Pam Padgett ... teacher
Recently, Joan and I spoke on the telephone and one of the
things that came up was the "rules" setup by man in terms of what we
should or should not eat. As we talked I was reminded of something
that happened not long before I retired from working at Fed Ex.
At that time I enjoyed eating cheese and would usually take some
cheese to work. One day a woman told me that she knew someone in
the medical profession who said that cheese is very bad for us to
eat. After she said this, I turned to God asking HIM if there was a
problem with my eating cheese and was reminded to look in the
Bible.
One of the scriptures that stood out to me is when David's brothers
had gone to battle with Saul against the Philistines. Jesse,
David's father, sent him to see how his brothers fared and sent
cheese for the captain of their thousand ...
1Samuel 17:17 And Jesse said unto David his
son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn,
and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; 18 And
carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand,
and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
Another scripture in which we're told of cheese is when Absalom rose
up against David, and David and his men went to Mahanaim. Cheese
was among the foods given to David and the people for they were
hungry and weary ...
2Samuel 17:27 And it came to pass, when David was
come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the
children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and
Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, 28 Brought beds, and basons,
and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and
parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, 29
And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese
of kine, for David, and for the people
that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is
hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
Seeing that cheese is mentioned in the Bible to eat, I believe it is
ok to eat cheese if we choose.
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Another similar thing happened many years ago. I worked with a
woman who was a vegetarian and she spoke of how wrong it was to eat
meat because an animal had to be killed to provide the meat. To my
mind what she said made a lot of sense, for I really like animals.
But as I considered whether to become a vegetarian myself I asked
God about this. Again, I heard to look in the Bible. There are
many accounts we have in the Bible of eating meat from animals.
One of the passages that stood out to me is when God was about to
bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. God gave very clear
instructions for Moses to speak to the people for selecting,
killing, preparing, and eating the passover lamb ...
Exodus 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel,
saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them
every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a
lamb for an house: 4 And if the household be too little for the
lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it
according to the number of the souls; every man according to his
eating shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be
without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out
from the sheep, or from the goats: 6 And ye shall keep it up
until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole
assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the
evening. 7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on
the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses,
wherein they shall eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh in
that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with
bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden
at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs,
and with the purtenance thereof.
One of the accounts in the New Testament that stood out to me was
when Jesus provided fish to eat when HE appeared to the disciples
after His resurrection ...
John 21:1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the
disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he
himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called
Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of
Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith
unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with
thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and
that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now
come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that
it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye
any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast
the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They
cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the
multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved
saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard
that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for
he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the
other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far
from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net
with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of
coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus
saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11
Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great
fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were
so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto
them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask
him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then
cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
Because of what we're told in the Bible I did not believe it was
wrong to eat meat, and did not become a vegetarian.
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I Tim. 4 ... 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. 7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.