Good Health through Biblical
Nutrition
Paul Wong
The first
man and woman were created in God’s own image which is to have a body, spirit
and soul (Gen. 1:27; 2:7; 1 Thes.
Adam 930
years old (Gen. 5:5)
Seth 912
years old (Gen. 5:8)
Enosh 905 years old (Gen. 5:11)
Cainan 910
years old (Gen. 5:14)
Mahalaleel 895
years old (Gen. 5:17)
Jared 962 years old (Gen. 5:20)
Enoch 365 (Gen. 5:23-24)
Methuselah 969
years old (Gen. 5:27)
Lamech 777
years old (Gen. 5:31)
Noah 950 years old (Gen. 9:29)
Not counting Enoch who was taken by God the average life
span of the early patriarchs from Adam
to Noah (nine generations) is 912 years. When we look at
the life spans of the patriarchs after Noah we can see a reduction in the years
they lived.
Shem 602
years old (Gen. 11:10-11)
Arphaxad 438
years old (Gen. 11:12-13)
Salah 433
years old (Gen. 11:14-15)
Eber 464
years old (Gen. 11:16-17)
Peleg 239
years old (Gen. 11:18-19)
Reu 239
years old (Gen. 11:20-21)
Serug 230
years old (Gen. 11:22-23)
Nahor 148
years old (Gen. 11:24-25)
Terah 205
years old (Gen. 11:32)
The average life span of the patriarchs from Shem to Terah (nine generations) is 333 years.
The dividing line between the two sets of generations is the Great
Flood. Before the Great Flood there was
no rain “but a mist
went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.” (Gen. 2:5-6) This
vapor canopy also acts like a screen that filters out the harmful ultra-violet
rays of the sun. This atmospheric
condition provided an ideal climate that is neither hot nor cold and this
prolongs life. This is one of the
reasons the pre-flood patriarchs lived longer than the ones after the Great
Flood.
Long Life and Biblical Nutrition
Longevity
is related to good health. In order to
live a long life one must be healthy, and we can see that good health is
dependent on what the person eats and drinks.
Nutrition is the natural or organic processing of food and drink for the
nourishment of the human body in order to keep healthy or to grow.
There is a
good reason for the longevity of the pre-flood patriarchs. Their staple diet was mostly vegetarian (Gen.
1:29-30). In the
After the Great Flood God allowed man to eat meat but with
restrictions.
“Every moving thing that
lives shall be food for you. I have
given you all things, even as the green herbs.
But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” (Gen.
9:3-4)
After meat was
introduced to the diet of man we can see the life span became shorter. Abraham, for example,
lived 175 years (Gen. 25:7). A few generations later, Joseph lived only 110 years (Gen. 50:22).
We are told in the Psalms that seventy years is considered to be a long life,
and men reach eighty years only "by reason of strength" (Psm. 90:10). David died at the age of seventy in about
1000 BC, and is described as dying "in a good old age, full of days" (I Chr. 29:28).
Unclean
Food defiles
the Body
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
Now let us compare these Old Testament verses
with the New Testament teaching.
“Do you not
know that you are the
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
“For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the
The main reason God delivered the children of
“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.
Please Click on the Titles to access the Links
Can Gentile Christians Eat any Meat They Want?
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Prosper in all things and be in Health
Nutritious Foods from the Bible
In the
first chapter of Genesis God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields
seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields
seed; to you it shall be for food.” (Gen.
1:29) Then in the last
chapter of Revelation it states: “And he showed me a pure
river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and
of the Lamb. In the middle of its
street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore
twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the
healing of the nations.” (Rev. 22:1-2) God has
revealed His plan of nutrition for man.
In the Garden of Eden before sin entered into man God gave him herb, seed
and fruit. In heaven where there is no
sin God also gave man fruit and leaves from the tree. This is an indication that God’s nutritious
diet for man is herb, seed, fruit and vegetables.
Why is the
diet that includes plants and vegetables so nutritious and healthful to
man? The reason is very simple. The green leaves from the plants contain
chlorophyll that is essential for the production of oxygen through
photosynthesis. Chlorophyll's structure
has been found to be almost identical to the structure of hemoglobin, a vital
component within human blood. The most obvious difference between the two is
that the structure of chlorophyll is based around magnesium, while hemoglobin
is arranged around iron. Both minerals
promote good health for humans.
The Bible discusses a
wide variety of foods within its pages.
