Jirí Moskala
Moskala: Seventh-day Adventists are people of the Bible. In the Hebrew Scriptures, there is great emphasis on a relationship with God as well as on our behavior and how to live. It is important to notice that one of the first instructions God gave to humans was in respect to eating—God blessed humans, then he gave them instructions about procreation, rulership, and food (Genesis 1:29). The very first command God expressed is related to eating (Genesis 2:16–17). Also in the key passages of the Bible, there are references to eating or not eating in connection with the Flood, the covenant with Abraham, the gift of law on Mount Sinai, the sanctuary, etc. The same is true in the New Testament. For example, Paul encourages believers that whatever they eat or drink, or whatever they do, they should do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
If it is so significant for God and the writers of the Bible to speak so extensively about eating, I think we need to take this matter seriously and search for its meaning. The biblical dietary regulations reveal that God cares about what humans eat.
The Adventist philosophy of eating is anchored in creation. This is the theological starting point. Without this belief, in my judgment, there is no real basis for healthy living from a religious point of view. In the Bible, God is presented as our Creator. He says yes to the human body and rejoices over it. He creates and provides food. Our God is not a God of ascetics; He gives life abundantly. God gives us an appetite and thousands of taste buds, so we can rejoice in life.
Adventists put an emphasis on life because creation is about life and food sustains life. Without it, there is no life. Therefore, we want to avoid anything that jeopardizes life. Because of Creation, we discern carefully what is useful for our bodies and what is harmful, what to eat and drink, and what to avoid.
Of course, it is not something to practice in isolation. Humans were created holistically. Eating and drinking habits are part of the holistic biblical teaching, which I would like to describe through the acronym CREATION: The letter C stands for “choice” (because right choice is the first step toward good health), the letter R is for “rest” (because proper rest and relaxation are an important remedy for stress, tiredness, and pressures of life), the letter E represents “environment” (because what lies outside us also influences our mood as well as our health), the letter A stands for “activity” (because to be active physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually brings satisfaction, enjoyment, and increases our health), T stands for “trust” (because trust in God, our faith, and hope affect our happiness), the letter I is for “interpersonal” (because social life and quality interpersonal relationships are irreplaceable dimensions in our life), the letter O stands for “outlook” (because outlook colors our perspectives on life and our attitudes), and finally the letter N represents “nutrition” (because nutrition is the physical fuel that drives the whole system of our life). Thus, food plays a significant part in the holistic activities of humans. This philosophy brings together all the necessary elements for a full life. Thus, the whole spectrum of life is important. Harmony among the elements is a goal. To cultivate a sense of humor is one of them. You cannot take yourself too seriously and live happily and healthily.
Not according to the Hebrew Scriptures. Health is included, but it is not a primary factor. The concept of holiness is closely associated with Mosaic food laws. God’s people have to be holy, just as God is holy. There is also an ethical and theological element: total obedience to God. God said so, and I obey because I personally know my loving and sovereign God. God provides food and says what is best for humankind. Where food is associated with idolatrous practices, biblical dietary laws form a strong wall against them. Pentateuchal food laws teach separation from wrong habits, not separation from people.
God provides food for people and the whole world. This is in contrast to the Mesopotamian stories, in which human beings are expected to provide food for the gods.
God wants our complete welfare, health, peace, and harmony. He wants us to live according to His principles of life and happiness. This is why I do not eat unclean food and do not eat blood. In the Hebrew Scriptures, God forbids the eating of unclean animals and blood. For the same reason, I do not drink alcohol or coffee, and I do not use drugs. Also, overeating and drunkenness are condemned.
According to the first Creation story, God gave a vegetarian diet to humans. No death was involved in this provision. It was life-oriented food. The principle of life, along with the principle of separation presented in the second Creation account, is related to right choosing among the trees of the garden of Eden and is the foundation for the theology of eating.
Originally in the Garden of Eden, God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a symbol of human limits. Only by respecting these boundaries can humans enjoy a full life. They had to respect God’s decision and trust Him for what is good to eat and what is not.
The distinction between clean and unclean animals appears only after sin, and more precisely after the Flood. There are several important factors involved in this distinction. To state it simply, clean animals reflect the best, the ideal of creation. Generally speaking, life is respected by them. They are vegetarians (this is the Edenic original food prescription), and their behavior is nonviolent. They do not shed blood.
Unclean animals, on the contrary, are carnivorous and eat blood. They are usually wild. Some of them were used in war or were needed as beasts of burden for transportation; they were not suitable for human consumption (think, for example, about scavengers and all insects), were naturally repulsive, or were used in idolatrous rituals. They are far away from the ideals of the original creation. Clean animals are linked to life, and unclean animals are tied to death. Creation is an overarching criterion for the Mosaic dietary rules.
Behind the Pentateuchal dietary laws is the theological Creation-Fall-New Creation pattern. God set the all-important life-related principles in the Garden of Eden and gave the ideal vegetarian diet instructions. Through sin, the food regulations were modified, and after the Flood, flesh was allowed to be consumed by humans but not blood, as a reminder of original life. God intended to teach humans a moral lesson of self-discipline by thoughtfully choosing what is right in the matter of eating.
