DEUTERONOMY 14 : 21 by T. B. Rice

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 5, 1879

By T. B. Rice

Since my connection with the Advent people, my attention has often been directed to the scripture above referred to, which some suppose indicates that God's people may join in the great swine-traffic of the world. After carefully considering the text, I conclude that the animals there referred to are clean, since we find that the only objections God urged against their use was their dying of themselves or being torn of beasts. Lev. 17 : 15. If such were the only objection to their use as food by God's people, it follows that no reference is made to the hog, as some suppose. A clean beast might have been wounded or strangled, causing death. Now it would have been unlawful for that people whom God designated as a peculiar and holy people to eat of such meat. Yet if the animal was not diseased—for we cannot think that God, who is no respecter of persons, would authorize the Jews to dispose of an animal infected with hydrophobia or some other disease calculated to endanger the lives of those using it—it would be good and wholesome food for the heathen, who at that time were accustomed to the use of swine's flesh.

I do not understand that God gave Israel permission to regale the stranger within their gates upon swine's flesh, because they (the Jews) were forbidden to even so much as touch the dead carcass of a hog. Deut. 14 : 8. If they were not allowed to touch the dead carcass of one of those loathsome, filthy creatures, how could they be permitted to serve it upon their tables?

We should be consistent. But when we declaim against the use of swine's flesh, and at the same time keep a few of these animals rolling in the filth of our barnyards to sell to our neighbors, I fail to note the consistency.

But some one is ready to urge that people will have such food, and hence we may just as well share in the speculation as others. To this objection I reply: The saloon keeper, with equal propriety, may use the same logic to justify his nefarious business of selling liquor poison to his neighbors; and if swine's flesh germinates as many dangerous diseases as scientific men claim, I cannot discriminate between the sin of the liquor dealer and the pork dealer.

Brethren, let us "show our faith by our works." Let us banish from our premises those filthy scavengers, and be clean, holy, and pure. T. B. Rice.

DEUTERONOMY 14 : 21.