Therefore you shall keep
the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear
Him. For the LORD your God is bringing
you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that
flow out of the valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig
trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey.” (Deut. 8:6-8)
Each one of these
seven foods is of high nutritional merit.
Wheat
Of all the
foods mentioned in the Bible, assuredly none holds a higher position of
importance than wheat. Both the Bible
and archaeology show that wheat was one of the main staple foods of ancient
times and some form of it was probably eaten at every meal. Time and again in the Bible, a bountiful
wheat harvest is portrayed as a blessing from God to His people.
“Praise the LORD, O
Wheat was
also used as a symbol for the dying and resurrecting Savior. Wheat is the
symbol of eternal life. It doesn't really die. It goes into the ground and is
transformed and reborn again.
“Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain.” (Jn. 12:24)
One wheat berry can be planted in the right soil and from that berry will
sprout up a whole stalk of wheat that will contain some 30, 60 or 100 fold new
berries. You can see the Lord Jesus Christ, like one wheat berry being planted
into the ground by His death, burial and resurrection have
produced a whole field of wheat grain over and over again. So it is with the
Wheat is a high-fiber grain, loaded with B-vitamins and
folic acid, which can help prevent heart disease and certain birth defects. Nutritionally, wheat does seem to contain it all. It is an excellent source of protein, fat,
and carbohydrates as well as vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Wheat truly is a
special gift from God and every aspect of this sacred grain should be
considered for good health.
Barley
Barley,
like wheat, is a highly nutritious grain and is mentioned close to 40 times in
the Bible. In ancient
In one of
the greatest miracles ever performed our Lord Jesus Christ took five barley
loaves and two small fish and multiplied the food to feed five thousand people
(Jn. 6:1-14)
Barley is rich in in vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber.
Vines
Of all the plants
mentioned in the Bible there is none more significant in symbolism of the Lord
Jesus Christ than the vine. Our Lord
Jesus Christ calls Himself “the True Vine.” (Jn. 15:1) In the Holy Communion our Lord used “the fruit of the vine” to spiritually transform into His blood of the New Covenant. (Mt.
26:26-29) Grapes and wine are
mentioned many times in the Bible, and are still an important part of Christian
and Jewish ritual. Wine was used not only as a beverage, but also as a healing
compound; it was used to disinfect wounds and, mixed with myrrh, acted as a
painkiller. Grapes are a great antioxidant and
grape skins contain a substance called resveratrol,
which some researchers think can be beneficial in fighting cardiovascular
(heart) diseases and cancer.
Figs and Dates
One of the earliest
cultivated fruits, figs, figured prominently in the Bible. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve made their
first garments from fig leaves.. Modern research has found that figs and dates
are high in fiber and antioxidants, and figs contain an enzyme that is
considered a digestive aid.
Pomegranates
In the Song of Solomon pomegranates
were used to describe the beauty of his beloved. (Songs 4:1-3) King Solomon is reported to have cultivated a
large pomegranate grove as a display of his wealth. (Songs 4:13)
Eaten whole or juiced, these
delicate fruits are potent antioxidants, and some studies suggest pomegranate
juice may contain almost three times the antioxidant ability of green tea or
red wine.
Olives
References to the olive
are scattered throughout the Bible: The olive branch was a symbol of peace
brought to Noah after the Great Flood, and olive oil was poured into the wounds
of the man on the road by the Good Samaritan. Considered a fruit, olives were eaten whole as
food and pressed to make oil for cooking and medicinal uses. Today we know more
about the healing benefits of olives and olive oil: They contain
monounsaturated fatty acids, which can lower cholesterol levels and reduce the
risk of cardiovascular disease.
Honey
In the Bible honey is
mentioned quite often. It is most frequently used to say how sweet something
is. “And I took
the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth
sweet as honey.” (Rev. 10:10)
John the Baptist depended on honey for his survival: “And John himself
was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food
was locusts and wild honey.” (Mt. 3:4).”
Honey is a sweet fluid
made by honeybees. The bees make honey to feed the baby bees (larvae). Also,
they need honey in order to stay alive during the winter. It is stored in aged
honeycombs by the bees.
There is no mention of beekeeping in the Bible,
but wild honey was plentiful. It's a store house of natural energy. Honey
contains boron, a vital mineral sadly lacking in the modern diet. It has
tranquilizing powers, and can aid in healing wounds.
May God bless you
A sermon based on this article was preached by Paul Wong
to a
Congregation in
For comments please write first to: arkpw@sbcglobal.net
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Paul Wong is a Christian minister and the
President of ARK International. |
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