The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Timothy 4:3-5,
"They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."
What are these dietary restrictions Paul speaks of here? Paul foresees a day when religious people will forsake "the faith" and adopt teachings spawned by demons and malevolent spirits. Among these teachings will be dietary restrictions that find their origin in the Scriptures themselves. In Leviticus 11 we read of foods identified by God as "clean" and "unclean". For instance, in speaking of meat, "Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them." Leviticus 11:2-4. As examples: camels, rabbits, and pigs were "unclean" (unacceptable to eat). Venison, goats, and sheep were "clean" (acceptable to eat).
However, the time came when God declared everything "clean" to eat, no more dietary restrictions. "'Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.' (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)" Mark 7:18-19. We also see God using the motif of "clean" and "unclean" foods used as a prophetic metaphor in a vision he gave Peter to inform him he was to no longer consider Gentiles as "unclean" people. The Gentiles were now to be considered acceptable in God's offer of his kingdom through the gospel. In that vision God told Peter, "'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' 'Surely not, Lord!' Peter replied. 'I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.' The voice spoke to him a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'" Acts 10:13-15. While the message to Peter was about the acceptability of Gentiles, the primary message used by God in the metaphor still holds true. All things are clean to eat. Paul also speaks of full faith and weak faith measured by what a person finds acceptable to eat, "One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables." Romans 14:2.
"They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."
What are these dietary restrictions Paul speaks of here? Paul foresees a day when religious people will forsake "the faith" and adopt teachings spawned by demons and malevolent spirits. Among these teachings will be dietary restrictions that find their origin in the Scriptures themselves. In Leviticus 11 we read of foods identified by God as "clean" and "unclean". For instance, in speaking of meat, "Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them." Leviticus 11:2-4. As examples: camels, rabbits, and pigs were "unclean" (unacceptable to eat). Venison, goats, and sheep were "clean" (acceptable to eat).
However, the time came when God declared everything "clean" to eat, no more dietary restrictions. "'Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.' (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)" Mark 7:18-19. We also see God using the motif of "clean" and "unclean" foods used as a prophetic metaphor in a vision he gave Peter to inform him he was to no longer consider Gentiles as "unclean" people. The Gentiles were now to be considered acceptable in God's offer of his kingdom through the gospel. In that vision God told Peter, "'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' 'Surely not, Lord!' Peter replied. 'I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.' The voice spoke to him a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'" Acts 10:13-15. While the message to Peter was about the acceptability of Gentiles, the primary message used by God in the metaphor still holds true. All things are clean to eat. Paul also speaks of full faith and weak faith measured by what a person finds acceptable to eat, "One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables." Romans 14:2.
Many have only seen issues of health and hygiene as cause for God's dietary laws. However, when God removed his dietary restrictions, it was not as a result of these animals now becoming healthier to eat. Something else was the point of God's earlier declaration of certain foods being unclean. He wanted to teach Israel a basic concept: there is that which is "clean" and that which is "unclean"; there is that which is holy and that which is profane; there is that which is acceptable to God and that which is unacceptable to God; there is that which is godly and that which is ungodly. God was teaching Israel the concept of sin. God has a problem with sin (sin being whatever is inconsistent with his moral character and nature) and wanted to teach the world through Israel the problem of sin inherent within us and our need for salvation. God used a variety of means to teach the concept of duality in terms of what is godly and what is profane in what we think, do and say. It is the concept of this duality God was teaching when he provided dietary restrictions (as well as other things).
Now that Jesus Christ had paid the redemption price for our sins on the cross, and promoted the gospel of faith, returning to dietary laws to find God's acceptance becomes a threat to his message. Hence, it is to demons and malevolent spirits that Paul attributes various religious practices, such as dietary restrictions. These restrictions become a counterfeit to the gospel of faith. Salvation is by faith, not works, such as adherence to dietary restrictions (including ones found in the Scriptures.)
Today I celebrate the freedom we have from the law, the freedom we have to enter into God's kingdom apart from our performance relative to laws and restrictions. God has made his salvation available to us freely: all we need do is embrace him in faith. He has done all the work!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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