WELCOME TO FERN'S HOMESTEAD!
Peace be unto You!
BIBLICAL DIETARY LAWS
KASHRUTCHRISTIANS AND UNCLEAN FOODS
If there is one thing that stands out in my mind about ministering amongst Christians, it is the absolute disregard and in some cases real ignorance of God's standard in the matter of diet. I am amazed at how many teens, raised in the Christian Church all their lives, listening to sermons every Sunday have no idea that God has spoken in His word against the eating of certain foods. At almost every Christian function we attend, unless the people are involved at some level of Messianic Jewish ministry, pork is the number one item on the menu. Christian camps, Women's Aglow, and informal Christian fellowships usually serve food that God has declared unclean, and unfit for human consumption, especially for a Holy People. You would think that, at least in Israel, the situation would be a little different. But at a recent fellowship meeting of Russian believers, I noticed a dish of food that looked suspiciously like seafood salad. Trying to be discrete, I asked the hostess if this food was, indeed, what it appeared to be. Being decidedly non-discrete, this hostess hollered across the room to the woman who brought the salad, asking her if it contained shrimp and crab. 'Yes,' was her reply, 'Why?'. This stirred up a flurry of comments and questions. One woman took me aside in the kitchen and said, 'Well, what could be wrong with it? It's all from the sea, you know.' I tried to politely and gently point out that God has said something quite different about this seafood in His word. She was shocked. The hostess became quite alarmed at the controversy created, and one woman actually walked out in a rage. Such can be a reaction when people, even believers in Israel, are challenged with the idea that God's laws and commandments are still binding upon us today. The ever-present rebellious nature within us, that carnal mind which we often struggle with, does not appreciate any intrusions upon what it sees as its rightful 'freedom'. "the sinful (carnal) mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." (Romans 8:7)
CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART
We simply cannot submit willingly and without resentment to the laws and commandments of God unless firstly, we have experienced a supernatural circumcision of the heart. How is this accomplished? "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by the Messiah…" (Col. 2:11) Many Christians claim that they are 'spiritual Jews', the spiritual seed of Abraham. Paul implies this in his words to the Gentile Roman congregation. "A man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code." (Romans 2:29) Although the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants is the eighth day circumcision of the foreskin, which Yeshua experienced as well, the decision of the apostles after Yeshua's death and resurrection (although not unanimous) was that Gentiles are not required to become physically circumcised as a pre-condition of accepting Yeshua as Messiah and being brought into covenant with the God of Israel. A person can be physically circumcised and still uncircumcised in their hearts towards God. The Lord said to the men of Judah (who were certainly circumcised) through the prophet Jeremiah, "Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire…" (Jer. 4:4) How does one know if their heart has been circumcised? The tell tale sign is a clear movement towards keeping the laws, commandments, and statutes of God - in other words - obedience. Paul says that Gentiles who keep the law (Torah) will be declared righteous and show that the law has been written on their hearts. "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law … they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts…" (Romans 2:14)
THE LAW WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS
This is how we know that we have truly been grafted into the New Covenant through the blood of Yeshua - God's law (torah) is in our minds and written on our hearts. "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." (Jer. 31:31,33). Each of God's covenants carried with it a 'sign': with Noah and all of Mankind it is a rainbow, with Abraham and his descendants it is physical circumcision of the male foreskin, with Israel it is a seventh day Sabbath, and with all people under the New covenant, sealed in the blood of Yeshua, it is the law written on our hearts. What does it mean that we carry God's law in our hearts? We say this phrase so glibly, but one day, the Lord showed me with a word picture what this really means. Every weekday, my youngest son heads out the door for school, a heavy knapsack on his back, juice bottle in the side pocket and sandwich in the front. As he climbs the stairs, my heart , as usual, takes a little leap, knowing that I must trust the Lord to watch over him when he is out of my sight. I think of the Israeli schools as a kind of 'lion's den', and I always pray that God will preserve my little boy, still so young and tender, and send angels to close the mouths of the lions that may seek to devour him. I always remain outside to watch him mount the long flight of stone steps because I know that at some point, he is going to turn around, say, 'Bye Mom, I love you' and finally blow me a kiss before he disappears out of sight. I always reach out to scoop up his kiss and I pat my chest, blowing him a kiss in return, while he does the same, patting it firmly into his little chest. He and I both now know that our kisses are safely stowed away in our hearts and that we love one another. This, the Lord showed me, is what it means to keep His law in our hearts. It means that even though we cannot see this God, we remember Him and we love Him always. "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3) We don't obey God's commandments in order to win brownie points or to earn our salvation. This is a gift of God's grace, for none of us deserve it. But the way to express our love for God, to demonstrate our deep commitment and devotion to Him is by keeping His law in our hearts and walking in obedience to His commandments. Carrying his law in our hearts is an indication of our desire that His will, not ours, be done. "I desire to do your will, O my God' your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:8)
A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT
God's word contains many wonderful promises, but one of the greatest is the promise of a new heart and a new spirit. God pleads with Israel, through the prophet Ezekiel, to repent and live.
"Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, " says the Lord God. "Therefore turn and live!" (Ezekiel 18:30-32)
This new heart and new spirit is essential for spiritual life. In speaking to some of the Israeli people here, listening to them share what has gone wrong with this nation, most of them will admit that the problem is the condition of people's hearts. But God promises that after He judges Israel for their sins and casts them far off among the Gentile nations, he will one day gather them back again and give us the land of Israel. (Ezekiel 11:16-17) This day has come. Jewish people are now back in the land of Israel from all four corners of the earth; from every country to which they were scattered; where they were hunted and persecuted and cursed. But the physical restoration of the Jewish people to their land is not the greatest miracle of all. It is the coming spiritual restoration of the people to their God - a supernatural heart transplant - the exchange of a heart of flesh for the former heart of stone.
"Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God."
