ULDAH MINISTRY

No,57　　Jul. 2000

　　【 BIBLICAL DIET - 2 - 】

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. …Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation… And there was evening, and there was morning -the third day. … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food." And it was so. … And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground- trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Gen.1:1, …:11~13, …:27~30, …2:9, …:16~17.

After the fall, followed by the global flood:
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything." "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. …"
Gen.9:1~4.

After the entrance to the promised land, Canaan:
There are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess - as long as you live in the land. … Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat (of clean animals, Deu.ch.14) as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the LORD your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. … When the LORD your God has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, "I would like some meat," then you may eat as much of it as you want. … But be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat. You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
Deu.12:1, :15, :20, :23~25.

After taking the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness the LORD made a decree and a law for them, saying, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees. I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." (Ex. 15:26). Their wandering years in the wilderness was a testing period for them so that the LORD would know what was in their heart and also test their commitment. Their regular diet for 40 years consisted of 'manna' in the morning, 'quail' in the evening and 'water'. Manna, 'bread from heaven' was like coriander seed, looked like resin, and on cooking, tasted like something made with olive oil. God humbled the Israelites, causing them to hunger while feeding them with manna, to teach them that 'Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (Deu.8:3) This was none the less a way of God disciplining His people as man disciplines his son.
If a technical term can be applied to the situation of Exodus in the wilderness, 'Detoxification' would fit well. The author of the book entitled "The Genesis Diet", which was referred to in the last letter, explains the term in the following way: 'When you begin to eat God's food, one of the changes you may experience is a feeling of weakness. As the body removes the poisons from the tissues, the heart begins to slow down and a "letdown" follows. This initial letdown lasts about ten days or longer and is followed by an increase of strength and greater well being. Be encouraged, your body needs a chance to adjust and complete its first phase of healing. So rest and sleep as much as you can. The amount of accumulated toxins determines how long this phase will last.' (p167, Gordon S. Tessler, 'the Genesis Diet'). The Israelites, who might have indulged themselves in eating whatever they liked in Egypt, needed to be cleansed from their harmful eating habit and deposited toxins deposited in their body, to be restored to a healthy body, capable of sustaining a long life free of illness and disease in the promised land, Canaan.
It is significant that God's promise of a healthy life is not only conditional but also emphasises prevention rather than the healing of disease, in other words, not on temporary symptomatic therapy after things have happened but on maintaining a state of well-being. God has promised a disease-free healthy life to his people as long as they would do what is right in His eyes. He also allowed them to freely eat as much as they liked, including meat, as long as they were clean animals (Those that chewed the cud and had a split hoof) and clean marine creatures (Those that have fins and scales, Lev. ch.11, Dt. ch.14). The distinction between the clean and the unclean had already been given before the Noah's flood (Ge. 7:2~3, 8:20). It is highly probable that the definition was given to Adam and Eve at the very beginning of human history when the LORD made garments of skin to clothe them and also taught them to sacrifice the best fat portions of animals as an offering to the LORD (Ge. 3:21, 4:4). Although it was only when Moses wrote down God's words in scrolls that God's commandments were made known to all His people as the divine law, the patriarchs would have been well informed God's law. As there are no further new commandments concerning food given to the Israelites after the day of Moses, we may be able to conclude that we are now living in an extension of that time. If we believe in the continual validity of Moses' law according to Jesus' own declaration in Matt.5:17~19, seemingly trivial commandments concerning food will come to hold significance even today.
There are various interpretations and applications of the food law to the present age. However, Apostle Paul's teaching is the most comprehensive on this subject: ' "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. …but I will not be mastered by anything. …The body is … meant for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.'(1Co.6:12~13), and 'Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." If some unbelieving invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. … If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.' (1Co. 10:25~27, :30~31, Lines added). Paul's teaching could be understood to be an acceptance of all food without any restriction. On the whole I agree with his way of accepting all food. Nevertheless, I feel it is important to focus on the reasons why God once instituted a particular restriction in His laws. We should not be ignorant of the fact that God has always reasons whenever He speaks and takes actions.
First, as quoted at the beginning, God strictly forbade eating blood, repeatedly and emphatically to both Noah and Moses. This command has since been taken seriously by the Jews and a traditional 'Kosher method' has been observed to process slaughter. A clean animal slaughtered by cutting the throat with a sharp knife is hung up and drained of its blood completely so that the blood won't enter its tissues and muscles. Gordon Tessler put it, ' The blood absorbs what is in the stomach and circulates these products, good or bad, to the rest of the body. Most diseases of both man and animal find their way into the blood stream and the blood spreads the diseased cells to other locations within the body. If a mortician, … doesn't drain the blood out of a corpse soon after death, the body will decay very rapidly. Blood not drained out of an animal will flood that carcass with deadly putrefaction and disease. The LORD knew this fact and therefore instructed us to drain the blood.'(p65 Ibid.) In the middle of June a Jehovah's Witness' decision to give up his membership (which he thought as losing his faith) to survive through a blood transfusion was reported in the Times. This religious group used to strictly forbid blood transfusions, regardless of circumstances and excommunicated those who accepted them. However, this very month, an extraordinary U-turn has taken place as the leaders decreed that they would no longer enforce disfellowship on account of accepting blood transfusions. This is understood to be the biggest climbdown since their predicted Armageddon failed to happen in 1975. This change is a good example of the transient and circumstantial nature of man-made creeds, standing in stark contrast to God's unchanging laws, to say nothing of the misguided but widely-accepted conception among religions that having faith in gods equals being a member of an organisation.
I have a certain stance in such kind of controversial issue. What is apparent is that the issue of taking or not taking blood transfusions has biblically nothing to do with the Lord's promise of salvation. However, if God had once forbidden the intake of blood of any creature for a clear reason, 'For the life of a creature is in the blood; and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.' (Lev. 17:11, Line added), any action regarded as the intake of other's blood into our system should be avoided as much as possible. Every creature's and man's blood is God's portion, which man cannot tamper with, just as 'All of the fat is the LORD's.' as an offering to be burned on an altar as a pleasing aroma to Him (Lev. 3:16), from which the devoted must keep away(Jo.chs.6~7).
Second, by the same token, consistently eating only the meat of plant-eating, i.e., vegetarian animals but not those defined as unclean according to God's law would be the best diet. Tessler puts it, 'Not only are vegetarian animals free of most diseases and parasites associated with the eating of flesh foods, but their long digestive tract which is six to twelve times the length of their bodies insures that they will completely process and eliminate any unfavourable toxins and poisons.' (p50 Ibid.) As one of those who insist on the strict observance of Moses' food law, Tessler warns us of the danger of the swine as a disease carrier. He boldly claims, 'Arthritis may be a virus or a parasite that is transmitted from pigs to humans as a direct result of eating the flesh and blood of hogs or pigs. … A person may be committing slow suicide when they eat bacon, ham, sausage, or pork chops.' (p52 Ibid.). If his claim is right, it will arouse great controversy over the present on-going prospects of using pig's organs in human patients. We are allowed to freely choose any way of application of God's law to our lives, however, we should also be reminded of the stern fact that we must later reap the consequences of our choice.

