God’s Diet: Levitical Law
As I have read and reflected on God’s Diet laws for the Israelites, I found that much of what was commanded was for the health of the people. This was not a new revolution to me but I felt that it bore speaking on.
God wants us to live a healthy and well nourished life. While Christ released us from the strict observance of the the Levitical ordinances, we are still under God’s command to live healthy of body. Eat what is put in front of you but don’t make a habit of eating food that are not good for you. Don’t over indulge in feasting and don’t make yourselves sick by eating the wrong things.
In my Levitical experience, I am avoiding unhealthy foods. This is in part because my doctors have warned me of high cholesterol and becoming a little paunchy, but mostly because I want to be a healthy “temple” for Christ to reside in. So, while I love crab, crayfish and lobster, I will not eat them as much. I do enjoy a good pork roast, but that will also be cut down on. Instead I will eat more fowl and fish. I will refrain from eating exotic foods and will stay away from uncooked meats of any kind.
While grain was considered to be “clean” if it was finely ground, I would rather eat whole grain breads and cereals. And I promise not to eat birds that eat carrion or who are birds of prey.
Of course I won’t eat bugs or creepy crawlies, snakes or lizards, that goes without saying. But in this diet, I realize that many people of the world must eat high fatty diets or have to eat insects, monkeys or other animals that are on the taboo list. So I am glad that Christ has released them form the diet laws.
But for those of us who can refrain from eating the “unclean” foods it is well to do so. If not for anything else than our good health. The point that God wanted to make when He created these laws was to preserve His People for long life and health. He gave these laws so that the people could know His Love for them. They were not created to punish nor to deny, but to save His people from sickness that comes from eating undercooked, fatty and diseased foods.
It is in the understanding that we are to be the temple of God, that we to present ourselves whole and complete before Him. If we choose to abuse our bodies, we are placing our desires before the will of God that we live healthy. If we eat the foods that are damaging to our well being or if we take on habits that open the door to diseases that shorten or destroy our lives, we are placing pleasure before our love of God. Food has become a “god” and weakens us spiritually.
While the “Law” does not address smoking or taking recreation drugs, it does address drunkenness. I think that if these issues where before the people of the founding of the Nation of Israel, God would have placed them on the list of things not to do as well. In fact, I think that the sexual enhancement drugs would also be on the list, but that is just my opinion, so don’t go looking for evidence on that. God has always wanted what is best for us. Because we are such a pig headed people who look for any excuse to destroy ourselves, because we are pleasure seekers and risk takers, we will always find ways to touch the line of reason and reach beyond its borders to try “new things”. That is the way we are made, that is way God puts limits on us.
It is hard to toe the line, so it is better to keep our distance from the edge, less we fall. In our efforts to live the holy, blameless life we need to avoid the temptations of the flesh and the desires of our eyes. So while I learn to avoid the fatty, unhealthy foods, I will concentrate on not only eating right, but living right for Christ.
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