Then God warns about those who will not listen: "But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord." (Ezekiel 11:18-21)
An interesting parallel to this move of God's spirit is the rise of the 'Weigh Down Workshop', a spiritual program which deals with people and their food. Even food can be an idol, and can keep us in bondage. Christ did not set us free from the law, but from sin, which is lawlessness.
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" (Romans 6:14-15)
Most Christians carrying the deadly disease of law-phobia claim the second half of this verse, but ignore the first. The whole point of grace is that we are no longer in bondage to sin! Why did God lead His people out of Egypt? In order that they may worship Him and obey His commandments.
Too many people are hiking full speed ahead to the Promised Land while forgetting to make the necessary stop at Mt. Sinai.
SIGN OF THE SPIRIT - OBEDIENCE
What is the sign of the new heart and new spirit? It is, once again, that we will walk in God's statutes and keep His judgments - and do them! That means not just talk, but walk. Even James tells us that our faith without accompanying action is dead, useless, kaput! We all need this supernatural heart transplant, not just the Jewish people, just as we need to be filled with God's Spirit. What should be happening to us when we receive these two gifts of God? One thing I noticed when God removed my stony heart and gave me a heart of flesh was how easily I would cry. The other thing I noticed, was a desire to walk in the ways of God. Some people believe that the sign of the filling of the Spirit is speaking in tongues.
In fact, some believe that a person cannot possibly be filled with the Spirit of God unless they do speak in another, unknown spiritual language. But the word of God gives another sign of God's Spirit being in us - we will walk in God's law.
"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." (Ezekiel 36:27)
Speaking in tongues can be fabricated, but obedience cannot.
Why all this discussion about law, torah, obedience, circumcised hearts, and covenants, when this is supposed to be a booklet about kashrut? It is impossible to deal with the subject of God's dietary laws without a foundation first laid upon the rock. The issue of clean and unclean foods is irrelevant, except for its medical implications, if one still believes that God's laws and commandments are no longer for His people today.
FREEDOM FROM THE LAW
As a Jewish woman who has received Yeshua as my Messiah, the Lamb of God, sacrificed to make atonement for my sins, I am a minority within a minority. Therefore, I smile and take no offence as my Gentile Christian dinner companions eat their pork cutlets. I find myself rather uncomfortable, however, when they poke fun at my refusal to eat bacon and shrimp. The laughter is strained because my taking a stand in this issue challenges their whole boast of being 'free from the law' as a Christian, and if I have accepted Christ, why will I not also accept my freedom from the laws of God? Why do I continue to hold myself in bondage to the commandments and statutes of God that 'Christ died to set me free from? Have I been bewitched like the foolish Galatians, falling back 'under the law?' Do I not understand that Jesus declared all foods clean? Perhaps in their prayers, they occasionally offer up a request to God that He will one day set me free!
This liberty to eat whatever we please with no regard for God's Word is vehemently defended by most Christians. Eating foods God has declared unclean is considered almost a badge of honour, as if this establishes the superiority of Christianity over Judaism. Jews are still 'under the law', whereas Christians enjoy complete freedom in the matter of their diets. This attitude smacks of rebellion against God, originating in the Garden of Eden.
"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. 2:16)
God has set boundaries, but along comes the serpent who plants seeds of doubt, "Did God really say, 'you must not eat…?" (Gen.3:1)
Now the crafty tempter blatantly lies, "You will not surely die," (v.4).
This lie, that God does not expect His people, Jew or Gentile, in the Messiah, to obey His commandments is the biggest con the enemy has ever pulled on the Church. The sin resulting from believing the serpent's words rather than God's leads to completely unnecessary sickness and death amongst God's people.
'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…you have forgotten the law (instructions or Torah) of your God," (Hosea 4:6)
The Lord is the one who heals us, but his promise of divine healing is conditional upon our regard for His commandments.
"There He made a statute and a law for them. And there He tested them, and said, 'If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.'" (Exodus 15:25-26)
Many people like to claim the last portion of this verse, 'I am the Lord who heals you', with a blatant disregard for the big 'If ….'preceding it.
This issue has nothing to do with salvation; it is a matter of law. For example, this world operates according to the law of gravity. If someone jumped off a very tall building, according to the law of gravity, the rapid descent to the ground below would certainly bring injury and probably even death. This would occur even this person sincerely loved God and God loved him or her in return and did not desire their pain and death. When we break God's laws, we also risk serious injury and even death, even though Christ loves us so much that He died for us. There are times when God interfered with natural law in order to perform a miracle. He can and he does divinely heal, however, His will is that we live according to His instructions for abundant life contained in His Word, the Torah. We cannot count on or even expect the Lord to miraculously heal us when we have been defiling our bodies in direct disobedience to His command.
It is time to begin speaking the Truth to the Christian Church. Why? Because the time is short; the Lord is returning soon for a spotless Bride and she must mature sufficiently for the marriage to take place. One cannot marry a baby, or even a child. If the Spirit of God is saying anything to the Christian Church at this late point in time, it is the message to grow up! Some people say, we Christians have lived like this for almost two thousand years and it has always been good enough - a simple faith - 'I'm covered by the blood of Jesus' period, end of story. As parents, we don't expect much of infants or toddlers. We tolerate an awful lot of mess and bratty behaviour. As children grow, however, we expect more of them in terms of responsibility and obedience. By the time they reach adulthood, we hope that they will have internalised our moral laws and codes of behaviour so that external discipline is no longer necessary.
Under the New Covenant, the laws of God are to be internalised within us. This new covenant was originally made only with the house of Judah and the house of Israel, (Jer. 31:31) but was it limited to the Jewish people?
'Is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law." (Romans 3:29-31)
NEW COVENANT - SEALED IN BLOOD
How were non-Israelites brought into the New Covenant? Through faith in the blood of Yeshua the Messiah, poured out for us, all may find salvation. Yeshua stood at the Passover Seder, held up the third cup of wine, the cup of redemption and declared,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:20)
Through the blood of the Messiah, Gentiles, who were once separated from the covenant with God have been brought near and can also be called His chosen.
