Does the Bible say that its ok to eat meat?

Scripture: Genesis 9:3, Isaiah 66:16
There are some who teach that we should not eat certain kinds of meat but doesn't the Bible say in the book of Genesis that all meat is ok?
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7 Comments
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Angela
Curious about the life blood thing spoken in Genesis 9:4 - my Study Bible has a foot note that says "Lev 17:14 stresses the intimate relationship between blood and life by twice declaring that "the life of every creature is its blood" Life is precious and mysterious gift of God, and man is not to seek to preserve it or increase the life-force within him by eating "life" that is "in the blood".

Confused, unless people are eating the "life blood" while the animal is still alive? Otherwise if the animal is dead there is no oxygen in the blood (which I thought was the "breath of life")--- very confusing. I get we should not eat or drink blood---cuz it's GROSS (okay and God says not to) but the whole life in the blood thing is a question I'd like to answer, if I'm ever asked. Thank you
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Dave Klem
Show me something that your body needs from meats that It cannot get from plants, fruits and legumes. Absolutely nothing!

I think what we have here is a case of old habits dying hard. People in general just don't want to give up meat. We're all in good company because I have seen this over and over again. Be careful that we aren't looking for anything that will support our desires.

We can't accurately search for truth unless we have a willingness to make the change that it could implicate.
Sometimes we simply have to do a little critical thinking. The meat was supposed to be temporary as stated below in one of the comments.

The vegetation has returned so as far as I'm concerned that's a slam dunk. The fact that blood is the life of any animal including human beings is not germane.

Also the temporary rules of eating meat did not originate in the Mosaic law. So the fact that the Mosaic law was done away with at the cross has nothing to do with the dietary rules that God provided.
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Angela
God didn't have to tell Noah and his family what was good and wasn't good to eat. There were 8 of them, 8 who had been righteous and loved God. They were there when Clean and UNclean animals were brought upon the Ark, Unclean animals are scavengers.. they have digestive systems that can tolerate poisons and rot. They "clean" the carcasses and by doing so they prevent diseases (some). We do NOT have digestive systems that can tolerate even the flesh of unclean animals (let alone eating dead rotting flesh).. Think about how pig has to be prepared and then it is not guaranteed it will not make one sick who eats it.

The reason God allowed meat to be eaten was simply because the earth was not farmed with bountiful harvests yet.
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scottyjames
Clearly from verse 2 God is speaking of animals being given as food for consumption by mankind (nothing to be spiritualized). Later, under the Mosaic Covenant, God gave dietary restrictions to national Israel that woujkd separate them from the surrounding nations and mark them as distinct. With the finished work of Christ the Old Covenant restrictions were put away. In Acts 10 God shows the dietary restrictions were done away with, along with the exclusion of Gentiles from the people of God.
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AFacts_Editor
Thanks for your comment! We have a Study Guide that covers these topics, so we invite you to read about it here: https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4990/t/gods-free-health-plan. God bless you.
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Anonymous
I think He meant as he gave us herbs for food, he gives us everything else in the world to "eat", to help us grow, learn. Everything in existence is a gift. Bc we learn from it, so you can say all is a teacher of some sort. Everything is for our consumption, we have five senses, eating is not the only way we consume. Physical, literal food is not the only way to receive growth, nourishment, and strength.
Q. In Genesis 9:3, God says, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And I have given you all things, even as the green herbs." However, in Deuteronomy, it restricts food to "Things that split of the hoof, and chew of the cud." It's confusing.

This is a really good question, because it appears as if God is saying one thing in one place, and then later changes His mind. So this is where being a good Bible student comes into play. We must look at the entire evidence from the Word of God and not simply take one verse to establish doctrine.

God does say that there are clean foods we can eat and unclean foods that we should avoid. In Isaiah 66:16, the Bible says, "They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the garden, behind the tree in the midst. Eating swine's flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together, saith the Lord." In other words, those who eat those things that God clearly condemns are an abomination.

In Genesis 9:3, we have to take into account what it also says in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. That's the complete statement from God, and you can bet that Noah knew this because he took clean and unclean animals into the Ark with him.

However, if you keep reading in Genesis 9:3, the very next word after "green herbs" is "but." So God is saying, "But I've got something else to tell you about what you ought to eat." From there, He says we shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. So on one hand, He's saying, I'm giving you everything. But on the other He's saying, but there are some things that I know you're not supposed to eat, and so I'm going to tell you about those things.

It's difficult to change your diet. But if you're willing to be faithful to what God says, He will bless you immeasurably. It's well known that if you have high blood pressure, one of the very first things that the doctor says is you need to get off of pork and fat. God has always known it, and He was warning us about it. I think we should follow His advice.

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