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November 1998
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From the beginning, God has given
us foods that can help prevent cancer and heart disease.
"And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every
tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (food)'." ---
Genesis 1:29
Since God had provided Adam and Eve with abundant
fruits and vegetables, He must have intended for them to be vegetarians. However, it was not until
after Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God allowed animal sacrifices to be made and subsequently
allowed meat to be eaten.
Prior to the Flood, we read in Genesis 7:2 that a distinction arose between clean and unclean animals.
Moses later enacted this distinction into law. The law was based partly on their
wholesomeness as food; and partly on religious considerations. These laws were designed to serve as one
of the marks of separation of Israel from all other Gentile nations.
In the Book of Leviticus, we can learn a lot about the restrictions placed upon foods that
could be eaten by the Hebrews and foods that could not be eaten by the Hebrews. However, there are numerous
references to other healthy foods mentioned in the Bible, and I have listed several examples below:
The Clean
| Leviticus 11:2-3 |
Clean, lean meat from
certain animals. "Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall
ye eat." |
Leviticus 11:9
Deuteronomy 14:9 |
Fish with scales |
Proverbs 24:13
Deuteronomy 8:8
Genesis 43:11
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Honey is known to have several healing ingredients (especially royal jelly which comes from the queen bee). |
| Ruth 1:22 |
Barley grains |
| Genesis 43:11 |
Almonds and other nuts are loaded
with various nutrients |
| Ezekiel 4:9 |
Millet |
| Numbers 11:5 |
Cucumbers, leeks, melons, & onions |
| Deuteronomy 8:8 |
Barley, wheat, grapes, & pomegranates |
Exodus 12:8,15
Ezekiel 4:9 |
Dark grainy bread is high in fiber & gives protection from both
heart disease and cancer |
Isaiah 7:15-22
Proverbs 27:27 |
Yogurt, milk of cows, sheep, & goats |
Genesis 25:34
Ezekiel 4:9 |
Beans & lentils |
| Numbers 11:5 |
Garlic contains cancer-fighting
chemicals and also helps maintain a good cholesterol level in the body. |
| Deuteronomy 8:8 |
Olive oil which can "clean" the
artery walls and strengthen the immune system |
Leviticus 11:22
Mark 1:6 |
Locusts, beetles, and grasshoppers are high in protein. |
The Unclean
| Leviticus 11:10 |
Shellfish such as lobster and
crab lived in water, but they could not be eaten because they had no fins or scales. These sea creatures (although high in zinc) contain a
large amount of cholesterol. |
Deut.14:21
Exodus 22:31 |
Wild birds and scavengers could not be eaten because they fed
upon dead animals and birds. Twenty-four varieties of birds are listed that could not be eaten because man
was not allowed to eat anything related to dead things. Deuteronomy 14:21: "Ye shall not eat of any thing
that dieth of itself," and in Exodus 22:31 the Hebrews were instructed that "neither shall ye eat any flesh
that is torn of beasts in the field." |
|
Leviticus 11:7 |
Many restrictions were placed upon what man could eat
because of health reasons. Pork, for instance, deteriorated rapidly in the semi-tropical climate of
Palestine. In addition, swine have split hoofs, but they don't chew the cud so are considered unclean. Also, pork, bacon,
and ham are known to contain bacteria if not cooked properly. |
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Leviticus 11:23 |
But all other flying creeping things (besides locust, bald locust, beetle, and
grasshopper), which have
four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. |
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Leviticus 11:41-43 |
Other creeping things could not be eaten either.
An example of this would be a snake. |
It is important to note that Jesus
abolished the distinction between clean and unclean foods in Mark 7:18-19:
"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."
Thus we read that Jesus "made all meats clean."
However, to further prove this point, we read in Acts 10:11-15:
"And (Peter) saw
heaven opened and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet
knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth. Wherein 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, Lord; for I
have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.' And the voice spake unto him
again the second time, 'What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common'."
So we see that as long as we bless our food, the food is cleansed. However, it is
still important to note that God (in His infinite wisdom) placed certain restrictions on the foods deemed "unclean" due
to their lack of nutrient density as well as possible contaminants. After all, God made our bodies and knows what
foods make them run at their optimal levels. That is why He gave us an instruction manual to follow - the Bible.
Our Body Is a Temple
Our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Are you treating it with respect so it will last a long time?
The Bible tells us in I Thessalonians 5:23
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your
whole SPIRIT and SOUL and BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
---
One of Satan's
traps is getting you to think that spiritual focus is so important that you don't have time for natural things
(like taking proper care of your body which transports your spirit).
When we defile our bodies with foods that are bad for us, we bring destruction to our body, and
God's Word says He will judge us.
"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which
are God's." --- I Corinthians 6:19-20
"...Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye
are."
