With the new year approaching, many people will begin evaluating their diets. As Christians, we can look to the Bible for wisdom, even in nutrition. Seeing that Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17), most Christians would do well to consider the implications of the Mosaic law in their daily lives.
Given what we know about God’s character, we can trust that God wouldn’t give the Jewish people dietary prescriptions that were physically harmful simply to show that the Israelites were a separate people. But what if, in addition to the ceremonial purpose of the food laws in Leviticus 11, the Lord also gave direction about which foods were actually better for us? What if the dietary food laws remain nutritionally beneficial even today? If the dietary food laws in the Old Testament have a basis in nutrition science, should we consider them when choosing our meals now?
In this white paper I not only discuss the potential health and nutrition benefits of the Mosaic food laws, but also the pre-Mosaic dietary prescriptions in Genesis 1:29 and fasting. Fasting has been a tradition in the Christian church since its inception. Why has much of the church stopped this Christian practice and would it be beneficial to start fasting again? I address these questions and more in the paper available below.