FELLOW CITIZENS
"remember that at that time you were separate from Messiah, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Messiah." (Ephesians 2:12-13)
I cannot imagine a country granting citizenship to a foreigner without expecting them to follow the laws of the land. God specifically states that He expects one standard both for the native born Israelite and for the alien who joins them.
ONE STANDARD
"The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the Lord; The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.'" (Numbers 15:15-16)
When God repeats himself three times in a row, I think we can assume He is serious about this point. Who are the aliens living among the Jewish people? No, they are not people from outer space as my five-year old son thinks. Paul speaks of the process in which God, contrary to nature grafted Gentiles into the vine.
"If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you." (Romans 11:17)
It is essential that Gentile Christians understand who they are in the Messiah - part of the commonwealth of Israel, not a replacement. God desires a new creation - one new man- neither Jew nor Gentile, but People of the God of Abraham who walk in obedience to His word by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
ONE NEW MAN
God does not want two separate groups of covenant people, Jews and Gentiles, with two separate standards. One eats only biblically permissible foods, the other eats anything; one celebrates the feasts of the Lord, the other celebrates festivals with pagan origins. One group rests on the seventh day Sabbath and keeps the Sabbath day holy; the other worships the Lord on the day pagans worshipped their sun-god, on Sun-day. How can these two groups walk together in any semblance of unity? My husband and I come from very different backgrounds. He grew up in a Catholic family in communist Poland. I grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Canada. The only way we walk together in unity is that we have both agreed to live according to the Torah - the word of God. As far as I can see, both groups of people, both the native Israelite and the alien among them need to return to God's ways, forsaking what seems right in their own eyes. Sometimes, our greatest enemy is a system of man-made traditions that may even nullify the Word of God.
TRADITION - CHRISTIANITY & JUDAISM
Yeshua called the Pharisees and teachers of the law hypocrites because they criticized him and His followers for not following the 'traditions of the elders' in the matter of the ritual washing of hands before meals. He replied,
"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "These people honor Me with their lips, But their hearts are far from Me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." (Mark 7:6-7)
It should be pointed out that Rabbinical 'kashrut' (dietary law) is quite different than Biblical. Rabbinical Judaism has interpreted and expanded upon the verse, "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." (Deut. 14:21), into a huge conglomeration of rules and regulations around this half of a scripture. Some believe that this verse is a prohibition against a practice common among pagans of the time and associated with idol worship. Others believe that it refers to God's love and concern for animals and our requirement to treat all God's creatures humanely and with kindness. We, therefore, would not slaughter a goat's kid while she is still nursing the young one, and then cook it in her own milk.
According to Rabbinical Judaism, however, the interpretation of this scripture is that we must not eat meat and dairy foods together at the same meal. We must wait a minimum of a certain number of hours (6 after dairy and 8 after meat) before eating the other food, in order that they do not even mix in our digestive systems. We must maintain a separate set of dishes, pots and pans, cutlery, dish rags and towels, drain racks and cutting boards for meat and one for dairy, and woe to the one unfamiliar with this system, that happens to mix one with the other! This kitchen article must then be cleansed from 'defilement' by sterilizing in boiling water, or even burying in dirt. Another completely separate set of dishes, pots and pans and cutlery must also be kept especially for Passover, and the whole kitchen must be converted to 'Kosher for Passover'.
This just does not line up with scripture. In Genesis, chapter 18, we see clearly that the Lord and Abraham ate meat and milk together. Now if it's good enough for the Lord, I'm sure it's o.k. for us too. But we can create a man-made religion of our own rules, which we teach as doctrine, even though they blatantly contradict scripture.
Perhaps you can see why I developed an 'attitude' towards what I knew of Judaism as I grew old enough to think for myself and recognized the 'mishugas' (craziness) of this man-made system. What I also noticed as I grew older, was that people seemed to pick and choose which of these hundreds of laws they would keep and which they would not, depending on the level of inconvenience. For example, one Jewish family may keep a completely 'kosher' kitchen at this rabbinical level, but then eat non-kosher meat, or even shellfish when they go out to a restaurant, but never pork. It simply did not make sense to me and I 'threw out the baby with the bath water', totally rebelling against religion and family because of the hypocrisy that I saw and associated with God. Thankfully, in His mercy, He saved me out of my rebellion, and showed me how to have a relationship with Him through the Messiah, Yeshua, and a reliance on the common sense commandments of the Bible - the written word of God.
People are quick to point their fingers at the Orthodox Jews' adherence to an intricate set of man-made rules derived from the 'Oral law'. But Christians have their own set of traditions. Yeshua could also be speaking to them when he says, "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men…You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your traditions." (Mark 7:8-9)
Christians may also be guilty of picking and choosing out of a menu of God's commandments. Many profane God's Sabbaths each week, one of the Ten Commandments, defile themselves with unclean foods that God has forbidden, and fail to observe the Feasts of the Lord - God's appointed times. At the same point, they hold up as holy their non-Biblical traditions of prohibiting dancing, playing cards, or drinking wine, and their celebration of non-biblical festivals such as Christmas and Easter.
DID GOD CHANGE HIS MIND?
The Proverbs are full of wisdom; we are to seek wisdom and understanding at all cost. "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding…" (Prov. 4:5-7)
What is wisdom and understanding and how do we find them? By following God's instructions (Torah). "Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land…do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you…Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."(Deut. 4:1-6).
If want to start being wise and understanding, thereby gaining the respect of the people around us, as well as life and health (v.22) for ourselves, we must bring our lives into line with the Word of God.
Some sincere Christians believe that the Word of God tells them all food is now clean, and that Gentiles are not required to keep the Biblical dietary laws. Has God changed His mind? Did our digestive systems change when Christ died for us? Do Gentiles have different digestive systems than Jews? Let's examine both Old Testament and New Testament scriptures to see where the confusion and deception has entered the Church. The God of Israel must be the same God as the God of the Christian Church or many people are in serious trouble!
