Food is the very symbol of our life and labor; harvested, slaughtered, prepared, presented and consumed. It then gives back strength for more labor and life. From death comes life―how can this be? Such a “resurrection” cannot be explained by any natural process. It’s only possible though the One who calls things that are not as though they were. Nourishment is a miracle by which the seed must die in order to produce its fruit. By way of its deadness, food reveals, even beyond our dependence on food, that our life is completely dependent on the Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
In Leviticus, Israel was given detailed lists of clean and unclean food fit for eating and sacrifice. God set Israel apart from her pagan neighbors by giving them a special menu. This special menu helped identify them as God’s people. Israel starts taking their food very seriously. In Daniel 1, Daniel and his companions refuse to eat food from the royal table. In 2 Maccabees, faithful Jews refuse to eat pig even though it means they’ll be slaughtered.
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