RickD wrote:All moving things and green plants. God sanctified them in Genesis 9:3:Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant.
And, the Word of God(Jesus Christ) declared all foods clean here:Mark 7:18-19 18 And He *said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and [a]is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
The dietary laws were specific to the nation of Israel.
Let's look at Genesis 9:3 first. Noah was the first to be allowed to eat both plants AND meat; in other words, everything, or all types of food. That doesn't necessarily mean every plant and animal that exists. Of the original diet prescribed to Adam, HaShem says at Genesis 1:30, "I have given every green plant for food." This doesn't mean every single plant, but all plants fit for being eaten. There are obviously some plants that shouldn't be eaten, such as poison ivy. The Bible backs up this way of looking at it when you see Genesis 6:21, where G-d tells Noach to "take... some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them." So there's a distinction between what's edible and what's not.
Also, Torah makes it clear that the Lord revealed to Noach the distinction between clean and unclean animals at Genesis 7:2, 8. So, G-d made the distinction between edible plants, and edible animals when they became food for man; and for animals, they are the same animals who are fit for sacrifice. The revelation to Moses confirmed this.
As far as the Messiah's words at mark 7:18-19, you have to take into account the context of the conversation. The conversation started when the Pharisees and scribes noticed and pointed out that Yeshua's disciples didn't perform
n'tilat yadayim, or the ceremonial washing of hands, before eating, which is still performed by Orthodox Jews today (as told in verses 3-4). Yeshua rebukes them for equating the traditions of men; ie, the rabbinical additions to Torah, with Torah law itself, and even elevating the traditions over Scripture (verses 6-13). Afer this He states that nothing that goes within a man can make him unclean, only what comes out of him. They're not speaking of what's permissible to eat; that would be INCONCEIVABLE to the Pharisees and scribes, and so even if it was Messiah's message, He would need to state it specifically, because they would never assume He would insinuate that un-kosher foods are clean.
Also, one must take into consideration how important ritual purity was to the contemporary (and current) Orthodox, Rabbinic Jewish mind. The Talmud, an anthology of books that takes years to study completely, is divided into six sections covering the main areas of Jewish theology and laws, and one of those whole sections is devoted to ritual purity. That's significant. So, without taking into consideration the context of the conversation, and without recognizing the historical/religious context of Yeshua's time, one may come to a wrong understanding of His statement here.
"The prophet is a man who feels fiercely. G-d has thrust a burden upon his soul, and he is bowed and stunned at man's fierce greed. Frightful is the agony of man; no human voice can convey its full terror. Prophecy is the voice that G-d has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world. It is a form of living, a crossing point of G-d and man."
- Abraham Joshua Heschel
