The Law and Health

Food is an area where many misapplications and misinterpretations of Scripture have taken place. One of the more obvious examples of this is Ezekiel bread, which is supposed to be based on the ingredients found in Ezekiel 4:9. Somehow they missed the fact that God was telling Ezekiel to make this bread as a sign of judgement upon Jerusalem (and that it was supposed to be cooked over dung, see verses 12 and 15). 

Well, I am not free of guilt myself in this area. In my book, near the end of my discussion on clean and unclean foods, I said the following:

God is good, and His guidance in life by His law is a blessing. God has said in Exodus 15:26, 

"If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer."

Now in my book I made the point that the Old Testament food law is helpful as an eating guideline (i.e. there is a physical "uncleanness" in the unclean foods the ceremonial uncleanness was built upon), but that it is no longer a binding law on believers (Mark 7:15-19, Acts 10:12-16, Col. 2:16-17). So why did I then treat it as a law and connect it to Exodus 15:26? I mainly was trying to overcome a common antipathy that people have to the Old Testament laws. But my application of Exodus 15:26 was unclear and somewhat misleading. 

So what would a proper application of Exodus 15:26 be? God is indeed good, and His guidance in life by His law is really a blessing. When we, as his children adopted in Christ, obey God's moral law as children  who listen to the voice of the Lord our God (found throughout the Bible, summarized in the Ten Commandments) God will graciously bless us as His people as texts like Deuteronomy 28:1-14 describe. And we can only be His children by His gracious redemption. In fact, this passage in Exodus come right after God delivered His people from bondage and slavery (a type of Christ's redemption). The diseases that are mentioned in this verse are the plagues that God sent on Egypt for disobeying Him and persecuting His people. Redemption is unto life in its fullest sense; rebellion is unto death in its fullest sense. 

So does this have anything to do with health? Yes, it does. Physical and spiritual aspects are often interconnected in the Christian life. Some of the Corinthians were dying because they were coming to the table unworthily (1 Cor. 11:29-30). The Bible teaches that honoring and obeying parents contributes to a longer and better life (Eph. 6:1-3). James gives explicit advice for those who are sick, and the instruction of highest priority for him was not food or medicine. 

"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working" (James 5:14-16).

As was the case in 1 Corinthians, our sins against each other can affect our health in a bad way. And whatever sickness we have, it is the Lord who is sovereign over its healing. Prayer should be an immediate response to physical distress. 

Of course, we need to keep in mind the examples of Job and of the man born blind in John 9. Not all sickness is because of personal sin. And death is the final enemy to be overthrown (1 Cor. 15:26), and so we will deal with weakness and decay until the resurrection. 

Also, there is a connection between the moral law and healthy living. The command "you shall not murder" (Ex. 20:13) includes a command to preserve the lives of others and ourselves. This involves healthy food, exercise, etc... Also, following the moral laws of the Bible, such as those against being drunk (Rom. 13:13) and being anxious (Matthew 6:25), will tend to promote a healthier life over all. And yes, the guidelines of the Old Testament food law, washing your self in various circumstances, and other similar laws, while they are no longer binding as ceremonial laws, may contain an element of moral instruction. This element may remain in that we should preserve life, and as general guidelines they help in that regard.

To sum it up, we ought to be thankful for the deliverance from bondage and death that Christ brings. As thankful Christians we ought not to grumble against God like the Israelites did in the wilderness, but should listen to our Father's voice, love Him, and keep His commandments. We should rely in prayer on Him for our health, and act to preserve life when we can without being anxious. 

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P.S. More needs to be said on the nature of blessings and curses and I hope to post something on the topic soon. Also, if you want a little more on the dietary laws, you might want to read this earlier post: Rushdoony on the Dietary Laws.

Rushdoony on the Dietary Laws

R.J. Rushdoony had some insightful things to say concerning the Old Testament dietary laws in his Institutes of Biblical Law, Volume One:

"The [biblical] laws of diet, or kosher laws, are generally well known, but, unfortunately, here as elsewhere man in his perversity sees law, which was ordained as a principle of life, instead as a restraint on life. Moreover, the Biblical principle of eating and drinking is not ascetic: the purpose of food and drink is not merely to maintain life, important as that is, but is a part of the enjoyment of life." [p. 297]

"Ninth, although very obvious rules of health appear in the legal prohibitions, the primary principle of division is religious, of which the medical and hygienic is a subordinate aspect. The terms used are clean and unclean, and the forbidden foods are an abomination; religious and moral purity is clearly in mind, of which hygienic purity is a part." [p. 300]

"...in Colossians 2:16, 17, there is a clear reference to the dietary laws: 'Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days; Which are a shadow of things to come: but the body is of Christ'...The dietary laws are not legally binding on us, but they do provide us with a principle of operation. The apostles, as they moved into a Gentile world, did not allow diet to be a barrier between them and the Gentiles. If they were served pork or shrimp, they ate it....We do not regard the [biblical] kosher legislation as law today, but we do observe it as a sound rule for health....Our observance of these dietary rules should never be to place a barrier between ourselves and other men but for our health and prosperity in Christ." [p. 301, 302]

Paul's Health Advice

I find this interesting...