In my dissertation, “The Laws of Clean and Unclean Animals of Leviticus 11: Their Nature, Theology, and Rationale (An Intertextual Study),” I differentiate between two basic types of uncleanness: ritual and natural. Natural uncleanness relates only to the dietary laws and is permanent, with no rituals involved. Only these laws of uncleanness belong to universal law.
Blood is a symbol of life. When God permitted humans to kill animals and eat meat, he restricted access to life by prohibiting the consumption of blood. By doing that, people are showing respect for life. Hunting for pleasure is not allowed in the Bible, only the hunting or killing of animals for the purpose of food. This prohibition is valid for all ages. In order for humans to eat flesh, they have to kill the animal. They take life. The prescription not to eat blood (it means some blood remains in the flesh) is also a reminder that a life is taken, something sacred is missing, and a creature is dead, which cannot be replaced. In other words, humans should feel guilty about taking life and then eating animal flesh to satisfy their needs or desires. Blood is crying out that life was taken.
My reason is twofold: ethical and theological. They are complementary. I do not eat meat out of respect for life. I do not want to kill animals. To that must be added respect for God’s creation order and respect for the Creator Himself.
Alcohol is a cause of many evils. The Bible clearly speaks against alcoholism. But I do not want to use any because it is something that can harm me, my service to God, or even my neighbor. With alcohol, all three issues are involved because it immediately attacks our thinking abilities and dulls them. So I do not drink it.
The Bible gives some directives in that line and leads to abstinence, even though there is no unambiguous teaching that would strictly forbid drinking alcohol. It was only forbidden for special groups of people, such as the priests in service, the Nazirites, the kings, and the Recabites (Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 6:3; Proverbs 20:1; 23:20–21; 23:29–30; Jeremiah 35:6). But most important is to know the biblical intention in that regard. According to my understanding, it is abstinence, even though there is no proof text for it. Because we are in the service of our Lord without break and have received a special call to live for him and represent him well, I think it is proper to abstain from the drinking of alcohol.
The other reasons are very practical. While driving, you cannot drink alcohol. It can cost you your life or the life of someone else. In our lives, we are always on the road; therefore, we need to behave responsibly. I also do not want to be a bad example to my children. I want to help them not fall into the trap of alcoholism, which starts with the first drink. Could you imagine the loss of respect for me if my family experienced seeing me drunk? Why then would my children take seriously my words?
Research demonstrates that drinking is harmful to our health. Many modern studies provide new evidence for that. The whole body is affected. The brain cells die in vast numbers, and nothing can repair the harm caused by the intake of alcohol.
No. But I love fruit salad with oats. I drink a lot of water and fruit juices. I eat a lot of fruit and try eating vegetables as much as possible, even though I am not fond of vegetables. I eat whole-grain bread, usually baked at home by my wife and my daughters. I avoid fatty or fried food and use sugar and salt sporadically.
God created through separation. He teaches us by our everyday choices to separate good from evil and good from harmful in the spheres of eating and drinking. To discern, this is a crucial activity in life. In that sense, it is important to be gourmet because God wants us to give only the best to our bodies.
Taste is a wonderful gift of God. We should enjoy eating! The same is true about the smell. The natural smell of bread or fruits is extraordinary. Unfortunately, it is also easy to misuse taste. It is sad that the lives of many people are ruined because they indulge in their appetite, and taste becomes their master. But if it is guarded from the right perspective, taste is one of the great and genuine joys of life! What’s wrong with enjoying the taste of an apple or an orange? God’s gift must be used and not denied.
If an Adventist does not respect these practices, he disrespects his Creator. Something very important is missing. The creation order is distorted. A right relationship with nature is also lost. Adventists are a people dedicated to God, neighbors, and nature. How can one confess to believing in God, have hope for the future, and not pay attention to His law?
We were created in God’s image. Our whole being must reflect God’s perfection. Therefore, we need to give glory to God in all aspects of our being, including the physical one.
Better health, yes; some scientific studies prove it. Not necessarily, even though faith in the Holy One, Creator, and Redeemer should change them to be loving and lovable people. Closer to God because of their different eating and drinking habits—no! We are not closer to God by what we eat or do not eat. Eating and drinking habits are an expression of faith.
We do not believe that we can be saved on the basis of food. We avoid certain things not in order to earn heaven, but because we are saved. Deuteronomy 14:1 stresses this truth. Using my own words, God states there: “You are my children, holy and saved; therefore, do not do this.” To live in right fellowship with God means that we want to live according to our best knowledge of the revealed principles related to health and complete harmony.
The laws of clean and unclean animals were not given to God’s people in order to become holy. God made them holy. They keep these laws to stay in a right relationship with God and maintain holiness, not in order to gain it. People of God should not observe these laws to obtain salvation and holiness, but they should keep them because they are saved and made holy. It is impossible to earn holiness. A person can walk in it but cannot create it. One can lose it but cannot form it or command it. This is beyond human reach. One may only receive it as a gift from God.
To be a Seventh-day Adventist means to have a deep relationship with God and with other people. The stress on creation also implies care for nature. A set table is and must be a testimony for God. It is a wordless confession of faith that we respect life and our Creator and preserve God-given boundaries and His order.
We are what we care for. The way we express our care for our Creator and His creation shows who we are. If we care for the Creator, we care for His creation. Thus, the Mosaic dietary laws also lead to ecological or environmental concerns. You know, God’s law is not a rule to be obeyed but rather a story to be lived.