Deuteronomy: Healthy Eating Habits
The book of Deuteronomy is one of those books that most of us overlook. It’s filled with a bunch of do’s and don’ts that really doesn’t seem to apply to most of us. It is a book inspired by God and written by Moses as a guideline for Godly living. But, is it for us as Christians?
The Jews include this book as part of their Torah. The Torah consists of the first five books of the Old Testament. This is what they go by and they use it in their daily living. So, is Deuteronomy just for the Jewish community? Or should we, as Christians, apply it to our lives, too? It’s in the Bible for a reason. I’ll let you decide.
(Read Deuteronomy Chapter 14)
This chapter contains a list of foods that was commanded of God to eat and not to eat. It was intended for the new Israelites that Moses led from Egypt to the promise land. As with all commands, if you didn’t apply it and do it, there was a consequence.
Proper eating habits should be a concern for all of us. If we eat the wrong foods, our health could be at risk. Ask any doctor! Many patients that have heart attacks or high blood pressure have something in common: a poor diet.
What if Deuteronomy Chapter 14 was also a food menu for healthy living? We could apply it to our lives and live better. Take a look at it and let me know what you think:
Meat You Can Eat
A. Animals that have a split hoof divided in two and that chew the cud
• Ox
• Sheep
• Goat
• Deer
• Gazelle
• Ibex
• Antelope
Exceptions: Camel, rabbit, pig and coney (type of rabbit or rodent)
Notes:
• Cows didn’t make the list and it is one of the major meats we eat. It can be added because a cow has 2 hooves and chew cud.
• As a Redneck, I am thankful that the deer made the list. However, I am disappointed that rabbits and pigs didn’t. According to many healthy diet sites, pork is bad for you anyway.
B. Creatures living in the water
• All fish that have fins and scales
Exceptions: Anything that does not have fins and scales
Notes: A catfish would not fall into the ‘To Eat’ category. If you really think about it, a catfish eats off the bottom of the water and there’s no telling what they eat.
C. Birds
• Any clean bird
Exceptions: Eagle, vulture, kite, falcon, raven, owl, osprey, cormorant, stork, heron, hoopoe, and bat
Notes: Chicken and turkey are considered ‘clean’. That’s a good thing because we eat a lot of chicken. Probably because its one of the foods that we can afford at the grocery store.
D. Winged creatures
• Any winged creature that is clean
Exceptions: All flying insects that swarm
Notes: This category doesn’t create any problems for me. I don’t plan to be eating a plate full of bugs any time soon. However, some people do. Yuck!
E. Additional Tidbits
• Do not eat anything you find that is already dead
• Do not cook a young goat in it’s mother’s milk
Notes: I’m not really sure of why this was in this chapter. It could be for other cultures. The part that stands out to me is to leave ‘road kill’ alone. If it’s lying in the road and you didn’t kill it, leave it! Now that’s good advice!
F. The Blessings/Curses
Read Chapter 28 for the blessings of obedience and the curses for disobedience in keeping the guidelines of Deuteronomy.
On the food topic, it appears to me that there are consequences for eating the wrong food. This could be the reason for common health problems such as heart disease, cholesterol issues, cancer, etc. Now that’s something to think about!