"For I am the Lord, I do not change." (Malachi 3:6)
CLEAN AND UNCLEAN
What did God command His people regarding food? "Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud…Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales…" (Leviticus 11:1,9)
Those the Lord declared off limits are to be detestable to us. "Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and by holy, because I am holy….therefore by holy, because I am holy…You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten." (vv. 43-46)
God is pleading with His people to mature and to walk in holiness. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)
Holiness is a serious issue.
"Without holiness no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)
Because the Lord has chosen us, we are to obey Him in the matter of our diet. "for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession. Do not eat any detestable thing." (Deut. 14:2-3)
In fact, that which is already found dead (road kill) may be sold to a foreigner or given to an alien, but is not fit for consumption by a holy people. (v. 21). Remember that we are not discussing Rabbinical Laws of Kashrut, that of not mixing meat and milk, and others which are extra-Biblical, but the very words of God Himself. As Elmer Josephson says in his book, God's Key to Health and Happiness,
"We are supposed to be an enlightened, Bible-believing, God-fearing nation and yet we reject the truths of the Book that we claim to believe." (p. 62)
Why then would God create these animals if not for our enjoyment? They were created as scavengers; animals that clean up anything left dead and putrefying. Swine and other scavengers eat up all the filth and putrid matter, keeping disease germs from spreading all over the earth, but scavengers were never created for human consumption. The 'tastiest' shrimp came from the mouth of the Yangtze river in China until people realized that they were 'tasty' because that's where the dead bodies thrown in to the river ended up (yuck!)
People who would never dream of defiling their 'Holy Temples 'with cigarettes or hard liquor, routinely defile their bodies with poisonous unclean foods. Leading medical authorities now warn us that the flesh of swine is one of the most dangerous foods to ingest. In a recent study among 300 Jews, those who adhered strictly to the Biblical dietary laws had absolutely no evidence of cancer.
HOLY SPEED BUMPS
King David determined to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to the capital city of Jerusalem from the town where the Philistine conquerors had taken it. But for all their joyful praise and worship and dancing that accompanied the procession, they obviously did not transport the ark of God in the prescribed manner. When the oxen stumbled, the unfortunate Uzzah put his hand out to steady the ark. "And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased." (2 Samuel 6:6-7)
David's intentions were noble; He wanted to see the glory and presence of God returned to its rightful place in Jerusalem. But they tried to handle the holiness of God with human hands. God will allow us to do things in our own, fleshly ways only so long. And then we hit the 'bump in the road'. We come to a point where we must seriously ask ourselves if we are walking in God's ways of holiness, or according to our own understanding.
Is the Church, jumping and vibrating with musical instruments, singing, and dancing, as did David's happy little procession, headed for the threshing floor of Nachon? God stopped David and the gang in their tracks. It took them three months to repent and recover from Uzzah's death in order to accept that they needed to change their way of doing things to conform to God's ways. God is doing a real shaking, it seems, and we must ask if we are willing to pay the price, to change the ways that seem right in our own eyes in order to live according to His standards of holiness.
DID GOD REALLY SAY……..?
Isn't it interesting that the first thing God deals with in the area of holiness is food! Perhaps that is because God doesn't want us to be 'once a week' holy people when we meet together in congregations, but to be holy, set apart, sanctified people every day and every time of the day. That means that whenever we feel the urge to eat (which is often with some of us…) we must choose to either accept God's way or our own. In Leviticus chapter 11, God outlines which of the living things we may eat as food and which we may not eat. It's not surprising that we have the majority of the people of God rebelling against God's commandments in this area. It seems to be the ancient sin of Adam and Eve (chavah) that lingers upon God's people - their succumbing to the voice of the tempter who hisses, "Did God really say you couldn't eat _________?" Many of God's people have bought this lie, hook and sinker, which states that God has changed His mind about His commandments and now all foods are clean. The other lie that Believers buy into is that these commandments are just for the Jews, and that Jewish Believers should not try to make Gentiles live by these 'Jewish laws'.
At the risk of being labeled a 'Judaizer', then, I would like to challenge these lies. These laws are not 'Jewish laws' but God's laws. If one chooses to disobey them, then one must be honest and not claim to live in obedience to God's commandments. To believe that, because God first gave these commandments to the nation of Israel, that they are not valid for the non-Jewish disciple of Yeshua simply does not make sense. Because God gave the Ten Commandments first to Israel; He first gave them the whole Torah, a place in covenant with Him through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and in fact, the Messiah. Yeshua said He came only for the lost sheep of Israel.
NO SUB-STANDARDS
One Law, One Torah
Does this mean that those not born of Israelite birth (and even this is debatable) are excluded from a place in the Covenants of promise, excluded from salvation through a Jewish Messiah? Of course not, we would think this ridiculous. God has opened the way for anyone of any race, tongue, and tribe to be brought near to Him through the blood of Yeshua. They become citizens in the greater commonwealth of Israel and full-fledged co-members of the family of God. (Eph. 2:11-21) And so why would we exclude non-Jewish Believers from also enjoying the benefits of keeping God's commandments as outlined in the Torah? I find this suggestion that God's Torah is only for the Jews, but that so-called Gentiles are not required to keep God's commandments, but allowed to live at some 'sub-standard level' an offensive attitude. God does not play favorites (Acts 10:34) There is not a sub-standard level of holiness for non-Jewish Believers, but one law, one Torah, one standard for all of God's people. (Numbers 15:15). The dividing wall of partition is to have been destroyed between Jews and Gentiles in the Messiah. We are to live and fellowship together in unity. But how is this possible if one group continues to live in rebellion towards something so basic as one's daily diet? What should we do when it comes to the food fellowship after services? Have one table of food with a sign reading, 'Kosher' (clean), and the other with a sign reading, 'Treif' (unclean)?
How can two walk together unless agreed?