While there are various principles in the Bible that refer to health and nutrition, one of the the very few direct instructions concerning health specifically is one that certain Christians in the last two hundred years have directly contradicted:

(Paul writing to Timothy) "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments" (1 Timothy 5:23).

The Complex Design of Food

"As was said earlier, there is order and diversity, and thus beauty, in food that reflects God’s character. One cannot escape this obvious fact when reviewing a farmers’ market display of foods or by studying the details of each food. This detail of order and diversity never ends as we look at the visible, microscopic, molecular, and atomic structure of food. The design of food is undeniably incredible. Beware of people who do not humbly work with food and instead oversimplify it. It is easy to isolate a component of a food and declare that that is all you need, so you should consume it as a supplement and forget the rest of the food. Likewise it is also easy to isolate a component of a food and declare that the component is bad for you, so therefore you should avoid the food source. The different molecules and compounds of food work together in a way that is difficult to measure. The parts that are good by themselves are usually even better combined with other parts, and those that might usually be bad by themselves can interact at low levels with other parts to produce a good effect. Over time many compounds or attributes of foods that were originally considered as detrimental have not been confirmed as such; some were even found to be healthful (e.g. protease inhibitors). We see things dimly and imperfectly, especially when we study God’s creation without acknowledging that He exists and has infinite wisdom and power"

(The Christian Philosophy of Food, p. 69-70).

True Rest

To observe the Lord's Day, to fast, to go on vacation, or to try to rest in any other way without faith in God is rest in vain. The only ultimately fulfilling rest that we can attain is the rest in peace with God by faith. While we may try to make ourselves more healthy by various techniques, we miss the point if that is all we accomplish. Life without peace or rest, life filled with "anxious toil," is not what we should be striving to preserve by nutrition. And in fact, life filled with "anxious toil" will usually not be a healthy life. Trusting in the LORD and fearing Him will be healing to the flesh.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
(Proverbs 3:5-8) 

Unless the LORD builds the house,
       those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
       the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
(Psalm 127:1-2) 

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:4-7)

When we apply ourselves to healthy practices and times of rest, may we do them in faith in God and fully glorify and enjoy God in those times.

New Age, Yoga, Alchemy, and Water Witching

Here is a helpful radio program by Generations Radio concerning the New Age movement and related practices, especially as related to health and medicine. This is an important topic as people are often confused what to trust when it comes to medical (and dietary) decisions.

New Age, Yoga, Alchemy, and Water Witching

The Future of Food

What is the future of food?

Will food become more convenient and indulgent, and consumers become more dependent on expensive supplements to maintain their health? Will fruit, berry, and vegetable production be increasingly used for the sale of plant extracts to supplement foods, rather than being sold as less profitable and more perishable whole food? Will the cost of fuel make it difficult to afford foods that we have today from around the states and the world? Will people get more of their food from local farming families? Will people convert more of the property in their communities into vegetable, fruit and berry gardens? Will people know more about the beauty of minimally processed food and praise God?

Without a change from the current path of the nations, maybe the obesity crisis and cost of associated diseases will bring blame to producers, processors, marketers, and food services. The result could be mandates based on government guidelines, scientific experts and lobby groups. Pressures may increase on the largest retail stores and food companies to require suppliers to comply with standards around fat, sugar, and calories, and watch-dog organizations may put public pressure on companies that do not comply. Maybe these pressures will result in a better version of Pringles and fried chicken containing lower levels of hydrogenated frying oil, but will have no effect on people’s appreciation and consumption of red potato salad or chicken stew.

There is a niche demand for whole, mostly plant-based foods by those who make health and wellness a high priority. This market is served by natural food chains like Whole Foods which experience growth as the economy improves. It may be difficult for families to afford premium and conveniently prepared supplies and foods, especially as the prices increase and food becomes scarcer with increased demand for fuel and food from China. Perhaps some of the pressures on food prices will be curtailed by putting more of our own labor into producing food and trading/selling products with people that we know.

It could happen that individual families affect change in the nation by discipling their children in the knowledge of God. It could be that the character of children, families, churches, and communities are changed by God through faith in Christ and thus increasingly want and learn what is right and good by the power of the Holy Spirit. Maybe it will not be necessary to tax people to influence their consumption of junk food. Perhaps as people depend on God for their needs they will break addictions to the shallow sensuality of ‘pop food’. Perhaps they may steward the value of each food God has created and appreciate their combined roles, inspiring elegant presentation and health, and limiting the need for supplements and drugs. Families may act based on their faith in God and have courage to govern themselves according to God’s word. They may have hope because it is a blessing from God and because they can see how God has worked through history to provide. Maybe the Christian’s worldview will be attractive to others and even the ungodly see the benefits of a God-centered society. Maybe the whole nation will become prosperous, healthy, and free at the same time. Maybe the nation is blessed whose God is the Lord.

