Do you know what the most popular meal in Scripture includes?
Two things. Meat and bread.
What did God feed the Israelites in the desert? Quail & Manna
What did God feed Elijah? Ravens & Bread
What did the Passover mainly consist of? Lamb & Unleavened bread
What did Jesus feed the 5,000? Fish & Bread
Did you also know that the word “vegetable” isn’t even in the original Biblical texts? Leeks are mentioned, pulses (legumes), herbs, but not the word vegetable. Interesting?
Are vegetables healthy? Absolutely. In fact,did you know that cruciferous vegetables got their name from the cross shaped flower that buds before the vegetable grows? Cruciferous vegetables are some of the most nutritious foods! But their nutrition is better absorbed…get this… after they have been crushed.
Every topic discussed in Scripture should be approached holistically. Finances. Divorce. Salvation. Food is no different. We have the complete revelation at our fingertips! “Study to show yourself approved to God, a worker that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
The complete message of food in the Bible isn’t one of health (although that’s a piece of it).
It’s one of revelation.
It’s not prescriptive.
It’s descriptive.
Garden nutrition is still true today. But it’s like kindergarten. The basics. The nutritional laws of the old covenant are still true today. But it’s like high school. The “whatever you eat… do all to the glory of God” is still true today. It’s college. The kingdom nutrition that includes all the instructions combined is the culmination of all God’s design for physical and spiritual nourishment!! Graduate school!!
There are seven food instructions of the Bible:
Garden Nutrition – Genesis 1:29
Cursed Nutrition – Genesis 3:17
Global Nutrition – Genesis 9:3-4
National Nutrition – Leviticus 11
Transitional Nutrition – Matthew 15:11
Social Nutrition – Acts 11:9, I Corinthians 8:8, I Corinthians 10:31, I Timothy 4:3-4
Kingdom Nutrition – Isaiah 11:6-7, Ezekiel 40-46, Revelation 7:16,19:6-9 & 20, 21:6, 22:2
When well meaning Christians miss the full message of food in the Bible it’s often because of one or more of these four reasons:
Reason #1: One single food instruction is elevated as the right way to eat.
The most popular food instruction that gets elevated is the plant-based diet of Genesis. The reasoning is it’s God’s first instruction, His ideal. The garden was perfect, so let’s go back there. That is a fantastic goal. But not able to be achieved until Christ’s return and He restores our planet. We are no longer in the Garden of Eden. The food instruction of Genesis 1:29, while true, is just the beginning, not the end.
Why? Because the ground was cursed.
Plants became incomplete. Plant nutrition needs conversion.
Three quick examples:
- Iron (ferrous form from plants is not as bioavailable as heme iron from animals)
- ALA (plant based omega 3 fatty acid has to be converted to DHA / EPA so it can be utilized by the body. Animal based omega 3’s from salmon or tuna already are in active form of DHA / EPA.)
- Beta-carotenes (precursors to Vit. A found in plants need to be converted to an active form of Vit. A. Animal Vit. A sources are already bioavailable with no conversion needed)
Are plant foods healthy? Yes. Do we ever recommend eating a living plant food based diet? Short-term for some clients. But it’s the beginning, not the end.
Reason #2: Christians are free from the law, so food instruction isn’t really important anymore.
“Arise, kill and eat.” “Do not call unclean what I have determined is clean.” Why did this food instruction change? Did the food itself change? Did God make pork and shellfish literally, nutritionally different? No. He declared that those – once unclean foods – were no longer factors in coming to Him. No longer does food identify us with the living God.
The cleansing is complete in Christ.
God’s presence is internal not external.
There is no longer a need for sacrifices.
We are His temple.
So, yes, while there is freedom to eat bacon, to enjoy a good BBQ, it is simply a picture of the freedom we have in Christ. The nutritional value of plants, of clean meats still is true, but those instructions no longer represent how we relate to God.
We want to get to food freedom, but sometimes we need to go back to the garden for a time and even go through the “Law” of a more therapeutic diet before we can reach food freedom. But, food freedom is still the goal.
Here’s a quick summary of true food freedom:
Reason #3: Personally experienced healing from eating based on a single food instruction
There have been some inspiring healing stories from people over the years when they adopt a Genesis type diet or a law type diet for example. In fact some of the healthiest people groups on the planet were the ones who ate fish as a staple.
There is both true scientific research and anecdotal evidence of health recoveries when eating a living foods diet (plant based vegan – carbs) or eating primarily clean meats – (carnivore diet – protein) or ketogenic (high fat).
Many individuals have experienced healing when they eliminate processed foods with whatever whole food diet combo they choose. Food is so important, and it can be medicine. But remember: There is a difference between therapeutic nutrition and normal lifestyle nutrition. Meaning what we eat to heal, may not be what we need to eat to maintain. And, it may not be the way the next person needs to eat to heal. It’s never a one-size-fits all solution.
Reason #4: Get distracted trying to match the Bible with the latest nutrition science.
Nutrition research can often have an agenda. Paid for by the drug companies or Monsanto (maker of Roundup) or food manufacturing companies. Check your source. Check the money flow. Make sure research summaries aren’t cherry-picked or summarized inaccurately based on the results the funder is trying to promote.
Often, the Christian community is trying to find evidence for the Bible’s validity by comparing it to the latest research. All truth is God’s truth. We should be comparing science to Scripture, not the other way around. History should confirm science.
**Don’t miss the message of food in the Bible!! Get a holistic perspective… Sign up for our FREE Bible Study to discover God’s Seven Purposes for Food and how to apply them to your life for both physical health and spiritual health!!