One area where God's law has been disregarded is that of clean and unclean meats. God's law, applicable to all mankind, is vital for Christians to keep in order to grow in righteousness. The clean and unclean laws are mentioned early in God's Word, in the account of the Noachian Flood, when Noah was commanded to take seven each of every clean animal. After the Flood, Noah offered burnt offerings of every clean animal and bird, suggesting these laws were known and practiced from the earliest days of mankind, long before there were Jews or Israelites, indicating they are for all humankind. In Genesis 9:3, God tells Noah that every moving thing that lives shall be food, even as the green herbs, meaning mankind has authority to eat flesh within the same parameters as vegetation, excluding harmful meats just as poisonous plants are excluded. All reviewed scriptures confirm that the law concerning clean and unclean meats remains in effect today. Since God gives only good things and His law is holy, just, and good, we should trust that our Maker knows what is beneficial for His creatures and put His laws into practice in our lives, recognizing that at least their principles are still valid to help us live abundantly.

The biblical command regarding clean and unclean meats remains in force today, representing numerous laws that protect against physical and spiritual impurity, directly relating to the pursuit of holiness. This principle of being set apart for a special purpose undergirds the law, distinguishing God's people from surrounding nations. As the spiritual temple of God, Christians are tasked with cleansing themselves of fleshly defilements, perfecting holiness in all areas of life. The law of clean and unclean predates the Old Covenant, existing in Noah's time and possibly earlier, thus not becoming obsolete with the Old Covenant's passing. God provides specific lists in Scripture of foods that are clean or unclean, along with guidelines to identify unlisted foods. Christ did not abolish this law; His teachings addressed ritual washings, not the consumption of unclean meats, emphasizing that true defilement comes from a person's conduct. Similarly, Peter's vision did not nullify this law but taught against calling any person common or unclean. Paul's writings also do not permit eating unclean meats, focusing instead on sensitivity to others' consciences regarding clean meats offered to idols. In God's Kingdom, the distinction between clean and unclean will continue to be taught by the priesthood during the Millennium. In the New Jerusalem, nothing that defiles will be present, and all citizens will be holy, underscoring the ongoing relevance of adhering to the law of clean and unclean meats as preparation for this destiny.

The question of clean and unclean meats is a fundamental aspect of mankind's relationship with God, rooted in disbelief and a lack of trust in His instructions. From the beginning, God established distinctions between clean and unclean animals, though He does not explain why certain animals are deemed unclean, simply commanding not to eat them. This principle is introduced in a universal context in Genesis, long before Israel or the Old Covenant, indicating its application to all mankind. In Genesis 4, while clean and unclean are not directly mentioned, the concept is implied through sacrifices to God, aligning with detailed instructions later given in Leviticus 1 through 7, where only clean animals or birds were acceptable for sacrifice. At the time of Noah, as seen in Genesis 7 and 9, mankind already understood which animals were clean and unclean, with no change indicated in God's consistent instruction. God's command to Noah in Genesis 9:3-4, using the phrase "even as the green herb," clarifies that not all things are intended for food, just as not all green plants are edible. While the reaction to unclean flesh may not be immediate, unlike with poisonous plants, God eventually named specific animals as clean or unclean in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, establishing these as part of the Old Covenant with Israel, yet their application remains universal and unchanged. These food laws, like the Ten Commandments, existed before the Old Covenant and continue beyond it, being fundamental to living a good life. Sacrifices, as detailed in Leviticus, symbolically represented Jesus Christ, whose life was free from defilement, reinforcing that only clean animals were suitable. In Isaiah 65:2-5, written around 750 BC, eating swine's flesh is still detestable to God, equated with idolatry. Even into the Millennium, as described in Ezekiel 40-44, what is unclean remains so, showing God's unchanging nature in this matter. In Mark 7, during Jesus Christ's ministry, a misunderstanding arises regarding food and defilement. Jesus Christ corrects the Pharisees, who were concerned with external dirt on food, not with unclean meats. His statement in Mark 7:19 about purifying all foods refers to common food, specifically bread, defiled by dirt from hands or utensils, not to flesh created unclean by God. He clarifies that physical dirt does not defile the spiritual heart, and His teaching does not alter the distinction between clean and unclean meats. God's principles regarding food remain constant, as He changes not, and His instructions are designed for mankind's good, complementing the bodies He created.

