Does God care on what we eat?

This is a basic question that probably a Christian do not mind to answer. Unlike question such as, does God care on what you hear, see, speak, and do? Even on how someone dress He cares and on your relationship towards your neighbor, how much more on what we take to our body? Indeed, God the Father is caring and one of His concern is on what we eat.

God has provided us everything we need. He made the world perfect since his creation is perfect. Would you believe if we are bound to eat everything He made for it is made to be eaten? Would you agree if someone will tell you this is clean for it was made clean or it was cleanse? A simple example would be a rat, it is a mammal, it has four legs and it is made by God but it is not a food. If someone is to measure your trust, then tell you; eat our main dish, don’t worry, all we serve is clean, it was made clean, it was Jesus who made it clean when He sacrifice himself in the cross. Trust Him, his God. Then question, would you eat something known to be unclean? We would probably say, it is very obvious that rats are dirty. That is true rats are naturally made dirty. Then how about pig? Are pigs and other sea foods clean? They are delicious, how come God made something delicious, which is not to be eaten?

1.       Did God instructed His people on things that can be eaten?

I believe that we only have one bible. The contents are instructions, law, story of obedience, loyalty, true worship, prophecy, disobedience, etc. Do you think Adam and Eve knew the laws pertaining about it? Yes, but I think they don’t eat meat during their time, they are purely vegetarian. On the time of Noah, I believe they already knew the instruction of God regarding animals that can be eaten or not. When God instructed Noah, “Take with you seven pairs of each kind of ritually clean animal, but only one pair of unclean animal.” (–Genesis 7:2) This is a clear instruction, especially when God told Moses to instruct his people the different requirement of an animal to be classified as clean in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:3-21. It is very clear that we should not eat camel, pig, sea foods, hawks, reptile, etc. but then why keep on eating? We’re not talking salvation here, we are talking obedience and trust.

2.      Did Yeshua(Jesus) abolished the law?

Actually, clean and unclean animal during their time is not a big issue. Why would he teach the people of Israel on things already knew? It is already inculcated in their mind that they should not eat it because it is not a food. In short, they have a biblical lifestyle. By the way, when the bible says “Do not eat pig” on the book Leviticus and Deuteronomy, why do we have to scan in the New Testament to find something that can defend ourselves from eating swine flesh? And then we only find a verse that state, “It is not what goes into your mouth that makes you ritually unclean; rather, what comes out of it makes you unclean” (-Matthew 15:11). Why make things complicated? Well, in fact this is figure of speech and Yeshua mean something different on how we interpret it. Supposedly, we should not interpret figure of speech literally because it mean something deeper. Even his apostles ask Him on what He meant about the saying.

We just have to remember that Jesus himself said, “I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak.”(-John 12:49). Furthermore, Yeshua warned us in interpreting on what he says when He said, “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them but to make their teachings come true. Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, NOT the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with – not until the end of all things. ” (-Matthew 5:17-18). So, this is clear, and if we resist that it was made clean then you are actually telling Him liar or else someone out there made it clean for you. Why would you defend yourself from eating such things? What is sin by the way? Transgression of God’s Law. Then, what sinners do? According to Sirach in chapter 32 verse 17, “Sinners have no use for correction, and will only interpret the Law to suit themselves.” Actually, we cannot argue with the word because it is perfect and consistent for it is God.  Do we have to find verse that contradicts verses?

3.      Did Yeshua or His apostles ate something unclean?

No. They never ate unclean animal. When? It was Peter who resist to God when the Father ordered him to kill and eat different animals in a vision. Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord! I have never eaten anything ritually unclean or defiled.”(-Acts 10) During this time Yeshua already died and a few years after His death. Then, for such duration of time, why did the apostles did not eat something unclean or defiled? Remember not to interpret his vision literally because even God repeated it three times because he cannot understand it because he thought it is literal. For clearer understanding the interpretation is written on the same chapter.

We cannot claim we have Him and believe in Him if we do not obey Him. Remember Yeshua said “If you love me you will obey my commandments.” And Sirach said, “Believing in the Law means keeping God’s command”. By the way, how will you show that you believed in him? In Hebrew, believe means to trust and obey. How will you obey a leader if you don’t put your trust in him? Nowadays, we cannot actually communicate God like on time of Elijah where he can talk to God and answer his questions literally in a conversation. Yet, he gave His word which is the fountain of life through the bible which became His instrument for His people to find truth and discern the prophecy. Bottom line question, how much trust did you put in your priest, your pastor, or your leader compared to your trust in the bible and in the word. Put in mind that the Word is God himself. The word is perfect and it does not contradict each other? These actually makes a lot of sense. Simple question: Does God care on what we eat? YES!

 -John Mark P. Manit