Greetings Brethren and Sisters,

Per Daryl's request to post the study on vegetarianism, I will begin today. And I fully realize that you may have questions before the study is completely finished posting. Therefore I will ask each one of you to be patient with gaining a response from myself until the study is finished.

Study: Dietary History

If you have ever shopped for a new vehicle I am sure that you have noticed that they are all given a new owner’s manual. And it is in this manual that we will learn what is best for this particular vehicle.

Likewise, our God has provided a manual for us to learn from, and to guide us into a good way, and this manual is called the Holy Bible.

Turning now to Genesis 1:20 we can read the first diet that mankind was given: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

God called this good (ref. Gen. 1:31). And there was one tree in the garden which mankind could not eat freely from (ref. Gen 2:16), the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But when man took and ate from the tree of knowledge there was a change in his diet plan. Now mankind would be living on earth with thorns and thistles and was given the herb of the field to eat (ref. Gen 3:18). And the reason God provided the herb of the field to be included was for the service of man (Psalm 104:14). And today we find that many of the herbs of the fields have wonderful healing properties.

Pre-flood life span:

• Adam - 930 yrs
• Seth - 912 yrs
• Enos - 905 yrs
• Cainan - 910 yrs
• Mahalaleel – 895 yrs
• Jared - 962 yrs
• Enoch - 365 yrs (& went to heaven)
• Methuselah – 969 yrs
• Lameth – 777 yrs
• Noah - 950 yrs

Post-flood life span:

• Shem – 600 yrs
• Arphaxad – 438 yrs
• Salah - 433 yrs
• Eber - 464 yrs
• Peleg - 239 yrs
• Reu - 239 yrs
• Serug - 230 yrs
• Nahor - 148 yrs
• Terah - 205 yrs
• Abram - 174 yrs

During the pre-flood era mankind lived an average of 912 yrs. After the flood mankind lived only an average 317 yrs of age in only 10 generations.

So what was the result of the shorter life span?
Let us look at Genesis 9:4-6 “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”

In the new diet flesh was given and as a result life spans reduced greatly. But God placed a restriction for mankind not to eat the blood. In our modern society we are probably more familiar with the term kosher, which basically means to eat certain flesh without blood or fat. And it is important to note that God has never given permission to eat blood and if one does the penalty is death.

After the flood we learn about the next dietary change. This is where we should pay closer attention to the events and the murmurings. And especially how God responds to their murmurings, as God truly knows their hearts even if their mouths do not say all.

In Exodus 20:1-17 we read how God gave the Ten Commandments. And we may recall how the Israelites where experiencing the daily manna from heaven. But I would like to draw your mind to the line of events.

1. In Exodus 16:12 They murmured with explanations of the flesh pots and eating bread till they were full so God tells them He will provide them with flesh in the evening, but in the morning they will have enough bread to eat. Why did God provide quail this time? Acts 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” God provided quail because the Israelites were ignorant of God’s commands.
2. In Exodus 6:15 We read how God provided manna in the morning as He had spoken.
3. It has been about a year since the Israelites have been learning about God’s commands.
4. Now they are on their way to Canaan when they began to murmur, again. The near year stop over in Mt Sinai was adequate time for them to become very familiar with God’s education for them. But they spoke about how they remembered the fish, and all sorts of things along with it, but upon reading Numbers 11:18-20 you learn how God reads their hearts and clearly understood that they were lusting after the flesh to eat.
1. What was the result of their murmurings
2. God heard them
3. God knew their hearts lusted after flesh to eat
4. God gave them their desires/flesh, not for a day but an entire month
5. God provided the flesh with a plague
6. The plague killed so many that it was called Kibrothhattaavah, which means “graves of lust”
7. For 40 yrs the Israelites remained just outside of the Promised Land. And during this time our God provided them manna.

-to be continued

-continued
What is the difference between the first time they received flesh and this time? They were no longer ignorant to God’s commands.

The Israelites truly lusted after the flesh as if you read in Numbers 11:32 you will see that they stayed up all that day, all that night, and all the next day gathering what they wanted.

[-to be continued]

Are you suggesting based on your interpretation of what the Bible contains, that eating meat is a sin?
God Bless & Happy Sabbath,
Will

We definitely will not be eating any type of flesh food in heaven as well as on the New Earth.

That is correct. Killing anything will not even come to mind.
I am talking about here on earth today 2007. I understand many people believe that eating meat is a sin, they will skirt around and use some other reference, but the idea is that it is a sin to eat meat.
This is what I want to get to, is that is what is being promoted through this study?
God Bless & Happy Sabbath,
Will

I am not sure where Cheri is going with her study, Will, but for my "two cents" worth, I do believe that meat eating is a sin, for Seventh Day Adventists who have read the counsel we have been so graciously given.



Will, if it is not sin to eat meat, why would it be called an "evil example" for the ministers to eat meat themselves?

Here is another excellent quote:



How can Adventists, after reading such quotes as these, think that to continue eating meat is not a sin?

-continued

So what is lust? Romans 7:7 “What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”

According to the law to lust is to covet.

• Psalm 78:17-32
  “And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.”

As you can read, God gave them what they wanted but it had consequences, a plague which killed those that lusted.

1. “they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness”
2. ”they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust”
3. Although God continually gave them they questioned God
4. ”the LORD heard this”
5. ”and was wroth”
6. ”so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel”

Why?

1. “Because they believed not in God”
2. ”and trusted not in his salvation”

Although God provided their need, they wanted more than what God provided!
What happened next?

1. “He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven”
2. ”He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea”
3. ”he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations”
4. ”So they did eat”
5. ”and were well filled”
6. ”for he gave them their own desire”

What are we taught about their own desire?

• “They were not estranged from their lust.”

What were the consequences not being estranged from their lust?

1. “while their meat was yet in their mouths”
2. ”The wrath of God came upon them”
3. ”and slew the fattest of them”
4. ”and smote down the chosen men of Israel”

Why did God send a plague to the chosen men of Israel?

• ”For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.”

So do you remember what happened when they arrived at Canaan? Can you believe this, they still wanted flesh to eat!

• Deuteronomy 12:20,21 “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. If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.”

And yet again because they wanted something greater than the ways of the Lord, He gave them their request, but it was consequences.

• Psalm 106:14,15 “But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”

Leanness/Strong’s number 07332/noun
Definition: leanness, scantness, wasting

1. leanness
2. wasting (of disease)
3. scantness (of measure)
• scantness:noun~the quality of being meager

Yes, they received leanness. And it is so sad they chose something more than God was providing them because their choice provided the consequences of leanness to their soul. Which means their souls were given the quality of being deficient or inadequate.

Though there were conditions to their flesh eating (ref. Lev 3:17;Duet 12:23-25):

• no blood
• no fat
• nothing unclean (Lev 11 & Deut 14

Today is there anything telling us we should not follow in the examples of the Israelites?

• 1 Corinthians 10:1-12
  “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Sum Up

• But with many of them God was not well pleased
• they were overthrown in the wilderness
• Now these things were our examples
• the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted

Yes, all the things which happened are for an example that we might learn.

-to be continued

It is no wonder that the world is so far ahead of us, as a church, when it comes to health. .