DIETARY LAWS: Why and when were they established?

[laymen]

Bible > ESV > 1 Timothy 4
◄ 1 Timothy 4 ►
English Standard Version
Some Will Depart from the Faith

1Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Note the food here is sanctified by the word meaning the Food spoke of in Lev 11. Remember they only had the OT to read and the NT was not around until much later.

 

[Deade]

I know all too well. I studied with a Seven Day Adventist. He said God never intended humans to eat animals. I said not only did God intend it by prophesying directly that there would come a day when He will give us all things for food- just as He gave us the green herb, but He also commanded it, even in the Old Testament.

He told the Israelites to eat ‘from the flock and from the herd’ for their religious festival- a festival that Jesus also lived according to- meaning that He had to eat from the flock and from the herd, or be a liar when He stated that He fulfilled the old law perfectly.

But that even if that were in question, do you consider fish meat? He said yes. I said the Bible says Peter seen Him on the shore and swam to Him, and that He cooked fish and ate with them. Now if Jesus never sinned, then it is not a sin to eat meat.

He quit studying with me after that.

Well OneFaith, you just happen on to one of the purist SDA followers. They have a strange way of interpreting things. See the last paragraph in post #20 on this thread.

 

[TMS]

You can eat what ever you want to but God tells us to look after our bodies and it is easily proven that the clean animals are healthier and less likely to contain disease. The laws were Given for the health of His people. if God knows what is best we should trust His advise. Did God design us to eat animals in the beginning? No. Are we going to eat animals in Heaven? No. This time of sin and death in between is when animals became part of our diet.

 

[TMS]

How can scientists parse out the effects of specific foods? Researchers studied lapsed vegetarians. People who once ate vegetarian diets but then started to eat meat at least once a week experienced a 146 percent increase in odds of heart disease, a 152 percent increase in stroke, a 166 percent increase in diabetes, and a 231 percent increase in odds for weight gain. During the 12 years after the transition away from eating vegetarian, meat-eating was associated with a 3.6 year decrease in life expectancy.
Researchers have shown that a more plant-based diet may help prevent, treat, or reverse some of our leading causes of death, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Interventional studies of plant-based diets have shown, for example, 90 percent reductions in angina attacks within just a few weeks. Plant-based diet intervention groups have reported greater diet satisfaction than control groups, as well as improved digestion, increased energy, and better sleep, and significant improvement in their physical functioning, general health, vitality, and mental health. Studies have shown plant-based eating can improve not only body weight, blood sugar levels, and ability to control cholesterol, but also emotional states, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, sense of well-being, and daily functioning.
Only one way of eating has ever been proven to reverse heart disease in the majority of patients: a diet centered around whole plant foods.

 

[TMS]

What did it mean in the old testiment to defile the temple of God? take anything unclean into it.
Eze 5:11 Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.
Num 19:20 But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.


There were special strict laws about keeping the unclean out of the temple.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co_3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1Co_6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.



We should seriously consider what we put into the temple of God.

 

[PS]

Why and when did God establish dietary laws/ordinances?

When were they first defined? We don’t really know. The first reference to clean beasts are given to us in Genesis when Noah was gathering for the ark.

Gen. 7:2: “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.”

I am going to assume it was with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Why? Well, we will have to ask ourselves who instructed Adam and why he was instructed. On who, we can conclude it was Christ Himself that dealt with all the old patriarchs (see 1Cor. 10:4 and John 8:58). On why, we might guess the Lord wanted what was good for His people, health wise.

Give me your thoughts on this subject.

The Jewish laws regarding hygiene and food were very sensible for good health, especially considering the hot weather and the lack of proper toilet facilities etc. An example would be the ban on pork due to pigs eating human excrement. Muslims for example dug a pit on the top of a knoll and then they made a tunnel into the pit from the bottom. The pigs would wander in and clean up the mess, but please don't eat the pork, the pigs were full of worms.

The reason for their women wearing the black flowing gown they still wear today, I forget the name, was for privacy as they answered natures call.

 

[TMS]

Why = Because God loves us.
When = When God told us ?? not sure exactly but i'm sure it would have been close to the start.

 

[Ariel82]

You can eat what ever you want to but God tells us to look after our bodies and it is easily proven that the clean animals are healthier and less likely to contain disease. The laws were Given for the health of His people. if God knows what is best we should trust His advise. Did God design us to eat animals in the beginning? No. Are we going to eat animals in Heaven? No. This time of sin and death in between is when animals became part of our diet.

Why did Jesus eat fish after being resurrected?

 

[Ariel82]

1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Note the food here is sanctified by the word meaning the Food spoke of in Lev 11. Remember they only had the OT to read and the NT was not around until much later.

Did you read the other scripture where Peter was told to not call what God had made clean unclean?

Which is a parable about people but also applies to food.

Paul gets into Peter about his eating habits later too.

 

[Ariel82]

Deade in answer to your picture about common sense, honesty is a rare thing.....

