The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/leviticus/11.htm

I know that in the New Testament, Jesus said it is “not what a man puts in his mouth that defiles him, but rather what comes out of his mouth”. But, does God change? Does God every say, “Ooops, I made a mistake, I was wrong, I’m changing what I said.” If God says that, he can change his mind, he can admit he was wrong, and it means our God can make mistakes.

I don’t believe that. When the Bible says God is “unchanging’, I take that to heart. God is infallible. God doesn’t make mistakes. God is perfect. And what God says about eating unclean meats, still stands today.

Some will say, “Those laws were for the Jews.” Where does that say that in the Bible? Where does it say, the Jews should not eat unclean meat and everyone else, do what pleases your heart.” Is that really, what you think God meant, or is that what has become a tradition of man, that is a compromise of God’s law. The Jews still do not eat unclean meats today. And if this tells you anything, neither do the Muslims.

God doesn’t say, these meats are “prohibited”, or “I don’t want you to eat these meats to see how well you can obey me”, He specifically says “unclean”, meaning these meats are not fit to be eaten by humans. And if you look at the meats he gives as examples, they are all scavengers.

Don’t get me wrong, I used to love a BLT (with a side of bacon), and sausage gravy and biscuits were absolutely delicious. And a big hung of ham with mashed potatoes and gravy. Delightful. In fact, I was raise a Seventh-Day Adventist and we didn’t eat pork. But when we went to visit my grandmother, who was a Baptist, she fixed all kinds of pork for breakfast, she wanted to make sure everyone was happy, so on Sunday morning before we left to come back to Kansas, there was ham, bacon, and sausage all three on the table.

Now, we didn’t act like vegans. We didn’t make a big announcement saying, “We don’t eat pork!” Instead, we were taught to be thankful for what we were provided, be gracious to our host, and if they served pork, we ate it. We felt it was better to be kind and gracious like Jesus than to make a big deal out of eating pork.

And because we were poor and grandma knew it, she would fix us sausage sandwiches for the trip home. I remember my mother leaning over the back seat, handing me a sausage sandwich and saying, “You better enjoy this now, because we won’t be eating pork when we get home!” And I would be eating that sausage as fast as I could going, “I know mom. I know.” (nom, nom, nom).

And as an adult, I ate pork my entire life. I loved barbecued spareribs. I loved a good smoked pork tenderloin. I loved a big thick ham sandwich with cheese and mustard.

But now that I’m trying to be a good Christian, I’m trying really hard to adhere to God’s word. I’m far from perfect, but I’m working on it.

God passed on these laws because the meat was “unclean”, and he didn’t want it hurting us. Pigs and other unclean animals will eat anything. And as Samuel L. Jackson said in the movie “Pulp Fiction”, “A pig’s a filthy animal. It sleeps and eats in it’s own feces.”

Did God want just the Jews to be healthy and to heck with everyone else? No, he wanted everyone to be healthy.

And it’s not just swine. We wouldn’t think of eating a buzzard that swoops down and eats roadkill, yet we will have bacon and eggs for breakfast after our meat has ate their meal in a pile of their own feces. And remember what Jesus told the Pharisees (and I’m paraphrasing by the way), you’ll make sure you cup is thoroughly clean, then you sit down and eat camel”.

Catfish is an unclean meat because it is a bottom feeder, scavenging for food. And shrimp is often referred to as the “cockroach” of the sea.

God didn’t prohibit us from eating unclean meats just because, he did it because he cares about our health. Did you know that Adventists who do not eat unclean meats, as well as observing other health laws, have a much hirer life expectancy that others? And why do you think God told Noah to take a pair of each unclean species, but seven of each clean species? Is it possible He wanted Noah’s family to have clean meat to eat while they were on the ark for a year?

Originally, God meant for us to be vegetarians. You can read in the Bible in Genesis where God told Adam that He gave them herbs and trees from which to eat. And if you Google “Do Adventists life longer by abstaining from pork?”, the answer will be “Yes, studies suggest that Seventh-day Adventists who abstain from pork and follow a plant-based diet tend to live longer than those who consume meat, as they often have lower risks of various diseases. This lifestyle is associated with better overall health and longevity.”

Keep in mind, tis isn’t simply from abstaining from pork. This is eating a plant based diet, like Daniel did. And even doctors say we should eat less meat and more fruits and vegetables.

Recently, the carnivore diet has become popular, where the only thing they eat is an animal based diet. And a lot of people claim dramatic weight loss from this diet. But the jury is still out. Will they live longer?

This is NOT a “you should not eat pork” lesson, it is a lesson in “follow the Bible” despite what your pastor has told you and despite what you flesh wants.

And if Satan can distract you from one scripture, where does it stop?

God bless you all. We are all sinners, myself included, and no sin is greater than another. But if you want to live longer, you might take God’s advice (or command).