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The question of whether Adam and Eve were vegetarians according to the Bible is intriguing and involves interpreting various passages from the Old Testament. By examining relevant scriptures, we can gain insights into the dietary habits prescribed to humanity at creation and any subsequent changes.
The Creation Account: Vegetarian Diet Prescribed
The Bible’s creation account in Genesis provides initial clues about the diet of the first humans, Adam and Eve. God’s instructions regarding food are explicit and suggest a vegetarian diet.
Genesis 1:29 (NKJV): “And God said, ‘See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.'”
In this verse, God gives Adam and Eve, and by extension all of humanity, a vegetarian diet that consisted of fruits, grains, and nuts. This directive indicates that their diet consisted of plant-based foods. It was not the original will of the Creator that His creatures should consume one another.
The Animal Kingdom’s Diet
The creation account also extends this plant-based diet to the animal kingdom.
Genesis 1:30 (NKJV): “Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food’; and it was so.”
Here, it is clear that all creatures were initially intended to eat plants. This establishes a harmonious and non-violent natural order, where neither humans nor animals consumed flesh.
The State of Eden
The Garden of Eden is depicted as a place of perfect harmony and abundance. This idyllic setting further supports the notion that Adam and Eve, living in Eden, would have adhered to the plant-based diet prescribed by God.
Genesis 2:8-9 (NKJV): “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
Eden’s description emphasizes the availability of fruits and plants for sustenance, reinforcing the idea of a vegetarian diet for Adam and Eve.
After the Fall
After the fall, vegetables were added to the diet.
Genesis 3:18, (NKJV): “you shall eat the herb of the field.” Due to the curse of sin, there was a partial change in diet due to the fact that the quantity and quality of grains and nuts and fruits originally given to man were reduced to such an extent that man would need to supplement his diet with the eating of herbs for a portion of his daily food. This change may also have been due partially to the loss of specific elements from the tree of life, to a change in climate, and perhaps most of all to man’s punishment to hard labor in order to earn a livelihood.
Noah and the Clean and Unclean Animals
However, the notion of clean and unclean animals predates the Mosaic Law, as evidenced by the story of Noah. Long before Moses, Noah was instructed to take both clean and unclean animals into the ark:
Genesis 7:1-3 (NKJV): “Then the Lord said to Noah, ‘Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth.’”
This passage indicates that Noah was aware of the distinction between clean and unclean animals, despite living long before the Mosaic Law was given. This suggests that the concept of clean and unclean animals was known and significant even in antediluvian times and at creation.
After the Flood – The Introduction of Meat Consumption
After the Flood, God grants Noah and his descendants permission to eat animals.
Genesis 9:3 (NKJV): “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.”
This post-Flood directive marks an addition to the original vegetarian diet. God permits the consumption of animals. With the temporary destruction of all plant life and the exhaustion of the food supplies that were taken into the ark, an emergency arose that God met by giving permission to eat the flesh of animals. Not that man then first began to eat animal flesh, but only that God for the first time allowed him to do that.
This permission did not imply an unlimited eating of every kind of animal. If that were the case, many animals would have gone extinct as they entered the ark two by two. However, the clean animals went in by pairs of seven (Genesis 7:1, 2). The first four books of the Bible were written by Moses, and he chose to elaborate on the definition of clean and unclean animals later on in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.
https://bibleask.org/are-unclean-animals-in-the-old-testament-still-unclean-today/
The Covenant with Noah
The permission to eat meat comes with specific instructions and restrictions, highlighting a controlled and respectful approach to this new dietary allowance.
Genesis 9:4 (NKJV): “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”
This command introduces a critical dietary law: the prohibition of consuming blood, which symbolizes life. This restriction underscores the sacredness of life and introduces a moral dimension to meat consumption.
Dietary Laws in the Mosaic Covenant
Later, under the Mosaic Covenant, the God’s people, the Israelites, received the dietary laws in writing.
Leviticus 11:1-3 (NKJV): “Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying, “These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth: Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat.'”
These dietary laws in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 distinguished between clean and unclean animals.
Dietary Laws in the New Testament
Jesus’ death didn’t abolish the Mosaic laws of health. It only abolished the Mosaic laws that pertain to sacrifices, feasts, and temple ceremonies which pointed to the coming of the Messiah and His death (Colossians 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:15). But God’s moral law (Exodus 20:1-17) and the health laws (Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14) are still in effect today.
Matthew 5:17-18 (NKJV): “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
The apostle John, in Revelation 18:2, gave a graphic metaphor resembling the wickedness of Babylon with unclean birds just before the coming of Christ. Obviously, this distinction was still present among the believers in the early church and will continue, even to the coming of Christ. And the Bible adds that all who break the unclean health laws will be destroyed at His coming.
Isaiah 66:15–17 (NKJV): “For behold, the LORD will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury” against “Those who … eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, shall be consumed together,” says the Lord.”
It is a fact that the Jew’s body in no way differs from the Gentile’s body. They both get affected equally with unclean foods. So, we can conclude that these health laws were given for all people during all ages. It is for our own benefit to obey these health laws (Deuteronomy 12:25; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17).
Theological Reflections
- Original Harmony and Vegetarianism:
- The initial vegetarian diet in Eden symbolizes a state of original harmony and peace, both between humans and animals and within creation itself.
- Post-Fall and Post-Flood Realities:
- The permission to eat meat after the Flood acknowledges a changed world, where human survival and ecological conditions necessitated dietary adaptations.
- Holiness and Dietary Laws in the New Testament:
- The Mosaic dietary laws continues to hold its distinctiveness for holiness to New Testament believers, teaching principles of obedience and sanctification.
Ethical and Spiritual Considerations
For contemporary Christians, these biblical insights can inform ethical and spiritual considerations regarding diet:
- Respect for Life:
- The biblical prohibition against consuming blood underscores the sanctity of life, suggesting a respectful and ethical approach to meat consumption.
- Health and Stewardship:
- The plant-based or vegetarian diet in Eden can be seen as the model for health and stewardship of the body and creation, encouraging sustainable and compassionate dietary choices.
Conclusion
The Bible presents a clear view of human diet, beginning with a clear prescription of a vegetarian diet for Adam and Eve, evolving to include meat consumption post-Flood, and continues in the New Testament era. This reflects broader theological, ecological, and social contexts, offering principles that can guide contemporary Christians in making ethical and informed dietary choices. Ultimately, the biblical narrative encourages a respectful and humble approach to food, recognizing God’s provision and the sanctity of life, while upholding the principles of health, stewardship, and community.