-Neal

Blessing Of Spices

(This post is written by Neal Bringe, who is not only my father, but a Christian who loves God's Word, and a Ph.D. Food Scientist. He'll be writing some posts on this blog along with myself.) 

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of foods of India is spices. When I look at a cookbook of Indian food recipes, simply cooking okra involves additions of turmeric, coriander, Chile powder, curry leaves, ginger, onions, garlic, coconut powder, sesame seeds, salt, oil, fenugreek seeds, onion seeds, and mustard seeds (1). Perhaps people of that culture took the time to combine okra and spices because both grow well in India. About 2,300,000 tons of spices are grown in India, compared to about 200,000 tons in the U.S. Spice consuming populations like India seem to be blessed by lower rates of cancer. In 2000 India had about 7 times less cancer cases per capita than the US (2). Spices have been used for a long time to preserve foods (antibacterial activity) and provide a variety of tasty and attractive meals. They are also used in India as medicine. In recent times scientists are learning that spices have properties that protect our bodies from compounds that cause cell damage, inflammation and disease. God designed every spice with beautifully designed and unique chemicals in addition to some that are in common. The chemicals of different spices and foods work together at low levels to provide healthful outcomes just as every person in the church is unique, and as one body can give much glory to God.

A chemical in an Indian spice called turmeric that has received attention is called curcumin (which gives curries their distinctive yellow color). Not only are anti-cancer properties of curcumin an active area of research (3, 4), but also multiple other medical uses (5, 6) such as its potential to inhibit plaque formation and oxidative damage in the brain that is responsible for the decline of mental function in Alzheimer’s disease (7). An important discovery recently was that curcumin can be absorbed into the blood stream about 60 times better if it is combined with oil (especially phospholipid fraction) (8). This is how turmeric (containing curcumin) is traditionally used in Indian cooking. I would not be surprised that that the other components of the recipe above, in addition to oil, also contribute in a synergistic way with turmeric to provide taste and health benefits. It is interesting to learn that the long living and healthy people of the island of Okinawa, Japan commonly used turmeric for curries, soup, fish and medicine (9). It is reasoned that turmeric was brought from India to the island through the spice trade.

Praise God for providing spices to help make our food safe, attractive, tasty and healthful.

-Neal

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1. Husain, S. 1995. Vegetarian Indian, JR Press, North Dighton, MA 02764)

2. http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/234/8/825.full?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=20&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=Modulation+of+Inflammation+by+Natural+Dietary&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=match&resourcetype=HWCIT

3. http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2012/01/18/0008-5472.CAN-11-0943.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Targeting+pioneering+factor+and+hormone+receptor&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22335582

5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17569208
6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3144156/pdf/nihms307506.pdf
7. http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Curcumin-and-Indian-gooseberry-to-feature-in-new-Alzheimer-s-trials
8. http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Industry/Soy-boosts-curcumin-bioavailability-says-Indena
9. http://www.jacn.org/content/28/4_Supplement_1/500S.full.pdf+html

Faith, Health, and Comfort

I ran across this quote recently and recognized in it an important thing to remember when we are discussing health. While there defiantly are many things we should do to take care of ourselves, we will be a nervous wreak if we do not trust God for our health.

"Innumerable are the ills which beset human life, and present death in as many different forms. Not to go beyond ourselves, since the body is a receptacle, nay the nurse, of a thousand diseases, a man cannot move without carrying along with him many forms of destruction. His life is in a manner interwoven with death...Then, in what direction soever you turn, all surrounding objects not only may do harm, but almost openly threaten and seem to present immediate death...Amid these perils, must not man be very miserable, as one who, more dead than alive, with difficulty draws an anxious and feeble breath, just as if a drawn sword were constantly suspended over his neck?...it is impossible not to fear and dread as if they were to befall us. Add that there is something like an insult to God when it is said, that man, the noblest of the creatures, stands exposed to every blind and random stroke of fortune. Here, however, we were only referring to the misery which man should feel, were he placed under the dominion of chance.

"But when once the light of Divine Providence has illumined the believer’s soul, he is relieved and set free from the extreme fear and anxiety which formerly oppressed him...For as he justly shudders at the idea of chance, so he can confidently commit himself to God. This, I say, is his comfort, that his heavenly Father so embraces all things under his power—so governs them at will by his nod—so regulates them by his wisdom, that nothing takes place save according to his appointment; that received into his favour, and entrusted to the care of his angels neither fire, nor water, nor sword, can do him harm, except in so far as God their master is pleased to permit. For thus sings the Psalm, “Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday” &c." (Ps. 91:2-6).

-John Calvin (Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 17, Section 10)

Unless the LORD builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;

for he gives to his beloved sleep.

(Psalm 127:1-2 ESV)