Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
After the flood God gave Noah and his family leave to use every living moving creature as food, just as the green plants had been given before. This was the first such leave, for through more than sixteen centuries before the flood He had given no leave to eat animal food but meant people to live wholly on fruits, grains, vegetables and herbs. He gave it from necessity because the flood had swept away all green living food until new crops could grow, rather than working a miracle to feed them. The leave was never His ideal, for animal flesh is not the best or most healthful food, and He allowed it to the hard-hearted craving race in order to shorten the life of the corrupt long-lived race under the curse. It does not make flesh necessary or safe now, for grains, fruits and vegetables contain all that is needed to make good blood and strength, while meat is now so full of disease that it brings cancers, tumors and consumption and dulls mind and spirit.
Wording and Historical Setting
Every moving thing that lives was given to Noah and his family after the flood to be food for them, even as the green herb had been given. It was the first permission to eat animal food, for before that time no such permission had been given. God had intended the race to subsist wholly upon the productions of the earth, and for more than sixteen hundred years humanity ate plants, with vegetables, fruits, grains, green herbs and the fruit of the trees as their diet. The food designed for the race was the fruit of the trees in the garden, it was contrary to His plan for the life of any creature to be taken, and there was to be no death in Eden.
The grant was made under particular circumstances of necessity, because the flood had destroyed every green thing and all living food on which people could live. Provisions were scarce and the devastated earth could not yet provide food until new crops could grow, so the permission suited their circumstances. Rather than work a miracle to supply food, the Lord gave this permission to meet the need. It was spoken when Noah feared the powerful beasts of prey coming from the ark would destroy his family of only eight persons. God sent an angel to assure him that the animals were delivered into his hand, and with the permission came the assurance that beasts would fear and dread humans.
The permission allowed eating the flesh of the clean beasts preserved in the ark, even as the green herb had been given before. It was given to those preserved from the flood and was limited to the flesh of clean animals. It never included swine's flesh, which has ever been prohibited, because the swine was made only as a scavenger and was pronounced unclean because it eats everything that is defiled.
Purpose and Present Application
Animal flesh was never the best, most healthy, or most healthful food for people, and it was never God's ideal or original plan. The original food designed for the race was fruit and plant food in its natural state, the fruit of the trees in the garden and the green herb, where no creature's life was to be taken and there was to be no death in Eden. After the Flood, when every green thing and all living plant food on which people could subsist had been destroyed, permission was given to eat animal food as well as plants, even the clean beasts preserved in the ark, as a provision suited to that circumstance of scarcity. That allowance did not make flesh the best diet, for it was granted only after the Flood as a consequence of transgression and the fall, when death was to be man's portion.
It was given in man's necessity and because of hardness of heart, when people were determined to break down every restraint to gratify perverted taste, and God suffered a craved indulgence to produce its effect rather than forcing obedience to the right way. God saw that man's ways were corrupt and proud against his Creator, and He permitted that long-lived race to eat animal food in order to shorten their sinful existence, as part of the pronounced death sentence and the curse placed upon man and the earth and every living thing, which made strange and wonderful changes. The permission was limited to the flesh of clean animals and never included swine's flesh, which has ever been prohibited because the swine was made only as a scavenger eating everything defiled and was pronounced unclean. Since the Flood the length of human existence has shortened, with the race soon rapidly decreasing in size and length of years and with rapidly increasing physical, mental, and moral degeneracy in the latter days, while the very large animals perished at the Flood because feeble man could not control them.
Before the Flood God had given no permission to eat flesh meats, so when the antediluvians demanded and ate meat they were indulging depraved appetite against His will. That intemperate eating and drinking grew without bounds, sacrificed health on the altar of appetite, made them corrupt, and filled their cup of iniquity until God could bear with them no longer and cleansed the earth of its moral pollution by a flood. The permission does not make flesh necessary, for muscular strength is not dependent on animal food, and simple grains, fruits of the trees, and vegetables have all the nutritive properties necessary to make good blood and to give health and strength of mind and body, which a flesh diet cannot do. Eating meat is therefore only getting grains and vegetables secondhand, after their life has passed into the animal, and there is no need to eat the flesh of dead creatures.
Animals now languish under sin and the curse, and meat is so diseased, full of disease, and cursed by disease that it is dangerous and unclean to eat. Continuing and cultivating appetite for this diet brings serious disease and suffering upon the eater, including cancers, tumors, parasites, and tubercular consumption spread through meat. It strengthens the animal nature and weakens the spiritual nature, preventing pure blood and clear minds. Killing animals to be eaten is revolting to unperverted natural sense, and God's people are to take a firm stand against meat-eating, while God will not work a miracle to counteract these evils, for that would dishonor His name, but in His Word He lifts the danger signal showing plainly the evils from which He would save people.
