Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining us. Today, we are discussing what the Old Testament says about food. Next week, we have a 7 AM breakfast reservation at the New Testament.
On this topic, the Bible says quite a lot because serving and glorifying Him with our lives requires sustenance. However, no matter the Bible topic, there is always a relationship with the Lord. So, keep reading. But first, if you are wondering how this topic came about, here is the answer.
On Wednesday, I “happened” to see a link to a New York Times article titled “Eating Healthy? No, They’re Eating Biblically.” The subhead read: “A diet inspired by the Bible has found new audiences online in the Make America Healthy Again era.”
Intrigued by the headline, a nanosecond before clicking the link, my divine “Assignment Editor” sent me a news flash to write about food in the Bible. Then I perused the article, which is basically about eating boring, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, since super-sinful Doritos were millennia away from being consumed.
A few quotes caught my eye from Kayla Bundy, a woman featured in the article, who said, “I had never really thought to look to the Bible for a recipe book.”
Bundy revealed she started “studying scripture from that lens of noticing what they are eating.” This quote is deep. “Sin entered into the world through food, and Satan doesn’t stop there. Food, for me, is really like a weapon of how I can fight back.” And know that Kayla makes money “selling a $28 digital guide to biblical superfoods, as well as coaching sessions that start around $700 for a month,” while living in Bali. Nice gig!
So thanks to Kayla from Bali, we begin our discussion by noting that before “sin entered the world through food,” God gifted food after He created humankind:
“Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food’” (Genesis 1:27-29).
From that passage, many take delight in reading that the first humans were vegetarians. And then God spoke about the non-humans:
“And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so” (Genesis 1:30).
Then God put Adam to work in the Garden of Eden with a warning:
"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 from it you will certainly die'" (Genesis 2:15-17).
In this foundational story, Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit, lured by the false promise that “you will be like God, knowing good and evil,” which resulted in “sin entering the world through food,” according to Kayla from Bali. Read the whole Genesis chapter here, and see highlights in Vol. 110.
Before we progress further with food-related passages from the Old Testament, know that the Bible is more than a “recipe book.” So now, let’s consider God’s multilayered relationship with humankind and food.
First is gratitude to God for providing the food, a thanksgiving, and the reason why we should always say grace before meals.
Second is nourishment. This represents His care for us, so we can fulfill our purpose according to our God-given gifts and talents and, most importantly, glorify Him with those gifts and talents.
Third is fellowship, “breaking bread” to eat and worship together. Breaking bread is often associated with establishing new relationships or solidifying existing ones for personal or secular/non-secular purposes.
Fourth, food in the Bible represents generosity, such as providing a meal to someone or a group in need, also through a food bank.
Fifth, food or overconsumption represents the need for self-control, because gluttony is a sin against your body, which is a temple created by God:
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Now let’s turn again to ancient Bible times. After the flood, which destroyed sinful man except Noah and his family, meat entered the diet (which sinfully evolved into heart-attack-causing, quarter-pounder cheeseburgers for those who prematurely want to meet the Lord). God said to Noah:
“Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it” (Genesis 9:3-4).
Moving on to Exodus, after escaping from Egypt, the Israelites wandered in the desert, “grumbling” about their situation. Then, they learned to trust and depend on God for food. God proved He was their God by miraculously feeding them with manna (bread from heaven) and quail, but with specific rules tied to obedience (Exodus 16:6-8). God said to Moses:
“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God’” (Exodus 16:12).
Continuing in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible), God gave dietary laws to His people, designating certain foods as unclean. See Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 for all the details. These laws were meant to teach obedience and holiness, establishing a strong relationship between the God of Israel and His chosen people for all that lay ahead on their journey to the Promised Land.
With all that ancient food history established, it's time for what I call “food philosophy”:
“He [God] gives food to every creature. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:25).
“It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory” (Proverbs 25-27).
“Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred” (Proverbs: 15-17).
All three of these verses prove that humankind has not changed. We must always acknowledge who God is, and biblical wisdom endures no matter how much technology evolves.
Finally, a happy verse for those who are in accord with the Lord, which evolved into a common saying, “Eat, drink, and be merry”:
“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do” (Ecclesiastes 9:7).
Join us next week as food in the New Testament takes on new meaning, with Jesus as “the bread of life.” Amen!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible" reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2," reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
Myra is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. You can help support our six-month exhibit at the Basilica in Orlando, Florida. Contact: Myraadams01@gmail.com