In the diverse cultural setting of South Louisiana, the local cuisine reflects a wide array of dining habits that often disregard God's perspective on health and longevity. As God's people striving to live His way, it is striking to observe the unspoken rule that if something crawls, walks, swims, or flies, someone has a recipe for it. This attitude mirrors the broader human tendency to claim the freedom to choose what is right or wrong, rooted in the lie from the garden that by eating forbidden fruit, mankind could determine good and evil for themselves. This rejection of God's guidance is evident in various cultural practices and beliefs about food. Many, influenced by distorted teachings over centuries, misinterpret passages like Mark 7:18, which states that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him because it enters the stomach and is eliminated. Such misunderstandings lead to the false notion that all foods are purified, ignoring the broader scriptural context regarding clean and unclean meats. In Romans chapter 14, Paul addresses differences in personal choices about eating, emphasizing that one may believe he can eat all things, while another, weak in faith, eats only vegetables. He instructs not to judge or despise one another based on these preferences, as God has received both. However, many have twisted this teaching to suggest that God's food laws are nullified, disregarding the context of Paul's message about brotherly love and varying levels of understanding. Paul further clarifies in Romans 14:14 that he is convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself, but to him who considers anything unclean, it is unclean. This reflects personal perception rather than a dismissal of God's established standards for clean and unclean. Throughout the chapter, Paul's focus remains on showing respect, love, and concern, urging believers not to judge others based on individual choices, while recognizing that God's standards are not subject to human opinion or cultural norms as seen in places like New Orleans.

Spiritual problems involving food and eating trace back to the earliest times, when God warned Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, lest they die. Yet they ate, and sin entered through this act of disobedience. In Genesis 9, God sets general boundaries on what can and cannot be eaten, permitting meat in mankind's diet but forbidding the consumption of blood out of respect for the animal's life. In Leviticus 11, God provides an extensive list of clean and unclean meats, labeling certain creatures like pigs, spiders, and shrimp as abominations, unclean, and defiling. He establishes clear, visible markers for what is permissible to eat, such as split hooves and chewing the cud for animals, and fins and scales for fish. These food laws, reiterated in Deuteronomy, remain in effect as they were designed by God from the beginning. God also demonstrated adherence to His own laws by accepting only clean animals as sacrifices, symbolizing His unity with mankind in consuming only what is deemed clean. However, in this technological age, mankind faces new challenges with food altered through experimentation for abundance and profit. Meats and grains, originally created by God for our sustenance, may now look the same but can become indigestible over time, building toxicity and triggering chronic diseases. This dilemma of whether to eat such altered foods or eliminate them from our diets persists without a clear solution. Romans 14 offers guidance on these food-related issues, indicating that they are not central to salvation but are personal and peripheral matters. It emphasizes that the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We are urged not to destroy God's work over food by harshly judging others' choices and to ensure our own conscience is clear before Him. The advice remains to do the best within one's circumstances, to seek the best food affordable, and to be thankful for what is available, trusting that God faithfully provides a way of escape as promised in I Corinthians 10:13. Always pray at every meal, expressing gratitude for what He has provided.

Let us be clear that in no case brought forth from Scripture does the eating of things God lists as unclean come into consideration. Every example pertains solely to clean, God-created foods, and in each instance, idolatry emerges as the closest sin, whether directly or indirectly. In Exodus 32, with the Golden Calf incident, and as referenced by Paul in I Corinthians 10:7, all the food available was clean, yet severe judgment from God followed due to idolatry. Throughout Romans, I Corinthians, and I Timothy, where food is discussed, it never involves things God created as unclean. God does not call such things food; men may, but God does not. Items like pigs, dogs, cats, cockroaches, or caterpillars are never termed food by God, and thus, the subjects in these New Testament chapters concern only clean foods offered to idols through religious acts resulting in idolatry. In I Corinthians 10:25-32, the focus remains on clean foods, with the primary concern being the conscience of others, even among the unconverted, while one's own conscience should remain clear based on God's guidance. Similarly, in Romans 14, the discussion involves brethren in the church and pertains only to clean foods, not things unclean by creation. Paul advises against judging others in these matters, affirming that Christ can uphold even the weak in faith. Furthermore, in Matthew 15:17, Christ speaks of clean foods, explaining that what enters the stomach is processed and expelled, indicating that God designed our bodies to handle such intake unless overloaded. Thus, the focus remains on exercising care without undue concern, trusting in God's provision and protection over what is consumed.

According to the guidelines provided, only certain insects are considered biblically clean and allowable for food. Specifically, insects with wings and jointed hind legs used for jumping, such as locusts and grasshoppers, are deemed clean. These creatures must fly, leap, have jointed legs above their feet, and creep on all fours to meet the criteria for cleanliness as outlined in Leviticus 11:21. The locust and grasshopper, being of the same family, are the only insects that fit these qualifications, and God emphasizes this distinction to ensure understanding. While the specific types of locusts remain uncertain, they are all within the locust or grasshopper family. In contrast, crickets are not considered clean because they do not truly fly, preferring to creep, and they consume other insects rather than being herbivores like locusts and grasshoppers. Locusts and grasshoppers feed on green grass and are active during the day, unlike crickets which emerge at dusk and dawn. Matthew 3:4 notes that John the Baptist, adhering to God's laws, sustained himself primarily on a diet of locusts and wild honey. Nutritionally, grasshoppers and locusts provide significantly more edible protein per unit of food than cattle, along with various minerals such as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.