Skinny or Fat

O. T. #396  "Skinny or Fat?"
October 29, 2014
Deuteronomy 14
Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. (KJV)
Do not eat any detestable thing.  (NIV)
You must not eat any detestable animals that are ceremonially unclean. (NLT)
Deuteronomy 14:3

LET IT GLOW

Okay. It is time to get on a diet. Sadly and ashamedly, I share with you that I have gained back all the 20 pounds that I had lost. It was a gradual thing. A couple of pounds here and five pounds there. I figured out what done it-EATING. Yep, it wasn't looking at the food, but the intake that made me gain weight and become fat. Those slices of pies and ice cream cones hung onto my waist and never left. I did not stop to ask myself if I wanted to be skinny or fat.
So I wonder, is that the way it is with the Word of God? Looking at It doesn't make you fat spiritually, but it is the intake that does. It's the digesting of the Word, applying It here and there. Making it a part of me. I'd rather be fat spiritually than physically. After all, Jesus is the Bread of Life. I come to His table daily, but only look at the food and not take it inside of me. Is that why I am skinny spiritually and  not fat? Are you ready to eat with me? Jesus is ready to serve us.

So far, in this book of Deuteronomy, we have reviewed the commands of God toward Israel's laws:

• reflecting the Ten Commandments (ch. 4-5)
• concerning love (ch. 6)
• dealing with the destroying of the Canaanites (ch. 7)
• remembering God's past work (ch. 8-10)
• calling to dedication (ch. 10-11)
• concerning with a central place of worship (ch. 12)
• dealing with false prophets (ch. 13).  [Liberty Bible Commentary]

Are we following the commands of God in our life? Have we dedicate our life to His service? Do we worship with other believers every Sunday? Are we loving others? Do we watch out for false teachers? Am I sharing the past workings of God in my life with others?


LET IT GROW

In this chapter, we will discuss the commands concerning food (verses 1-21) and tithes (verses 22-29).

Moses deals with foods which are acceptable and prohibited to Israel. They were to be a peculiar people, called to be God's chosen nation. They were set apart from the other nations.
Because of the free love of God, Israel should have obeyed the commands of God, even those pertaining to food. (Falwell)

Animals permitted to be eaten:

• those which had a divided hoof and chewed the cud, such as ox, sheep, goats, deer, gazelle, roe deer, mountain sheep;
• water animals that had fins and scales;
• clean birds;
• winged insects.

Animals not permitted to be eaten and unclean ceremonially:

• those that did not have a divided hoof nor chewed the cud, such as swine, rabbit, coney ;
• water animals without fins and scales;
• scavenger birds and bats, which eat dead animals;
• a young goat cooked in its mother's milk;
• all flying insects that swarm;
• animals that died a natural death because a communicable disease may have caused it.

Keep in mind that the Israelites had been on a 40 year diet of manna. They needed instructions for their new diet, as to what was good for their health and not, and what was ceremonially acceptable.

God cleansed all the animals and made them edible. God told Peter, in Acts 10:13, to eat them. Also, He was symbolically commanding the gospel to be preached to the Gentiles who had been separated from God. The dietary laws are no longer applicable today but are still symbolic to the Christian, who should not feed upon the filth of this world, but upon Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life.
 (Falwell)

These special dietary laws were to separate them from social mixing with idolatrous people, to prevent them from being lured into idolatry.  (MacArthur)

Today, we know there are foods which are high in cholesterol and can lead to heart problems. We can recognize allergies which people may have. Being overweight can cause many health issues. Some things can lead to cancer. With all this knowledge, we tend to not always heed the warnings.

Yes diets are difficult. Especially with the holidays around the corner the next two months. One day I avoided a cheesecake and the next day I ate pecan pie. What am I going to do? Keep walking 5 miles a week, I suppose. Are you with me?

What about feeding our soul? Do we spend more time feeding our body or our soul?

LET IT GO

Turn away from those foods bad for my body.

Turn to Jesus.