Proverbs 2:7 New Living Translation (NLT)
7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest

 

[Kavik]

As PS has stated in post #26, many dietary laws (keeping kosher for example) were simple "desert survival" skills - things you needed to be aware of and not due in a desert environment - you don't want to be using the same plate and utensils for eating meat that you used a few hours ago for eating dairy under a hot sun, the meat of certain animals was more prone to causing disease in this environment , etc., etc.

These "survival skills" were codified early on as 'religious law' so that they became something a person had to follow. As far as the person was concerned it was for religious reasons, but in reality it was just basic survival techniques/skills in a hot weather environment. Sort of a common sense thing, but people often forget common sense - having it be an actual (religious) law ensured it would be followed.

 

[Thetruth101]

I certainly agree that the dietary laws begun with Adam and established in paradise in the garden of Eden , however I know Jehovah like this [ Psalm 83:18
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

​

Isaiah 12:2
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

​

Isaiah 26:4
Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting ] strength:] and you seem to know the Messiah the Christ Jesus the son of Mary like that ]

 

[Thetruth101]

It's my understanding that this life is like paradise for the disbelievers in that they consume all that this world offers from it's , foods [ swine ], music , intoxicants, sexual whims and desires , bank loans [ usury ] etc , and it is like a prison for the believers because they are restricted by the scriptures [ lessons , advices , legal laws , proofs , etc ] ,,,Now this is my understanding of the dietary laws legislatively ,,, as for the linguistic understanding they are opinions and they are many and are not establish in the book ,,,

 

[Thetruth101]

Adam and Eve were expressly told eat from the garden whatever you like 99% of it but this [1] one tree do not eat from it , but the devil in his cunning ways over a span of time whispering why he can and should eat from it until he disobeyed Jehovah , which caused him to be expelled from the best place Paradise , now his off springs you and I are trying to get back [ I think ] are told eat from the earth those things that are good and reframe from eating [ swine , dead meat killed by another , etc ] and that arch enemy the devil is whispering to Us the off springs of Adam follow your father and disobey Jehovah . just saying Jehovah draw lines .....

 

[Ariel82]

It's my understanding that this life is like paradise for the disbelievers in that they consume all that this world offers from it's , foods [ swine ], music , intoxicants, sexual whims and desires , bank loans [ usury ] etc , ,,,

That is how you define "paradise"? Sound like hell to me.

 

[Studyman]

There are many verses in the NT that state that all food is lawful to eat. It may not all be good for you but it is no sin to eat this food.

I believe all "Food" is good to eat. And I also know God created some things for food and some things not for food. I'm OK with that.

 

[Thetruth101]

and it is like a prison for the believers because they are restricted by the scriptures [ lessons , advices , legal laws , proofs , etc ] ,,,Now this is my understanding of the dietary laws legislatively ,,, as for the linguistic understanding they are opinions and they are many and are not establish in the book ,,,​

 

[Ariel82]

God's laws aren't designed to be like a prison.

They are like the safety cones and lines on the road to keep you out of the ditch or driving into oncoming traffic or construction.

The sinful temptations of this world are the chains that enslave people.

God's laws establish boundaries and are like the protective walls of a city....they keep us safe and set us free to be the people God intends for us to be within His protective wings.

 

[Ariel82]

Now if you follow the letter and not the Spirit of the law or add man-made laws into the burdens you carry,then yeah they are a prison....some SDA and Pharisees are good at making those prisons

 

[Studyman]

Why and when did God establish dietary laws/ordinances?

When were they first defined? We don’t really know. The first reference to clean beasts are given to us in Genesis when Noah was gathering for the ark.

Gen. 7:2: “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.”

I am going to assume it was with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Why? Well, we will have to ask ourselves who instructed Adam and why he was instructed. On who, we can conclude it was Christ Himself that dealt with all the old patriarchs (see 1Cor. 10:4 and John 8:58). On why, we might guess the Lord wanted what was good for His people, health wise.

Give me your thoughts on this subject.

View attachment 178876

Good topic,

I agree that God Gave His Children instructions from the beginning. What is Holy, what is not. what is Sanctified, what is not. What is clean and what is not. What is food and what is not.

If human's teach their children their versions of these things, how much more would God?

For me, God's Instructions in my mind (Heart) is a constant reminder of Him. A safe guard.

Deut. 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

Jesus said that what comes from without does not defile a man, but what comes from within. Well, what does come from within? Rebellion, deception, disrespect, dishonor, disobedience, hatred, selfishness, pride, covetousness, lust.

It's not the naked woman that defiles the man, but the desire to look on and lust after, that comes from within. This is the enemy of a Christian.

It is not the strangled animal, or the pig that defiles a man, it is the natural desire to rebel and disobey God and His instructions that defile a man.


God created all things. He created things used for food and created things we are not to use for food. This makes me think about Him when I'm shopping, eating dinner, cooking dinner. I am forced to deny myself and listen to Jesus who created these things before becoming a man. I am submitting myself to the Great God of Abraham and His instructions, and not following my own.

As such I understand why Jesus created for us what to eat and what not to eat, and why He followed these same instructions. I understand why He cast the evil spirits into pigs and not sheep. I also understand why modern "Ministers of Righteousness" preach so hard against them.

As Paul said, "Let each man be fully convinced in their own mind" for we all shall give account to the one Great God.