The bible uses different types of foods in several instances to give us a picture of heavenly/spiritual food and earthy/natural food.
There is bread (both leavened and unleavened.) There is fruit (both natural and the fruit of the spirit.) There is meat, (both good meat and meat that spiritually should not be eaten, (I will give an example of this further on in this study.) There is also salt for seasoning, and wine and water for drinking.
Scriptures not only give us a picture about how what we eat affects our walk, (regarding spiritual food,) but there are also contrasts showing us the difference between what is good to eat, and what is not good to eat.
Let's look at a few contrasts:
Two kinds of meat:
The meat of the word, (instruction.)
1 Corinthians 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
Contrasted with false instruction.
Proverbs 23:6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
Good wine:
Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Proverbs 3:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Wine that we should not drink:
Proverbs 4:16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
Proverbs 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Good fruit:
Psalms 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Psalms 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
Psalms 92:15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Bad fruit:
Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Proverbs 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Proverbs 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
The fruit of our own ways:
Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hosea 10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Fruit and discernment:
Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
There are many, many more examples of contrast regarding foods and drink throughout scripture. I would encourage anyone who reads this to do a word study on each type of food and drink. God not only shows us what is right, but He also gives us examples of what is not right.
Matthew Ch. 15, Jesus explained that it's not what we physically eat that defiles a man.
Matthew 15:17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Matthew 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Jesus also explained that there should be changes within our hearts:
Matthew 18:1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And he took a little child, and put him in the middle of them, 3 And said, Truly, I say to you, If you do not have a change of heart and become like little children, you will not go into the kingdom of heaven. (Bible in Basic English.)
Paul explained that our minds are renewed through the washing of the water of the word, and Jesus said that if we continue in His word we are His disciples indeed, and we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Matthew 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
There is bread (both leavened and unleavened.) There is fruit (both natural and the fruit of the spirit.) There is meat, (both good meat and meat that spiritually should not be eaten, (I will give an example of this further on in this study.) There is also salt for seasoning, and wine and water for drinking.
Scriptures not only give us a picture about how what we eat affects our walk, (regarding spiritual food,) but there are also contrasts showing us the difference between what is good to eat, and what is not good to eat.
Let's look at a few contrasts:
Two kinds of meat:
The meat of the word, (instruction.)
1 Corinthians 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
Contrasted with false instruction.
Proverbs 23:6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
Good wine:
Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Proverbs 3:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Wine that we should not drink:
Proverbs 4:16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
Proverbs 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Good fruit:
Psalms 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Psalms 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
Psalms 92:15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Bad fruit:
Proverbs 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Proverbs 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Proverbs 1:31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
The fruit of our own ways:
Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hosea 10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.
Fruit and discernment:
Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
There are many, many more examples of contrast regarding foods and drink throughout scripture. I would encourage anyone who reads this to do a word study on each type of food and drink. God not only shows us what is right, but He also gives us examples of what is not right.
Matthew Ch. 15, Jesus explained that it's not what we physically eat that defiles a man.
Matthew 15:17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Matthew 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Jesus also explained that there should be changes within our hearts:
Matthew 18:1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And he took a little child, and put him in the middle of them, 3 And said, Truly, I say to you, If you do not have a change of heart and become like little children, you will not go into the kingdom of heaven. (Bible in Basic English.)
Paul explained that our minds are renewed through the washing of the water of the word, and Jesus said that if we continue in His word we are His disciples indeed, and we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
Matthew 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
