Unclean Meat

Unclean Meat

Unclean Meat

Today, we will be tackling “Unclean Meat, Cannibalism, & Meat Sacrificed To Idols”. We will not be putting people down for health choices and personal covenants made with God. With Part 1, we will be focusing on “Clean VS Unclean Meats.” Knowing kosher and un-kosher, or meats you are allowed to eat versus meats you are not allowed to eat. So, let us dig into the meat of God’s Word and review the 5 times that diets have been set and changed by God.

Unclean Meat

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Unclean Meat

Foundational Statement By Jesus

Mark 7:14-20 “He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.  (15)  There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.  (16)  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”  (17)  When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable.  (18)  He said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can’t defile him,  (19)  because it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus purifying all foods ?”  (20)  He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man.”

Unclean Meat

The Timeline of not eating & eating meat:

Unclean Meat

The Start #1

• Before The Fall Of Man:

(Veggie Diet For Man & Beast)

Genesis 1:28-30 “God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  (29)  God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.  (30)  To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so.”

Unclean Meat

The Change #2

• After The Destruction Of The Planet With A Flood:

(Veggies & Every Kind Of Meat)

Genesis 9:1-4 “God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.  (2)  The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand.  (3)  Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.  (4)  But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.”

This includes all kinds of meat (including pork), Etc. (As They Were On The Ark)

Genesis 9:10  “And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.”

This is proof that it also meant unclean meats.

Genesis 7:7-9 “Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters.  (8)  Clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground  (9)  went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah.”

God Brought More Clean Than Unclean Into The Ark.

Genesis 7:2 “You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female.”

Unclean Meat

The Change #3

• After The Levitical Law:

(Veggies And The Newly Classified Clean Meats)

• Clean Meats

Leviticus 11:1-47 “The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them,  (2)  “Tell the Israelites: ‘This is the kind of creature you may eat from among all the animals that are on the land.  (3)  You may eat any among the animals that has a divided hoof (the hooves are completely split in two) and that also chews the cud.”  

• Unclean Meats

(4)  However, you must not eat these from among those that chew the cud and have divided hooves: The camel is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided.  (5)  The rock badger is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided.  (6)  The hare is unclean to you because it chews the cud even though its hoof is not divided.  (7)  The pig is unclean to you because its hoof is divided (the hoof is completely split in two), even though it does not chew the cud.  (8)  You must not eat from their meat and you must not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

• Clean Fish

 (9)  “‘These you can eat from all creatures that are in the water: Any creatures in the water that have both fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat.”

• Unclean Fish

(10)  “But any creatures that do not have both fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams, from all the swarming things of the water and from all the living creatures that are in the water, are detestable to you.  (11)  Since they are detestable to you, you must not eat their meat and their carcass you must detest.  (12)  Any creature in the water that does not have both fins and scales is detestable to you.”  

• Unclean Birds

(13)  “‘These you are to detest from among the birds – they must not be eaten, because they are detestable: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,  (14)  the kite, the buzzard of any kind,  (15)  every kind of crow,  (16)  the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the long-eared owl, the hawk of any kind,  (17)  the little owl, the cormorant, the screech owl,  (18)  the white owl, the scops owl, the osprey,  (19)  the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.”  

• Unclean Insects/Birds?

(20)  “‘Every winged swarming thing that walks on all fours is detestable to you.”

• Clean Insects

(21)  “However, this you may eat from all the winged swarming things that walk on all fours, which have jointed legs to hop with on the land.  (22)  These you may eat from them: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, the grasshopper of any kind.”  

• Unclean Insects

(23)  “But any other winged swarming thing that has four legs is detestable to you.”

• Footnotes…

(26)  “All animals that divide the hoof but it is not completely split in two and do not chew the cud are unclean to you; anyone who touches them becomes unclean.  (27)  All that walk on their paws among all the creatures that walk on all fours are unclean to you. Anyone who touches their carcass will be unclean until the evening,  (28)  and the one who carries their carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.”  