KASHER - I SWEAR ALLEGIANCE
In Hebrew, the word kasher contains a root meaning to tie, bind, or form a knot. Holding fast to God's dietary laws forms a strong bond or allegiance to Him that comes out of this daily devotion, especially when it means facing the ridicule of our peers. Many Christians, I find, like to joke about this subject. I believe it comes out of an inner, uncomfortable sense of guilt, which the conscience bears against them for their refusal to walk in God's laws in this regard.
But the Maccabees martyrs of ancient Israel (see Chanukah book) not only endured ridicule and shame but actually gave their lives rather than eat one piece of meat that God had declared forbidden. Many Jewish people, under the rule of Antiochus Ephiphanes, were forced to eat unclean food or face death. Chapter 1:62-63 states, "Yet there were many in Israel who stood firm and found the courage to refuse unclean food. They chose death rather than contamination by such fare or profanation of the holy covenant, and they were executed."
JUST ONE BITE - PLEASE!
The story is told in the second book of Maccabees in chapter 6 of a Torah teacher named Eleazar who continued to spit out the morsel of pork his tormentors tried to force him to eat. Fearing for his life, those around him tried to convince him to just pretend to eat it in order to spare his life, but he refused, not wanting to give others who might follow the example of this respected sage, the wrong impression that it was acceptable to eat pork . "This was how he died, leaving his death as an example of nobility and a record of virtue not only for the young but for the greater part of the nation." (II Maccabees 6:31) (Bikurei Tziyon, Issue 69, Vaykra/Leviticus, 5761 (2001)
Some might find it difficult to understand why one morsel of pork would be worth the sacrifice of one's life. It was not the pork itself, but what it stood for. The rejection of God's dietary laws stood equivalent to apostasy. Their tormentors knew that if they could force the Jews to eat one bite of pork, they had symbolically surrendered to the kingdom of darkness and broken their allegiance to their God. I find it utterly amazing how many Christians will defend, it seems, to the death, their belief that the drinking of wine is forbidden in scripture. They find verses that warn against overindulgence in wine or alcoholic drink and use these to justify their condemnation of everyone who drinks 'real wine' in their kiddush cup. 'Jesus' did not change water into grape juice! Those in misery or mourning are encouraged to drink a little to forget their grief. (Prov. 31:6) At one time of the year, the people are instructed to sell off a portion of what God had blessed them with and buy whatever their hearts desire - including wine or similar drink - and rejoice before the Lord. (Deut. 14:26)! Shocked? I hope this does not result in a run on the liquor stores. I realize that there are some people who have a problem with alcohol and should never drink even a little. I am not trying to indicate that it is a virtue to drink alcohol, only to point out that the Bible does not forbid it, except in excess.
LOVE WHAT HE LOVES…HATE WHAT HE HATES
And so I cannot comprehend those who so strongly oppose that which the Bible does not prohibit and yet feel no remorse or guilt whatsoever at flagrantly breaking what the Bible actually does forbid. I remember vividly one woman's meeting at which I was invited to share. The worship before the lunch was beautiful and one song in particular touched my heart. The word went something like, "Help me, Lord, to love the things that you love and hate the things that you hate…" Immediately thereafter, then went in and filled their plates with food that God has declared is detestable! Are you starting to understand why all this emphasis on food? It's not because I, as a Jew, am obsessed with the subject (although I sometimes wonder…) But it is a symptom of a greater problem in the Body of Messiah, just as a headache may indicate a more serious problem with high blood pressure. So, too, may the Church's refusal to walk in God's commandments with regards to dietary laws be a symptom of a rebellion far more deadly than the food itself.
CHALLENGING THE LIES
Many Christians today would consider that these Maccabees, Eleazar, and others like him, died in vain - or at least that today, they would not have had to die since the laws have changed with regards to food. I would like to examine a few of the major objections to keeping Biblical Kashrut from the New Testament, which are sometimes used as justification for the pork roasts and ham sandwiches eaten at church functions.
Lie #1. God changed His mind
Truth: "For I am YHVH, I do not change…"(Malachi 3:6)
Lie #2. Jesus (Yeshua) did away with all that 'Old Testament law'
Truth: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:17-19)
Lie #3. Paul (Sha'ul) abolished the Torah (law)
Truth: "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all." (Acts 25:8)
New Testament Objections
1. Ritual handwashing: (Matthew 15:11, 17-18) These verses are written in the context of a conflict between Yeshua and the religious leaders over the ritual washing of hands before eating. The issue of what is and is not considered food is not discussed, for the Torah has already made this clear. Yeshua was centering his comments on whether or not eating with unwashed hands made the food unclean. Of course we know it is better to wash one's hands before eating, but Yeshua's arguments, I believe, were with their religious nitpicking with regards to the 'oral law' - that is, traditions they taught as doctrines which were man made, not divine rules, and not written in the Torah. There is nothing in Torah which commands us to wash our hands before we eat. This is what Yeshua was challenging. The phrase, "Thus He declared all foods clean" (Mark 7:19) did not appear in earliest manuscripts. It is not in the King James' Version and was probably a later scribal addition.
2. Peter's Vision: (Acts 10)
The fact that most Christians bring up Peter's Vision as justification for their eating pork and shellfish astounds me, since scriptures so clearly state the meaning of this vision as about Gentiles, and not food.
Peter had fallen into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet, holding all kinds of animals, birds, and creeping things, descended to the earth. A voice spoke to Peter saying, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter refused. Why? Because he knew God's prohibition against eating these foods and Yeshua had not taught him otherwise. If Yeshua really had taught that all foods are now clean, why would Peter have been so flabbergasted by the vision? Why would he still be keeping kosher, years after Yeshua's death, if his rabbi, teacher and Lord had told him "It's O.K. Peter, go ahead and eat treif (unclean) meats now." Instead, his reaction was definite surprise for he had "never eaten anything common or unclean". (Acts 10:14) Wouldn't you be surprised if you had a vision of a sheet descending from heaven with naked people fornicating and a voice said, "_(YOUR NAME)___, rise up and commit adultery." Would you really think this was a voice from heaven or from the devil? God's voice would not tell us to sin against His commandments.