Thought of the Month……….

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No-one calls for justice; no-one pleads his case with integrity. …So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness but we walk in deep shadows. … Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a pray. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no-one, he was appalled that there was no-one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for them, and his righteousness sustained him. … "the Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares the LORD. [ Isaiah 59:1~20]
What is depicted here by Prophet Isaiah is the universality of man's sin, which is so deep-rooted and intrinsic that no-one except the only Righteous One, God Himself, will be able to remove out of man. If things go wrong in our lives we instinctively blame others, circumstances and even God, never willing to admit our own ugliness and sinfulness, though in most cases, the heart of the problem lies within ourselves. Accordingly, what we must realise is the reality of how self-centred and self-righteous we are! However wisely we try to hide our real sinful nature and wrong motives, whether consciously or subconsciously, it is ironic that we get deceived by our own disguise. How foolish we are that we do not know ourselves!
If we honestly realise, however, our own miserable and wretched condition and also if we sincerely want to be rescued out of this self-inflicted darkness, the only solution will be to respond to God's provided way of salvation through Jesus Christ with a broken and contrite heart. While it is true that each individual's sin has for centuries since the Fall, turned the world to the nest of evil and that there is no-one among men exempt from the responsibility of the present corrupt world, it would also be true that there are many unfairly victimised people by other's wickedness in the world. Who can say that none other than the Lord is not displeased with this unjust world even if He for the present allows evil to spread all over the world? Needless to say, the Lord's sole desire is 'to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke, to share our food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter.'(Is.58:6~7). Then, what can a handful of those who repented of their sins and have consequently been filled with joy and hope in the Lord, do to those suffering? Are you one of them? The Lord is looking for your active corporation with His work of salvation. If you cannot take any actions due to age, illness and circumstance, your prayers will be the greatest support for those who are working in the frontline to help the poor, the afflicted and the oppressed. Everybody can be a co-worker of the Lord!!