After the flood God gave Noah and his family leave to use every living moving creature as food, just as the green plants had been given before. This was the first such leave, for through more than sixteen centuries before the flood He had given no leave to eat animal food but meant people to live wholly on fruits, grains, vegetables and herbs. He gave it from necessity because the flood had swept away all green living food until new crops could grow, rather than working a miracle to feed them. The leave was never His ideal, for animal flesh is not the best or most healthful food, and He allowed it to the hard-hearted craving race in order to shorten the life of the corrupt long-lived race under the curse. It does not make flesh necessary or safe now, for grains, fruits and vegetables contain all that is needed to make good blood and strength, while meat is now so full of disease that it brings cancers, tumors and consumption and dulls mind and spirit.
Wording and Historical Setting
Every moving thing that lives was given to Noah and his family after the flood to be food for them, even as the green herb had been given. It was the first permission to eat animal food, for before that time no such permission had been given. God had intended the race to subsist wholly upon the productions of the earth, and for more than sixteen hundred years humanity ate plants, with vegetables, fruits, grains, green herbs and the fruit of the trees as their diet. The food designed for the race was the fruit of the trees in the garden, it was contrary to His plan for the life of any creature to be taken, and there was to be no death in Eden.
The grant was made under particular circumstances of necessity, because the flood had destroyed every green thing and all living food on which people could live. Provisions were scarce and the devastated earth could not yet provide food until new crops could grow, so the permission suited their circumstances. Rather than work a miracle to supply food, the Lord gave this permission to meet the need. It was spoken when Noah feared the powerful beasts of prey coming from the ark would destroy his family of only eight persons. God sent an angel to assure him that the animals were delivered into his hand, and with the permission came the assurance that beasts would fear and dread humans.
The permission allowed eating the flesh of the clean beasts preserved in the ark, even as the green herb had been given before. It was given to those preserved from the flood and was limited to the flesh of clean animals. It never included swine's flesh, which has ever been prohibited, because the swine was made only as a scavenger and was pronounced unclean because it eats everything that is defiled.
Purpose and Present Application
Animal flesh was never the best, most healthy, or most healthful food for people, and it was never God's ideal or original plan. The original food designed for the race was fruit and plant food in its natural state, the fruit of the trees in the garden and the green herb, where no creature's life was to be taken and there was to be no death in Eden. After the Flood, when every green thing and all living plant food on which people could subsist had been destroyed, permission was given to eat animal food as well as plants, even the clean beasts preserved in the ark, as a provision suited to that circumstance of scarcity. That allowance did not make flesh the best diet, for it was granted only after the Flood as a consequence of transgression and the fall, when death was to be man's portion.
It was given in man's necessity and because of hardness of heart, when people were determined to break down every restraint to gratify perverted taste, and God suffered a craved indulgence to produce its effect rather than forcing obedience to the right way. God saw that man's ways were corrupt and proud against his Creator, and He permitted that long-lived race to eat animal food in order to shorten their sinful existence, as part of the pronounced death sentence and the curse placed upon man and the earth and every living thing, which made strange and wonderful changes. The permission was limited to the flesh of clean animals and never included swine's flesh, which has ever been prohibited because the swine was made only as a scavenger eating everything defiled and was pronounced unclean. Since the Flood the length of human existence has shortened, with the race soon rapidly decreasing in size and length of years and with rapidly increasing physical, mental, and moral degeneracy in the latter days, while the very large animals perished at the Flood because feeble man could not control them.
Before the Flood God had given no permission to eat flesh meats, so when the antediluvians demanded and ate meat they were indulging depraved appetite against His will. That intemperate eating and drinking grew without bounds, sacrificed health on the altar of appetite, made them corrupt, and filled their cup of iniquity until God could bear with them no longer and cleansed the earth of its moral pollution by a flood. The permission does not make flesh necessary, for muscular strength is not dependent on animal food, and simple grains, fruits of the trees, and vegetables have all the nutritive properties necessary to make good blood and to give health and strength of mind and body, which a flesh diet cannot do. Eating meat is therefore only getting grains and vegetables secondhand, after their life has passed into the animal, and there is no need to eat the flesh of dead creatures.
Animals now languish under sin and the curse, and meat is so diseased, full of disease, and cursed by disease that it is dangerous and unclean to eat. Continuing and cultivating appetite for this diet brings serious disease and suffering upon the eater, including cancers, tumors, parasites, and tubercular consumption spread through meat. It strengthens the animal nature and weakens the spiritual nature, preventing pure blood and clear minds. Killing animals to be eaten is revolting to unperverted natural sense, and God's people are to take a firm stand against meat-eating, while God will not work a miracle to counteract these evils, for that would dishonor His name, but in His Word He lifts the danger signal showing plainly the evils from which He would save people.