Before the Great Flood God had instructed Noah about the "clean" and "unclean" animals and birds. (Gen. 7:2-3). Noah knew exactly what they are when he brought them into the ark and after the Flood when he made the offerings to the LORD (Gen. 8:20-21). The acceptable diet given by God to His people from the time of Noah to the present day Messianic Jews has always been "Kosher" that includes only "clean" meats and foods that are herbal and vegetarian in content. This is the Biblical nutrition that is the key to good health.

There is misunderstanding amongst Gentile Christians concerning the eating of biblically "unclean" animals, birds and fish. They regard the dietary laws as belonging to the Old Testament therefore applicable only to the Jews and not to New Testament Christians. Now let us consider what the Bible states:

"You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them. For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. "This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten."' (Lev. 11:43-47)

Now let us compare these Old Testament verses with the New Testament teaching.

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." (1 Cor. 3:16-17)

Both the Old and New Testaments express the same concept. If you eat "unclean" animals, birds and fishes you defile your body which is the temple of God, and God will allow your body to be destroyed. In simple words, if you eat "unclean" food and become sick, you can pray until you are blue in the face and God will not heal you.

"For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." (Lev. 11:45)

The main reason God delivered the children of Israel from the Egyptian bondage is to make them a holy nation. (Ex. 19:3-8) God had given instructions to Noah concerning the "clean" and "unclean" animals and birds. (Gen. 7:2-3). After Jacob and his family moved to Egypt and lived there for more than four hundred years the children of Israel had forgotten the dietary instructions and have adopted the Egyptian way of life and their diet. Here God reminded them about keeping the dietary laws.

"And said, ‘If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep al His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you." (Ex. 15:26)

The Egyptians eat all kinds of "unclean" animals and birds and therefore suffer from all kinds of sicknesses and diseases. If we keep the God's instructions and eat only "clean" foods then He will give us a healthy life.

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