. The (swine) is forbidden, for although it has the cloven hoof, it does not chew the cud. Of the fish that live in the water, all can be eaten which have both fins and scales. This excludes shellfish of all kinds and fish such as eels and catfish (scavengers). Of the birds and fowls, any can be eaten which are not birds of prey, such as the eagle, vulture, hawk, etc. The eating of blood is strictly forbidden at all times. The details of these laws can be found in Deuteronomy 14 and Leviticus 11.
BROTH OF ABOMINABLE THINGS
The four-footed animals that are lawful to eat all have the double digestive system. Through the Prophet Isaiah, Yahweh-God has said of our generation . . ." A people that provoketh Me to anger continually to My face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick (an established church practice) which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments (with burial places of their dead marked by monuments in their churches), which eat swine's flesh (Christians consume great quantities of such flesh), and broth of abominable things is in their vessels. . . (Clam chowders, oyster stews, etc.) [Isaiah 55:3-4].
DISEASE OF EGYPT
The examination of the mummies of Egypt has disclosed the fact that the Egyptians were subject to the diseases which afflict our nation and our people today. God declared that the violation of His laws would bring upon all of us the disease of Egypt, also every other sickness and plague [Deuteronomy 28:58-81] We have them all! The judgement as pronounced has come upon us. This is evidenced in the sickness and suffering for our failure to keep the law and obey the injunction . . . Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing!
WRY OF LIFE AND DEATH
Men are resentful when there is interference with their appetites. Christians who would not think of violating any of the Ten Commandments will deliberately violate the laws of continued health. Later in life, when the inevitable happens, and health is gone, they blame Yahweh-God, even though Moses has said: "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God Yahweh to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgements that thou mayest live and multiply . . . "[Deuteronomy 30:15-16] Can God be blamed when men deliberately choose the way of death? Because the penalties for such law violation are deferred, in some cases until life has nearly run its full course, men harden their hearts and Christians cite New Testament passages to justify themselves in the sins that they are committing.
SANCTIFIED MEAT
Paul told Timothy that meat was to be eaten, provided it was sanctified (meaning set apart) by the Word of God [1 Timothy 4:4-5]. The only Word of God for Timothy was the Old Testament wherein we have a list of meats set apart for man to eat.
PETER'S VISION
Some cite Peter's vision wherein he saw a sheet let down from heaven with all manner of four-footed animals and creeping things upon it to justify the eating of abominable things. Read that vision carefully [Acts 10:10-28], and note that Peter did not slay and eat. After he awoke, he knew that no vision could set side the plain teachings of scripture. As he pondered the meaning of the vision, there came men from the house of Cornelius inquiring for him. Peter himself then explains the vision. . . Yahweh God hath showed me that I should not call any of the twelve tribes common or unclean. Jesus said: Not that which goes into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man [Matthew 15:11]. This had nothing to do with the eating of forbidden foods! Jesus, in answering the Pharisees who had complained that His disciples were eating with unwashed hands was showing that kind of dirt did not defile.
MEAT OFFERED IDOLS
Paul said: I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean [Romans 14:14]. The context and other statements of Paul clearly show that he had references to meat which had been offered to idols . . . Whatsoever is sold in the shambles (market place), that eat, asking no question for conscience sake [1 Corinthians 10:25]. The forbidden meats were not sold in the market, but there were meats sold which had been offered to idols. Paul instructs the Christian not to inquire as to whether or not they had been so offered for from their point of view the idol was nothing. The New Testament in no way contradicts the old Testament and when men recognize this they will begin to search the entire Book for all of its truth!