But when Peter pondered the vision, the Spirit of God told Peter to go with three men to the house of a Gentile. Peter's first reaction would have been to decline the invitation, since at that time, it was unlawful for a Jewish man to intermingle with people of the nations. Remember, Israel was set apart as a holy nation, holy, sanctified for God's service amidst a sea of pagan, heathen nations. But Peter understood through the revelation of the Holy Spirit that "God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." (Acts 10:28) It was definitely hard for the Jews to believe, but the reproach of Egypt had been rolled away from the Gentiles who had been circumcised in their hearts, not by human hands but by the hand of the Messiah. (Coll 2:11)
The Jerusalem Council: (Acts 15)
This is another thorny issue, a sand trap that many fall into when read at a quick glance. Some use the decision of the Jerusalem council to say, "See, we don't have to keep all those 'Jewish laws'. You've already heard my view about calling God's commandments 'Jewish laws' in order to exclude oneself as a non-Jewish Believer. What was this council and their decision? The disciples met to discuss an issue that was threatening to divide the body. Certain of the believers taught that Gentiles must be circumcised according to the law of Moses in order to be saved. In other words, they were trying to convince Gentiles that unless they formally convert to Judaism, according to the laws and customs of the Jews, they cannot find a place in the New Covenant which God promised to Judah and Israel (Jer. 31:31) There was quite a dispute about this issue. Peter stood up in the midst of the arguing and rebuked them for trying to put a yoke on their necks that even they or their fathers could not bear. Now obviously, Peter is not referring to the Torah, since the commandments of God are not burdensome, but give us liberty and are our delight. (1John 5:3; Psalm 119:47) What, therefore, is he referring to? It is most likely the oral law or traditions, which are codified in the Talmud, and which observant Jews consider of equal or even greater authority than the written Torah. The disciples come to a judgment that there are four things that Gentiles must first keep when they are turning from paganism to God. These are: "to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood." (Acts 15:20) Even by this scanty list, many Gentile Believers sin every time they eat a rare steak!
But why these four items mentioned? Are these the only things that non-Jews need to keep in order to be holy people? I have heard some Jewish Believers actually express this view. So does this mean that if one is not Jewish by birth, then they can go out and murder their neighbor or curse their mother and father and still be considered holy in God's sight? Of course this is ridiculous. These four items were simply a starting point in their walk with God. Notice the next verse: "For Moses has had throughout many generation those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." (v. 21) What is this saying? It indicates that these new baby Believers were expected to be discipled in the Torah by listening to the Torah being preached in the synagogues each Sabbath. It was assumed that they would grow and mature in their new lives of Godliness and holiness. It is a lifetime study and a process that we are all engaged in, but we have to start somewhere, and we can't be expected to learn it all at once, either. Today, most synagogues, unfortunately, no longer preach the Torah much, but many are now teaching the Torah with a Messianic Hebraic perspective and many study programs are now available for the Believer not familiar with the Torah. Also, we need to always remember that the Word of God along with the Holy Spirit is the best teacher of all. We will never be perfect in this lifetime, but as long as we are walking in the direction of Torah obedience, and not remaining stuck in stubborn rebellion to God's commandments, we can rest assured we're on the right track. With our cooperation, He will complete the good work He has started in us.
Abstaining From Certain Foods:
1Timothy 4:1-5 - This states that "every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." There, we have our answer - all creatures which are sanctified by the Word of God. Now how can something God has declared in His Word as unclean and detestable be at the same time 'sanctified'. If a creature is not sanctified by the Word of God, then it cannot even be considered as food. According to Leviticus 11 and Deuternomy 14, unclean food cannot be sanctified by the word of God (the Tanach). God declares that by eating these things, we become defiled - we lose our sanctification. Unclean animals were at this time, not even considered as food by the Believing community. To state that anything which is prayed over with thanksgiving is beneficial for us is ridiculous. If we pray over rat poison and offer thanksgiving for it, will it not still harm our bodies? Food cannot be sanctified by prayer alone, but by prayer and the Word of God. Snakes, worms, spiders, and humans are also creatures that God created. But I don't many would propose that they should be eaten, no matter how much we pray over them!
EATING WHAT IS PUT BEFORE YOU
(Luke 10:8)
eat such things as are set before you."
Some would interpret this to mean that we should eat whatever is set before us, whether clean or unclean, no questions asked. Is this the proper interpretation? Yeshua and His disciples observed Torah; they did not break the commandments of God, nor would they have taught others that they should do so (at the risk of being called the least in the kingdom). Therefore it is illogical to think that the scriptures here are instructing the people to disregard God's dietary laws and eat anything set before them. I believe the assumption here is that they would be staying with other believers, who would also be keeping the commandments. They need not worry about being offered unclean foods, but were being admonished not to be picky or fussy about the quality of food offered, but just eat it and be grateful! It is a sad state of affairs that Believers today (Jews as well as non-Jews) have come to be so indifferent about God's commandments in this area of diet, that one can never be sure what will be served at a fellowship meal. Bacon and eggs was served at one breakfast prayer meeting where we were invited to share about Israel. At a luncheon during Passover, all that was served were buns with yeast and ham. This shows a complete lack of sensitivity and sensibility towards Jews, God, and our responsibility to keep His commandments.
Romans 14:14, "Nothing is unclean…"
According to the traditional interpretation of this verse, we should have eaten all this unclean food our Gentile brothers set out before us and broken God's commandments. But who are we to obey? God or man? Paul was an observant Jew; he declared that he had not transgressed the law of Moses. He never advocated lawlessness, only that the law is not the means to salvation. The issue in these verses discusses food offered to idols, and whether the fact that the food had been offered to an idol rendered it unclean. I am quite certain that Paul would not have considered a rat, a pig, or a worm as food. These 'unclean' foods were not even considered edible. A comparable verse is in 1 Cor 8:4-6: a weaker brother may fear being defiled by a demon spirit by eating meat offered to idols. They therefore, to avoid this risk became vegetarians. Therefore Paul is instructing them not to eat these meats offered to idols if it would grieve or offend a brother or cause them to stumble. Food can cause a brother to stumble. I've seen it happen. We brought a new Believer to a Christian summer camp where he asked to be baptized. He was excited and enthusiastic about his new faith. For meals, however, he noticed the menu was consistently pork. "Why", he asked, "do they eat foods that God has forbidden in the Bible?" This brother came to the conclusion that these people's faith is not sincere, since they don't follow the book they claim to follow or the rules of the God they claim to obey. We could never make meaningful contact with this brother again.
