Dear Readers,
I'm happy to have two followers now, both of whom I respect immensely. As you may know I've been dreading coming up against this book, because of all the things bigots say it says. But you can't really compete with bigots unless you know what the actual text is, so hold your breath, here I go.
The first 3 chapters are about nothing other than meat preparation for offering unto God. This seems like a big waste of text me. Not that I claim to be holy, but it seems like God needed an editor at times.
There was one good health tip at the end of chapter 3, "eat neither fat nor blood". Eating too much fat as everyone knows can give heart disease and other problems. I don't know about eating blood, but that doesn't sound like a particularly healthy idea either given all the blood borne nastiness that is floating around, especially lately.
My plan for Leviticus. If I read 3 chapters a day, which is at lower end of my Biblical tolerance. I will be done on the 6th. That's not so bad, as I have previously mentioned I think if I get through this book without becoming an atheist I won't be one.
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Remember how I said that He gets into recipes, even? Well, most of it probably had very powerful health reasons back then, without refrigeration and all.
ReplyDeleteYou get food poisoning at enough wedding celebrations, like a friend the other day, and you make some rules.
So, they couldn't stew veal meats in milk and make gravies from blood and had to really keep foods separated, etc..
It is why Jewish Orthodox friends of mine have two refrigerators in their houses and some have more. THAT separate.
Food history becomes a tale of health issues, I am sure, before it is written down as Food Law.
They cannot eat seafoods like crustaceans, though my Jewish mother-in-law did. Reformed Jews step a few feet away from their Old Testament when cooking.
I remember a Jewish friend saying words over his BLT sandwich (as no pork is allowed) in the university cafeteria, to make it kosher and edible. Though what he was doing is considered sacrilege, we irreverent college kids found it funny.
Unsolicited tip for Leviticus: keep in mind the story up to this point. God told them they would be his special people, and in the last chapter of Exodus he came down and to live among them. This book then is God's explanation of how then they will be holy, how they are to live with God now in their midst.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to me: the very first thing God gives them instructions on is what they are to do when they AREN'T holy, and need forgiveness of sins. Six whole chapters on sacrifices.