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SUBJECT: Meat
QUESTION: Is it okay to eat meat? Does the Bible
support this practice?
ANSWER:
Yes, it is okay to eat meat Yes, the Bible supports this
practice.
WHY WE EAT ANIMALS
God made the animals, owns the animals and loves the
animals. He designed animals for many purposes. Among them
was the purpose of food. Even though some animals were
designed for food does not mean that God does not love these
specific animals or have compassion for them. Notice what
God says about boiling a lamb in its own mother’s milk…
Exodus 34:26
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring
unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a
kid in his mother's milk.
God feels that it would be cruel to boil the kid in the same
substance that gave it nourishment. Notice though that He
is not saying that there is anything wrong with eating the
kid. This practice had also been used by pagans and God did
not want them doing the same thing as them.
Clearly God justifies the eating of meat:
Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 discuss clean and unclean
meats. Notice the first 3 verses of Lev. 11
Leviticus 11:1-3
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto
them,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the
beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on
the earth.
3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and
cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.
Notice the words “that shall ye eat”. Sounds like
justification to me.
Following is an excerpt from Unger’s Bible Dictionary under
the subject of “Food”:
FOOD
Animal food-- the flesh of oxen, sheep, and goats-- ranks
first, although the flesh of calves, lambs, and kids was
greatly prized; perhaps, also, that of pigeons and
turtledoves. The rich had upon their tables deer, gazelle,
roebuck, and various kinds of winged game <1 Kin. 4:23; Neh.
5:18>. Fish were supplied in great abundance from the lake
of Gennesaret (<John 21:11>; cf. <Matt. 14:17; 15:34>),
whereas in earlier times the Phoenicians brought fish to
Jerusalem from the sea <Neh. 13:16>.
Preparation of Food. Roasting on a spit was perhaps the
oldest way of cooking flesh but less common among the
Israelites than boiling. Roast flesh was used only by the
rich and better classes <2:15>, as is still the case in the
East. When cooked in pots <2:14; 2 Chr. 35:13>, it was
lifted out with a three-pronged fork and brought to the
table with the broth <Judg. 6:19>. All the flesh of the
slain animal, owing to the difficulty of keeping it in warm
climates, was cooked at once. The Israelites seem to have
boiled the flesh of young animals in milk. Locusts were
frequently roasted, as they still are in the East. "Their
wings and feet are taken off and their intestines extracted;
they are salted, fixed upon a sharp piece of wood, placed
over the fire, and at length eaten. They are likewise
prepared by boiling them. Sometimes they are salted and
preserved in bottles and, as occasion requires, are cut in
pieces and eaten" <Lev. 11:22; Matt. 3:4>. Salt (which see)
was anciently used <Num. 18:19; 2 Chr. 13:5>. In most
ancient times the animal was killed by the master of the
house, and the cooking was done by his wife <Gen. 18:2-6>
with the help of female slaves. In the houses of the upper
classes there were also special cooks <1 Sam. 9:23-24> and
in the larger cities bakers <Hos. 7:4>.
~from New Unger's Bible Dictionary
Plenty of verses stated there from God’s word showing God’s
design that we eat meat. Now notice the very words of Jesus
Christ in His parable of the prodigal son:
Luke 15:21-27
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against
heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called
thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best
robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and
shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us
eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was
lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and
drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these
things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father
hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him
safe and sound.
If somehow God did not approve of using animals for meat,
why would Jesus use the eating of meat in His parable?
John 4:7-8
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith
unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy
meat.)
The commentary on this verse:
John 4:4-26
[2.] his disciples were gone away into the
city to buy meat. Hence learn a lesson, First, Of justice
and honesty. The meat Christ ate, he bought and paid for, as
Paul, <2 Thessalonians 3:8>. Secondly, Of daily dependence
upon Providence: Take no thought for the morrow. Christ did
not go into the city to eat, but sent his disciples to fetch
his meat thither; not because he scrupled eating in a
Samaritan city. ~from
Matthew Henry's Commentary
We also have the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Matthew
15) (Mark 6)
In 1 Corinthians 8 we see Paul talking about eating meat
offered before idols. Paul was saying that a Christian
should not eat meat offered to idols if a brother would have
a problem with that. Clearly eating meat was okay or the
whole subject would be moot and Paul would have simply
condemned the eating of meat.
There is not a conflict here. God is in control. There are
no conflicts in God or His creation. He created animals, He
loves them AND He allows us to eat certain of these
animals. He clearly shows in His Word what animals we can
and cannot eat. He even refers to His Word as “meat”
Hebrews 5:12-14
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have
need that one teach you again which be the first principles
of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of
milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,
even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised
to discern both good and evil.
Why would He use the metaphor of “meat” if it were not
justified to eat meat?
Following now are more scriptures and Bible dictionary
statements regarding meat eating:
MEAT
The edible flesh of animals, often referring to the flesh of
mammals, as distinguished from fish and poultry (Num 11:4;
Deut 12:15,20).
Meat was often sacrificed on pagan altars and dedicated to
pagan gods in Paul's day. Later this meat was offered for
sale in the public meat markets. Some Christians wondered if
it were morally right for Christians to eat such meat that
had previously been sacrificed to pagan gods. Paul explained
that they should not eat such meats if it would cause weaker
Christians to sin (1 Cor 8:13). ~from
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Here are the verses quoted from the above dictionary entry:
Numbers 11:4
And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting:
and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who
shall give us flesh to eat?
Deuteronomy 12:15
Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy
gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the
blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the
unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck,
and as of the hart.
Deuteronomy 12:20
When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border,
as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat
flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest
eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
1 Corinthians 8:13
Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no
flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to
offend.
NOAH ALLOWED TO EAT MEAT
Genesis 9:1-3
9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon
every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air,
upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes
of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even
as the green herb have I given you all things.
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