We have
been studying, "Are You What You Eat?"
Based on Leviticus chapter eleven and Deuteronomy
chapter fourteen, we have shown that Peter's vision
had nothing to do with the traditional teaching of
Peter's vision, that you can eat whatever you want
and there will be no consequences, even though GOD
said, IT IS WRITTEN in Exodus, chapter fifteen and
verse twenty-six, says, "If thou wilt diligently
hearken to the voice of the LORD thy GOD, and wilt do
that which is right in HIS sight, and wilt give ear
to HIS commandments, and keep all HIS statutes, I
will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I
have brought upon the Egyptians: for I AM the LORD
that healeth thee." Don't ask GOD to heal your
diseases unless you are willing to obey HIS health
laws.Deuteronomy chapter thirty verses fifteen and
sixteen say, "See, I have set before thee this
day life and good, and death and evil; In that I
command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to
walk in HIS ways, and to keep HIS commandments and
HIS statutes and HIS judgments, that thou mayest live
and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless
thee".
In
Mark, chapter five, where JESUS comes to the country
of the Gadarenes and confronts the demoniac, and
tells him to come out, when JESUS asks him his name,
the demoniac answers, that his name was Legion. The
demons ask to go into the herd of hogs that were
feeding on the mountain and JESUS allowed them to go.
Why did JESUS allow that? Approximately two thousand
head of hogs was worth a lot of money. It was
someone's livelihood. Whoever owned the hogs knew the
statutes and that they were not to be raising them.
If this had been a flock of sheep, JESUS would never
have permitted it. You put a herd of hogs in a field
of timber that is infested with rattlesnakes, or any
kind of snake, and in a months time the hogs will
have eaten them all. Hogs are scavengers, and the
bite of a rattlesnake will not hurt them. They will
eat their own young and any other dead thing,
including humans.
I know
that there are circumstances that you have no control
over, such as a missionary working with a heathen
tribe, and you dare not offend them for the gospel's
sake. JESUS says in Mark chapter sixteen and verse
eighteen to the believe, "If they (the believer)
drinks (or eats) any deadly thing it shall not hurt
them."
In Luke
chapter ten, JESUS sends out the seventy and gives
them instructions, and in verse eight HE says,
"And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they
receive you, eat such things as are set before
you:" Did JESUS mean, eat things that JESUS -
the WORD - has said in the statutes are unclean? Of
course not. The seventy are sent to the houses of
Israel and in their houses would be no unclean thing.
What
did JESUS eat? He attended the temple feast and
wedding feast where there would have been both lamb
and beef. Didn't JESUS tell about the prodigal son
and the father killing the fatted calf? Didn't JESUS
multiply the loaves and fishes? And after the
resurrection, cooked fish on the sea shore and said
in a parable that a father would not give his son a
scorpion for an egg. Now if JESUS did not eat these,
HE would not have used them in HIS teachings Oh! You
are still not convinced. You say, Paul said. Let us
see what Paul said, and then we will tell you why GOD
says certain species are an abomination to HIM
forever.
Paul
said in Romans chapter fourteen verses two and three,
"For one believeth that he may eat all things:
another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that
eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him
which eateth not judge him that eateth: for GOD hath
received him." Paul is not in any way talking
about eating or not eating unclean things, but that
you are not to find fault with someone that is a
vegetarian. Again, Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter
eight, verse four, "As concerning therefore the
eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice
unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the
world, and that there is none other GOD but
one." Verses six, seven and eight: "But to
us there is but one GOD, the FATHER, of whom are all
things, and we in HIM; and one LORD JESUS CHRIST, by
whom are all things, and we by HIM. Howbeit there is
not in every man that knowledge: for some with
conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a
thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience
being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to
GOD: for neither, if we eat, are we the better;
neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.' And verse
thirteen says, "Wherefore, if meat make my
brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the
world standeth, lest I make my brother to
offend." In chapter ten, Paul concludes in
verses thirty-one through thirty-three, "Whether
therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do
all to the glory of GOD. Give none offence, neither
to the Jews, nor to the Heathens, nor to the church
of GOD: Even as I please all men in all things, not
seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that
they may be saved.". Why has Paul taken two
chapters to talk about this subject? In Paul's time,
the animals were butchered in the open market place,
and still are in many places in the world today. When
these animals were slaughtered, the blood was caught
and then offered to their heathen gods. Paul says I
can eat the meat, but if it offends you, I will not
even eat meat at all.
Who was
Paul? You say he was an apostle, or he pursued the
Hebrew Christian, or he was ship wrecked. But who
does Paul say he was? Let us start in Romans eleven,
verse one: "I say then, Hath GOD cast away HIS
people? GOD forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of
the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin."
Again in Acts chapter twenty-two and verse three Paul
says, "I am verily a man which am a Hebrew, born
in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this
city (Jerusalem) at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught
according to the PERFECT manner of the LAW of the
fathers, and was zealous toward GOD, as ye all are
this day." We will conclude about Paul with his
own words in Philippians chapter three, verse five:
"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the
Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;" What
have we learned from Paul? First, he was not a Jew or
a Judahite, he was a Benjaminite. Second, he learned
at the feet of the most famous lawyer of his day.
Gamaliel. Third, Paul was a Pharisee. Who were the
Pharisees? They kept the law of GOD and other laws of
man to the ridiculous.
Paul
would never under any circumstances approve the
eating of anything GOD said is unclean. We will
continue our study of "Are you what you
eat?" in next month's issue of Voices From His
Excellent Glory, from the secular and medical world,
and with testimonies.