• Unclean Vermin And Lizards

(29)  “‘Now this is what is unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the land: the rat, the mouse, the large lizard of any kind,  (30)  the Mediterranean gecko, the spotted lizard, the wall gecko, the skink, and the chameleon.  (31)  These are the ones that are unclean to you among all the swarming things. Anyone who touches them when they die will be unclean until evening.”  

• Footnotes…

(41)  “Every swarming thing that swarms on the land is detestable; it must not be eaten.  (42)  You must not eat anything that crawls on its belly or anything that walks on all fours or on any number of legs of all the swarming things that swarm on the land, because they are detestable.  –   (46)  This is the law of the land animals, the birds, all the living creatures that move in the water, and all the creatures that swarm on the land,  (47)  to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between the living creatures that may be eaten and the living creatures that must not be eaten.’”

Unclean Meat

The Change #4

• After The Atoning Sacrifice Of Jesus On The Cross, And The Establishment Of The New Covenant:

(Veggies And Every Kind Of Animal Meat)

The Early Church taught you did not have to keep the Law of Moses as mention in Acts 15:1-2. This is the Levitical law and includes the dietary requirements. As proven in past studies, there is a difference between the Levitical and Royal Law. See our studies for more information and the difference of the “Royal” and “Levitical Law.”

Acts 15:1-2  “Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”  (2)  Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.”

Acts 15:24  “Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment;” 

See Also: Galatians 5:1-4 At the End Of This Study.

Nothing Is Unclean Any Longer.

Romans 14:14-15+20  “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean in itself; still, it is unclean to the one who considers it unclean.  (15)  For if your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy by your food someone for whom Christ died.” – (20)  Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. For although all things are clean, it is wrong to cause anyone to stumble by what you eat.”

We will talk about personal liberty and not offending at the end of this study.

Please remember that this remains within the guidelines given of the two groups mentioned as clean and unclean. We do not get to add other things not in the original discussion, like eating people. Eating people has never and will never be permitted.

• Human beings are a different type of meat separate from animal life.

1 Corinthians 15:39 “All flesh is not the same: People have one flesh, animals have another, birds and fish another.”

We will cover Cannibalism and Meat Sacrificed to Idols More In Our Next Study.

We are told that all things are edible and made Holy through Our Prayers and Thanksgiving.

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

We are told that as long as we eat with glory and honor to God, then no man may judge our freedom in this matter.

1 Corinthians 10:23-31 “Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds others up.  (24)  Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person.  (25)  Eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without questions of conscience,  (26)  for the earth and its abundance are the Lord’s.  (27)  If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience.  (28)  But if someone says to you, “This is from a sacrifice,” do not eat, because of the one who told you and because of conscience –  (29)  I do not mean yours but the other person’s. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience?  (30)  If I partake with thankfulness, why am I blamed for the food that I give thanks for?  (31)  So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

The Bible is exceptionally clear; don’t let others judge you by the food you eat.

Colossians 2:16 “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:”

As we can clearly see, this is a reference to the Levitical Law. Not the Ten Commandment Law of God. Many want to “throw the baby out with the bath water” and be like “see here and look, the Sabbath is gone also.” But, not so. Please refer to our other studies on this topic for more information. In short, there are 3 Laws in the Old Testament that best describe it in the following way: The Social, Moral, and Levitical. The Levitical one was done away with (How We Approach God) and the Moral or Royal law called the Ten Commandments is firm. Along with many other such moral laws like: no sex with animals, you cannot rape a person; don’t marry your grandma, etc. And the Social law of how to deal with thieves, murderers, and handling other social disputes.

Clearly We See 3 Distinct Sets of Rules: 

Deuteronomy 8:11 “Be sure you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today.”

Please See: “The Royal Law Vs Sacrificial Law” on our Website @ BrotherLance.com

Unclean Meat

• Jesus Ate Meat After His Resurrection & Return In His Heavenly Form.

Luke 24:39-43 “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.”

The Bible Calls Fish Meat

Leviticus 11:10-11 “But any creatures that do not have both fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams, from all the swarming things of the water and from all the living creatures that are in the water, are detestable to you.  (11)  Since they are detestable to you, you must not eat their meat and their carcass you must detest.” 

So Even In Our New Heavenly Bodies, We Will Possess The Ability To Eat Meat.

