My father-in-law was a POW in Stalag 17b during WII. He said of their meals in the camp, “They gave us frozen rutabaga soup with maggots on top, and a little bread. One time they gave us German sausage, but I didn’t eat it because it had human teeth in it. Some guys would catch rats and eat them, but I didn’t.” The last few weeks of his POW experience involved a 281 mile forced march, with very little to eat. The last day as a prisoner they noticed a friendly tank. It dawned upon them that they were liberated. Soon, they were able to eat a nourishing meal.
Why is God concerned about what we eat, whether we touch dead animals, or the flow of blood from our bodies? Wouldn’t the Creator of the universe have more important things to worry about? We learn in the New Testament that the dietary laws have been lifted. If they were so important that the Creator of the Universe included them in the laws that He was giving to His people, then why did He revoke them? Does God really care that much about what we eat? Hmmmm. . . Jesus said that the Father knew the number of hairs on our heads. If He cares enough to know the number of hairs on our heads, then He probably cares about what we eat.
What is there about these dietary restrictions that is significant? Clearly He makes the point that our eating is to reflect His holiness. He wants His people to be different in health as well as in moral purity. It is interesting to note that in some of the areas of the world and different times in history that Jewish people have consistently outlived their Gentile neighbors because they ate a healthier diet. The marked difference at times was so great that it caused problems:
I quote Dr. Kellogg again. “Even so long ago as the days when the plague was desolating Europe, the Jews so universally escaped infection that, by this their exemption, the popular suspicion was excited into fury, and they were accused of causing the fearful mortality among their gentile neighbors by poisoning the wells and springs.”[1]
Was God’s concern more than just health? Yes, but it did include health. Was it more than being a separate people? Yes, but it did include being a separate people. Then why did He raise the restrictions? He raised them because there are ways of addressing health issues other than total abstinence of certain foods. He raised them because there are other ways of having His people be different than observing dietary restrictions. The bottom line is this: “45‘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.” We were prisoners of war. He liberated us and adopted us. He no longer wants us to eat like POWs. Or live like POWs. He wants us to be like Him. He wants us to be holy. He wants us to share in His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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[1]McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. Le 11:1
Luke 9:37-62
How much would you pay for. . . When Laura and I first married, we operated our household budget on a cash only basis. There were a lot of things we wanted that we could not get because we didn't have enough money. "Someday, when we have money. . . " became a joke between us. One particularly brutally hot summer, we wanted an air conditioner (our house had no AC). We read in the classifieds that one of the fraternities was having a yard sale. Among the items for sale were all their air-conditioners. We arose bright and early to be among the first at the sale. It wasn't early enough. A man in front of us bought every one of the air conditioners (5-10 of them) for about $25.00 each. He had rental property and wanted them for his rent houses. I offered him $50.00 for just one of them. He refused, rather rudely, I might add. I searched all the stores for new air conditioners. They were all more than we could afford. We eventually found a used one for $100. It wasn't a great deal, but at least we had a little AC. It was all the extra money I had, but it was worth it. The new comfort was well worth the loss of the $100. How much would you pay for a little comfort?
How much would you pay to see the glory of Jesus, to be on a familiar basis with His glory? Is that your final answer? The cost of experiencing His glory will cost you everything. It will cost you your right to comfortable shelter, housing, safety etc. You may not know where you will lay your head at night. Is it worth it? It will cost you your right to have life long relationships with those you love the most. Is it worth it? It will cost you the dreams of all that you could have been, might have been or maybe even are. It may even cost it for your children. Is it worth it?
When I was a freshman in college, I took a fencing class in the spring. The president of the fencing club, an Argentine, came and watched everyone fencing in the class. He singled myself and one other person out and fenced with us briefly. After class he came to me and said, "Come out to the fencing club and in two months I will make you the state champion." Now I don't know if that says a lot about what he saw in my raw ability or whether it said more about the pitiful state of fencing in the state of Oklahoma. But it was quite an offer. I really did think on it for maybe a day. I was already working 20+ hrs. a week, taking a full load of classes, heavily involved in church and Campus Crusade for Christ. To add another activity such as fencing to my schedule would have required lessening my involvement elsewhere, which I was not willing to do. Was it worth not trying out for fencing club? Absolutely! I had experiences with CCC that showed me the glory of Jesus that I would not trade for anything.
What would you give to experience the glory of Jesus? It will cost you everything. Is it worth it? Do I really have to answer that? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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