1 Cor 10:23 says that 'all things are lawful…but not all helpful' Is Paul saying that now, because of Jesus, it's lawful to steal or murder? God forbid. Neither is he saying that eating unclean food is now lawful; he is again dealing with the issue of eating meat offered to idols. It is permissible by law, but out of concern for the well-being of a brother, we should consider abstaining. So, people of God, next time you're out to dinner, no need to ask if your kosher meat was offered up to an idol. Just go ahead and enjoy - well done, please.
I AM YHVH YOUR HEALER
It is, indeed, a sad state of affairs when we feel we must apologize for keeping God's commandments amongst our brothers and sisters in the faith. At another women's meeting, in which I shared about the Jewish roots of the Christian Faith, several women came up for prayer. One woman approached me, full of anger and frustration since she had been sick for so long and was not 'receiving her healing'. I felt the Lord speak to me that her sickness is because of eating unclean meats. But I was reluctant, due to my inexperience and lack of confidence, to share this directly with her. And so, I beat around the bush for a bit, and beat, and beat some more. Finally, a light came on in her eyes and she shouted, "Are you trying to tell me that I'm sick because I ate unclean meat?!"
"Yes," I admitted, "that is exactly what I'm trying to tell you."
"I knew it, I knew it!!" this woman started to jump and shout.
She then shared that the Lord had begun convicting her of this very thing, but when they tried to talk about it with her fellow Christians, they accused her of being 'religious' (the ultimate Christian sin, it seems). In order to prove that she was not 'religious', she purposefully ate a large portion of ham for Easter and had been sick ever since. I prayed with her and she repented for her disobedience, and I am hoping that she is now a healthy woman.
Jews who kept the dietary laws did not fall in such numbers to the plagues of the Middle Ages. Because of this, they were blamed for the plagues and accused of 'poisoning the wells', but the real reason for their good health while the rest of Europe suffered was because they obeyed God's laws of kashrut and abstained from eating unclean foods.
BE YE HOLY AS I AM HOLY
The main purpose of the dietary laws, however, are not for hygienic or health reasons, but to set us apart as a holy people. "For I am the Lord your God sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy…" (Lev. 11:44) God identifies Himself as the God who brought us out of Egypt and reminds us that His purpose in this deliverance was in order that we could serve Him. Not everyone who follows the God of Israel can trace his or her roots back to this nation that came out of Egypt. (Actually probably none of us could possibly prove our heritage) but all who are in Yeshua have been set free from slavery to satan and the kingdom of darkness. Why? Is it in order that we are free from God's commandments? Of course not. We have been set free from sin (breaking the law) in order to become slaves of righteousness. "And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteouness."(Romans 6:18)
LIVING AS COHANIM (PRIESTS)
Some may object that we have been made holy (kadosh), sanctified and set apart by the blood of Yeshua. This is true, but how do we live out this state in a practical sense? It is by following the Torah, which is our divine guidebook or instruction manual for happy, successful human living. Although the sacrifice of Yeshua has done away with the need for animal sacrifices, He did not abolish the Torah. The nation of Israel was given the Torah and instructed on how to live as a holy nation. Now, those who were once far away, those not of Israelite heritage, are also a chosen nation, a royal priesthood.
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1Peter 3:9)
TEACHING THE DIFFERENCE
One of the main functions of the cohanim was to teach the people of God the difference between clean and unclean, holy and common. "that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statues which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses." (Lev. 10:10-11) If we, who are to be ministers of the Lord, cannot act as an example to the people of distinguishing between clean and unclean, holy and unholy, how can we possibly expect to teach holy living to others?? God gave a dire warning to the priests of old who failed him in this duty. "Her priests have violated My torah (law)and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." (Ezekiel 22:26) May we regain a sense of our responsibility to live as holy people according the Word and Spirit of God, for teachers will be judged more strictly than others, since it is by our errors that we cause others to fall.
Peter warns these Believers who once were 'not a people' (Loh ami), but are now a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, to keep their conduct honorable among the Gentiles by abstaining from fleshly lusts which war against your soul. (1Pet. 3:11-12) Yes, he may be speaking of sexual conduct, but fleshly lusts may also refer to our appetite for food. Jewish people believe that a spirit of impurity enters one who eats unclean foods. It is a real stumbling block to the Jews to see Christians disobeying the clear written Word of God in how they eat. I believe it causes them to consider that the God of the Christians could not possibly be the same God they follow, since the two obviously have different rules. God Himself warns us not to become defiled by these unclean creatures out of unholy cravings.
DEADLY DESIRES
We can see an example in the Bible of what happens to people who allow their appetites to transgress beyond what God has ordained. In Numbers 11, we can read about the Israelites lusting for food. They were no longer satisfied with the manna that God had graciously provided. Instead, they yielded to "an intense craving" (Num. 11;14). They remembered the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic of Egypt, and they wept profusely over being stuck with the despised manna. The anger of the Lord was greatly aroused over the people. He gave them what they cried for, until it 'came out of their nostrils', "But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people ,and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague." (Num. 11:33)
It doesn't matter whether the lusts of our flesh are for sex, food, or any other thing, we cannot allow them to control us, or to drag us beyond the boundaries that God has set for us in His word. God has given us ample food from which we may freely eat. But the serpent tempts us to eat that which God has forbidden. We must, instead, walk in the way of the great father of faith, Daniel, who resolved, even under great pressure, "not to defile himself" with unclean food. (Daniel 1:8)
A WARNING
God's warning is severe with regards to end times judgment. The consequences of our rebellion against these laws may be more serious than we consider them.