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Unclean Meat

The Finish #5

• After Jesus Returns In The New Heaven & New Earth

Isaiah 11:6-9  “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  (7)  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  (8)  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.  (9)  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

Unclean Meat

We can clearly see Jesus in His resurrected form eating meat, yet in Heaven there will be no need or compunction within the animal kingdom to eat meat. Nor will there be a need for us to do so. It will be yet again like the Garden of Eden. Which bring us to the curious action of Jesus eating meat when He did not need to. And finding no fault in doing so. He would have gained no benefit from the action. Yet, the necessity of the moment appears prudent to do so. We can clearly see that these many changes come down to the necessity of man understood by God. God has and does change His mind. He did on many occasions change a previous set of rules, like The Jews were only to marry Jews, and now you can marry whoever you want. Yet these pet Doctrines get hardliners who do not want to abide by the changes made by God. They insist that they must remain. This is wrong and open rebellion to insist others must abide what God no longer requires. Personal covenants with God for one’s own spiritual walk and wellbeing is completely fine.  Like in the following example:

Romans 14:14 “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean in itself; still, it is unclean to the one who considers it unclean.” 

Unclean Meat

What About Daniel?

Unclean Meat

Some try to point to Daniel as the perfect case study. When in Daniel 1:5-16, Daniel and his fellow men went without the king’s meats and wine and ate only vegetables and water. And how much healthier they were in doing so. First off, there is no doubt that this is a healthy choice. It will provide many benefits for many people. Yet, not for all as our current supply of vegetables are depleted nutritionally and fail to provide the vitamins and minerals Daniel found in the organic farming done for thousands of years. This is why most Vegetarians today must take supplements to offset the lack of nutrients. Secondly, Daniel was still under the old covenant, and it would have been a sin to eat the king’s unclean meat. So while in theory, yes, it can be very healthy and beneficial, it is not the case study people try to make it be. Because our food is depleted nutritionally and we are no longer under the Old Covenant. So, as a case study for health, it can apply. Yet, as a case study for the moral obligations of the New Testament believer, it surely does not apply. It is nothing more than a stumbling block the early church stressed that should be avoided.

Acts 15:10-11 “So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?  (11)  On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.”

Galatians 5:1-4 “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.  (2)  Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all!  (3)  And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.  (4)  You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!”

Unclean Meat

Peace Within The Body On The Issue

Simple Guidelines to Follow To Keep Unity:

Don’t use your liberty to eat when it might cause your brother to stumble.

Romans 14:14-23 “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteems anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walks thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eats with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows. And he that doubts is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”  Add 14 before

1 Corinthians 10:23-31 “Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds others up.  (24)  Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person.  (25)  Eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without questions of conscience,  (26)  for the earth and its abundance are the Lord’s.  (27)  If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience.  (28)  But if someone says to you, “This is from a sacrifice,” do not eat, because of the one who told you and because of conscience –  (29)  I do not mean yours but the other person’s. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience?  (30)  If I partake with thankfulness, why am I blamed for the food that I give thanks for?  (31)  So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

Unclean Meat

So in closing, we have the liberty to eat according to our conscience, yet this does not give us the right to offend others. It is okay to have personal covenants with God and refrain from certain foods to help increase our health. Yet we can never shame or forsake others who do not do the same as we do. In love all things should be explained and shared. In acceptance of each other’s personal liberty given to them by God, let us never pass judgment over foods and drinks. Lastly, God understands the necessity of the need to eat and to acquire foods for our own personal survival. It is easy to get a 1st world upturn nose towards many 3^rd world cultures and the foods they eat to just survive. Pass no judgment upon them for this. Nor think yourself better or more sophisticated than they. Our blessings in the west do not make us superior to our less fortunate brothers and sisters in Christ. We can very well place a stumbling block before them by insisting we save someone’s flesh while we neglect their soul. So in all things, let us do it as unto the Lord- with love seeking unity and appreciation for personal liberty and circumstances.

Unclean Meat

We Will Cover Cannibalism & Meat Sacrificed To Idols More In Our Next Study.

Unclean Meat

Unclean Meat

Unclean Meat