Our appetites can master and control our lives. We reflect…or should I say most people reflect what they eat. Sometimes it’s more obvious with some than with others. Just because a person is not overweight, that doesn’t mean they are healthy. Exercise should be a built in regular activity in life. I didn’t start writing this to talk about exercise. What I really want to talk to you about are the regulatory rituals and habits of eating. I know that the ritual eating habits of thousands of years ago may not be followed by most nowadays.
However, as I read about some of the ancient ritualistic eating practices, I wonder if some of those laws are applicable today?? For example, Biblical ritualistic eating laws state there are specific foods disallowed and prohibited to be eaten. I was astonished as I reviewed those foods in Leviticus. Of course, as you might guess, I was influenced with the onslaught of the Coronavirus-19. We do hear swirling on the news daily either rumor or truth some people do eat foods forbidden in the Bible. Chances are we may all. What are some of them? There are many and cannot be detailed here. There is mention of it’s okay to eat animals with cloven hooves and chewing the cud. The camel, for example you may not eat, because it chews the cud, but does not have cloven hooves. They are classified as “unclean.” It mentions swine. There are certain birds forbidden to be eaten, the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, the falcon, the stork and the bat. Then there are creeping things forbidden to be eaten, the mouse, the gecko, the sand reptile, chameleon. There are others mentioned, but unclean. It’s interesting to note one biblical documentary mentioned was when Abel brought his sheep offering, it was accepted, but whatever Cain brought, it was unacceptable. God was okay with Abel’s offering, the firstborn. One might ask, what were God’s grounds for rejecting Cain’s offering? Here’s the thing. God gave Cain every opportunity to get it right and bring back to Him an acceptable offering. God does not give all His reasons nor does the Bible spell out why God put these prohibitions on certain foods. He did not want the idolaters/pagans mingling and mixing together with people who believed in “the one true God.” He sets an absolute standard regardless of the reason for it. He doesn’t always have to explain everything to us, nor our lack of understanding why. His chief directive is “obedience.” Learn of me. If we swerve from His pronounced and declared standard, there are consequences. We may not like them. The thing about God is that there are some people who will warn you and try to redirect you from coming to a destructive end. We need to become better listeners. You shall hear a word in your mind, this is the way walk in it as you go left, right, north, south, east or west. His ways are above our ways. He knows the end from the beginning. He’s acquainted with all our way and knows when we get up and when we sit down. He knew us when we were in the womb. Trust in the Lord with all our hearts. Do not rely always on our own understanding. Acknowledge Him. He will direct us. So, “Yes, you can eat anything you want to eat, but there are consequences. Some things even today are just not meant to be eaten.
Ask Dr. Jeanette Parkertm Ask Dr. Jeanettetm www.AskDrJeanetteParker.com; Articles copyright © Inquiring Minds Want To Know; Jeanette Parker is Founder/Superintendent of Today’s Fresh Start Charter School www.todaysfreshstart.org [email protected] Thanks for reading!
