Genesis 1:28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”
Genesis 1:29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food.”And it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
In the beginning, everyone and all creatures were vegetarian. Does that mean we should only eat plants today since in the perfect world that God created only plants were eaten?
Genesis 9:1 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear and terror of you will be in every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority. 3 Every living creature will be food for you; as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything.
See how this passage mirrors what God said to Adam? Both were given the command to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." To Adam he gives all plants and to Noah he gives everything, plants and animals, to be food. So, it is fine to eat meat. God gave us permission long ago to do so.
The Lord did give Noah some restrictions on the meat. We will continue to read from Genesis 9:
Genesis 9:4 However, you must not eat meat with its lifeblood in it.
There are MANY more examples of the food restrictions in the Old Testament Leviticus 11 goes through all the clean and unclean animals. (Go here to read) But why does God put all these restrictions on the foods that his people eat? It is to keep them holy, set apart for God. God did not want his people to get caught up in what the Gentiles were doing. He did not want them to become idol worshipers and forget their God. By giving strict food guidelines, they were unable to share a meal with Gentiles. How do you know what they are serving isn't unclean. You do not know where it came from, how it was killed or cooked. Ever tried to prepare a meal for a Jewish friend? It can be difficult knowing what you can and cannot serve.
Since God gave his people restrictions on the foods to eat, should we too abide by those rules? Let us see what the New Testament says.
So, the New Testament is clear. You can eat meat if it does not cause your brother to stumble. You do not have to abide by the Old Testament food laws if you know they are not necessary. If you think it is wrong to eat a certain type of food or food prepared a certain way, then do not eat it. It is a sin to eat that which you think is wrong.
What about animals? Did they eat meat before the flood? The Bible never shows that God gives animals permission to eat meat. In the perfect world, no animal ate meat. We live in a fallen world. Not a perfect world. When man sinned, all of creation was punished. Not just man. The ground was no longer has bountiful as it was before. Animals suffered just as much as man. Did some animals turn to meat out of desperation for food? Maybe. We do not know.
1 Corinthians 10:25 Eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake, 26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you over and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This is food offered to an idol,” do not eat it,out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake. 29 I do not mean your own conscience, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another person’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thanks, why am I slandered because of something I give thanks for?
1 Corinthians 8:8 Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. 9 But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? 11 Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, is ruined by your knowledge. 12 Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall.
Romans 14:13 Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way. 14 (I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.) 15 For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat. 16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. 20 Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. 21 It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble. 22 Do you have a conviction? Keep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed. 23 But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from a conviction, and everything that is not from a conviction is sin.
So, the New Testament is clear. You can eat meat if it does not cause your brother to stumble. You do not have to abide by the Old Testament food laws if you know they are not necessary. If you think it is wrong to eat a certain type of food or food prepared a certain way, then do not eat it. It is a sin to eat that which you think is wrong.
What about animals? Did they eat meat before the flood? The Bible never shows that God gives animals permission to eat meat. In the perfect world, no animal ate meat. We live in a fallen world. Not a perfect world. When man sinned, all of creation was punished. Not just man. The ground was no longer has bountiful as it was before. Animals suffered just as much as man. Did some animals turn to meat out of desperation for food? Maybe. We do not know.
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