--- I Corinthians 3:15-17
Furthermore, we are told in
Romans 12:2
to
"present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto
God, which is our reasonable service."
The apostle Paul wrote to the church of Corinth
saying:
"..I buffet my body (handle
it roughly, discipline it by hardships) and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and
things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit (not stand the test,
be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit)."
--- I Corinthians 9:27
Paul's message was not to give your body everything it wants,
but rather to discipline it by avoiding fleshly desires. You need to keep
your body in line with what you know is right.
Overeating, undereating, improper eating, lack of rest, no exercise, worry,
stress, frustration are all
potentially dangerous and are definately not right.
However, proper nutrition, rest, plenty of vigorous exercise, laughter, and enough
relaxation and fun are quality elements that are essential to good health.
Lack of Knowledge
The Bible says that God's "people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." ---
Hosea 4:6
We as Christians need to acquire enough knowledge about the foods we eat so we will be able
to know what food is good for us and stay away from empty or wasted calories. We need to use wisdom in selecting
what foods we eat, yet exercise self control and eat a variety of foods.
The Bondage of Dietary Laws
Diets are like "the law," a written code of rules and regulations that according to Romans 5:20, only serve to
increase our desire to break it. God told Adam and Eve they could freely eat of every tree in the garden - except one.
That was freedom - and that is what God wants for all of us.
Galatians 5:1 tells us to:
"STAND fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with
the yoke of bondage."
---
Remember Jesus tells us in
John 10:10, that he came into this world
"that we might have
life and have it more abundantly." Jesus wants us to "prosper and be in health, even as our soul
prospers." --- III John 2.
We as believers are called to liberty. God does not want us
to be in bondage to strict diets, overeating, or any harmful substances. Instead, He wants us to be free and to exercise
self control in all areas of our lives.
Taking God for Granted?
Beloved, too often we as believers take God for granted. We assume we can eat what we
want to eat in this fast paced society of instant gratification without thinking of the consequences to follow.
Then, we suffer physical ailments, we expect God to fix them right away.
The bottom line is the axiom: we reap what we sow, or we are what we eat. If we eat fruits and vegetables and limit our
intake of fatty foods we will reap abundant health and vitality; however, if we eat fast food every day and forget about
those colorful fruits and vegetables, we will reap health problems down the road.
God (the Inventor) created our bodies to be efficient machines. He wants us (the drivers) to regularly maintain
our bodies so they will operate the way He designed them
to. God doesn't want us to abuse our bodies
by putting in the wrong substances like junk food, alcohol, nicotine, etc.
Hebrews 12:2
tells us that Jesus (God) is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He doesn't have to finish something
He didn't author. Or, in other words,
God shouldn't have to fix something we carelessly abuse.
Fortunately, however, our God is a gracious and merciful God
who loves us so much that He often gives us a second chance to be a
steward over a healthy body.
Detrimental Habits
Satan uses some strongholds to
addict our flesh and keep us locked up in defeat. Let me list a few below:
| Smoking |
Smoking is the #1 cause for
heart disease, cancer, and causes premature bone loss. A smoker's RDA for vitamin C is 100 mg; a nonsmokers RDA is 60 mg. |
| Alcohol |
Alcohol causes cancer of the liver plus contributes
to premature memory loss. |
| Overeating |
People overeat for several
reasons: lack of knowledge, lack of exercise, lack of spiritual and emotional fulfillment, having food on their
mind too much, eliminating entire food groups and not eating a balanced diet, and unwillingness to deny themselves
comfort.
Overeating leads
to wait gain due
to caloric intake exceeding caloric expenditure. |
| Lack of exercise |
With the convenience
of modern technology (like driving your car to work rather than biking or walking and the invention of the television and computer),
people today are simply much more sedentary. However, the Bible says in I Timothy 4:8 that "Bodily exercise profiteth little."
Spiritual exercise is much more important, BUT it is important to exercise one's body whether it be walking, swimming,
rollerblading, or lifting weights. |
| Failure to wash one's hands |
Washing your hands can make a
big difference in one's health. God talked about this simple action thousands of years ago in Deuteronomy 23:11.
In addition, it has recently been shown that several forms of bacteria can be found on currency such as
E-Coli and other foreign substances when viewed under a microscope. |
It is important to note that even if you eat healthy foods, one who is in bondage
to certain unhealthy foods and a few of the substances mentioned above will
find that these substances greatly neutralize the positive benefits of healthy eating.
Conclusion
Exodus 23:25 declares
"And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and
I will take sickness away from the midst of thee."
---
Believe God today for His best in your body, but also take
care of His creation by what you eat and how you rest.
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This teaching was written by David Holt Boshart, Jr.
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