HOLIER THAN THOU
"All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good…who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat; who say, 'Keep away; don't come near me, for I am holier than you.' Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day." (Isa. 65:2-5) Unfortunately, there are plenty of 'holier than thou' people, who would never touch a drop of wine, never play cards and oye vey - never ever dance! But they think nothing of eating the flesh of swine and other unclean meats and seafoods and they may be a stench in the nostrils of God. We must start to face the stark truth about ourselves - to see ourselves in the light of God's Word, not according to our own understanding.
"See the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the Lord will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the Lord. Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things - they will meet their end together." declares the Lord." (Isa. 66:15-18)
EXPRESSION OF LOVE - OBEDIENCE
We are not 'saved' by keeping the Torah, including the laws of kashrut. Someone once said,
"Eating pork will not keep you out of heaven; it might even get you there faster!"
But it is an expression of our love for God that we desire to keep His commandments.
"For this is the love of God ; that we keep His commandments." (1 John 5:3) Notice that the only ones that the devil is enraged against are those who, not only hold to the testimony of Yeshua, but also keep the commandments of God. (Rev. 12:17) And at the end of the entire book, in the last chapter of Revelation, we are told that those who do His commandments are blessed and these have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. (Rev. 22:14) But left outside are those who love and practice a lie. (v. 15). We must, in these last days, sort out truth from lies. We must not hang onto lies that we have believed out of tradition, or by listening to others rather than studying the Word ourselves.
CRUCIFYING THE FLESH
We are left with one sticky and persistent hindrance to following these commands about kashrut - the flesh. For many of us, the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is sadly weak. Only the Spirit of God can give us the strength to overcome fleshly tempations. I would like to share one final testimony. A couple that I met while teaching classes on the Jewish roots of Christianity became quite enthused about all they were discovering - that is - until they reached this point about kashrut. You see, they both loved shellfish - shrimp, specifically. They tried to abstain from their tasty shrimp, but one day they gave in to temptation, and because their freezer was full of shrimp, they decided to cook the lot according to their favorite recipe. It sat, steaming, in a bowl on the table, and both husband and wife sat staring at it for some time. Finally, they looked at one another and knew - they could not eat that shrimp. For the Spirit of God had transformed their desires to conform with the written word of God, so that this unclean and forbidden food had become detestable to them. They simply could not take a single bite!
In my rebellious days, I confess that I used to eat pounds of bacon over at my Gentile boyfriend's house - on shabbat yet! Can a Jewish girl get more rebellious than that? But when the Lord saved me and revealed His word to me, the Spirit of God began to compel me to keep His commandments, as is His promise. (Ezekiel 36:27). But we must progress beyond the mechanical keeping of His written word and also walk in specific obedience to the voice of His Spirit in matters not written. I began to discern that I was not to drink coffee any more. Now I am not a coffee addict - I don't drink gallons of it every day, but at times, I enjoy a cup of coffee. Still, each time, I heard the Spirit of
God speaking to me that I was not to take this into my body. I struggled and struggled with this, promising to give it up, and then succumbing to temptation over and over again. I would argue with God, telling him that surely one little cup of coffee isn't going to hurt. And then I would point out that almost everyone drinks coffee. And then I'd feel sorry for myself, living in this tough, stressful city of Jerusalem, having given up most North American comforts that I was used to - and now you're asking me to give up this one last, little fleshly pleasure?! Perhaps it's not coffee, but for each one of us, there may be something that we are hanging onto that we know is not pleasing to the Lord, especially in the area of our diets. This is causing defilement and preventing us from walking in the holiness that we desire and that is God's will for our lives. Finally, the Lord spoke to me through another line in Tommy Tenny's book, God Chasers:
"I have an aunt who 'gave up drinking Coke' when she was seeking the presence of God in her life. She really enjoyed drinking Coca-Cola, but she prayed, "God, if You will visit me, I'll never drink another one." God took her at her word. I used to laugh about it as a kid and tease her as I waved a Coke in front of her. "Here, you want a Coke?" She would just laugh and say, "No, I don't want a Coke." Even then that laugh of hers always left me feeling like she knew something I didn't."
"Now,…I can say, "I understand now, Auntie, I understand." Nothing is worth holding on to so hard that you can't hold Him." (p. 98-99)
I have a question to ask you. What are you holding onto that you need to let go of?
I hope and pray that God's powerful anointing will break any unholy bondages in the area of our appetites, and that we will walk in greater liberty for His glory!
May the Word of God and His Spirit continue to lead and guide us in Truth, teaching us how to live holy as He is holy. May we truly become God's segulah, his special treasure, a kingdom of cohanim (priests) , a holy nation, called out of darkness into His marvelous light. In Yeshua's name. Amen.
Scripture quotations are taken from
Life Application Bible,
New International Version, or
Hebrew-English Bible,
New King James Version
Note: This article was written by Hannah Rychlik and published by D'var Emet (Word of Truth) in Jerusalem.
"For the Torah shall go forth out of Zion and the Word of YHVH from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3)
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"I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you." (Gen. 12:3)
RECOMMENDED READING:
God's Key to Health and Happiness,
by Elmer A., Josephson, Bible Light Publications
"I Was a Pork Eating Christian" by Daniel Botkin, Gates of Eden, PO Box 2257 East Peoria, IL 61611-0257
The Word on Health: A Biblical and Medical Overview
of How to Care for Your Body and Mind
, by Michael Jacobson
The Genesis Diet
, by Godon S. Tessler, PhD.
What Would Jesus Eat? The Ultimate Program for Eating Well, Feeling Great, and Living Longer
, by Don M.D. Colbert
What the Bible Says About Healthy Living: Three Biblical Principles That Will Change Your Diet and Improve Your Health
,by Rex Russell
Page Created March 27th, 2003
