Genesis9_3-4

Genesis 9:3-4

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.  

God Elohim permitted human beings to eat meat as food. Before the flood, they ate only green herbs, which God had given them. But why did God Elohim allow human beings to eat meat?

In the next verse, God gave the answer: they were not allowed to eat flesh with its life—that is, its blood. In the Bible, blood represents life and redemption. Therefore, when sinners ate meat, it signified their need for the covering of blood. In other words, without blood there is no forgiveness. God allowed them to eat meat to show that the blood of living creatures appeased the righteous anger of God. It also symbolized the coming Christ, who would be offered to God and bring peace between God and sinful people.

Since God Elohim had limited the lifespan of fallen humanity to about one hundred and twenty years, human beings needed to eat meat in order to reach that lifespan more quickly. According to God’s word, a person who eats only herbs and vegetables cannot maintain full physical or mental strength. To live a long and healthy life, one should eat both meat and vegetables; otherwise, the body may lack certain vitamins or other nutrients. In this sense, strict vegetarianism does not correspond to God’s word.

God is careful and attentive to His people in every detail of daily life—even in matters of food.