EVERY LIVING THING & ANYTHING YOU DESIRE

I came across a helpful parallel of sorts to an oft debated text, Genesis 9:3. If you obey the Biblical Dietary Laws (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14) then I'm sure you've heard it said that those laws did not exist prior to the time frame of Leviticus 11. People often think Yahweh's Law didn't come about until around the Mount Sinai time, but there's a host of laws found in a careful reading of Genesis. I'm not saying every single law in Leviticus existed previously in Genesis (some came about at a later time due to certain circumstances), but it is error to believe those who served Yahweh back in Genesis didn't have any commandments to keep. You might open up to Genesis 26:1-5 for verification. 

It's been told to me (more than a few times) that Noah was allowed to eat any and all animals because in Genesis 9:3 (HCSB) Yahweh tells him, "Every living creature will be food for you; as [I gave] the green plants, I have given you everything." They end up saying something like, "Matthew, don't fight the words every and everything." Of course I'm not interested in fighting what any Scripture says, but I am interested in understanding words in their own context, and the wider context of the Flood Account shows that clean an unclean designations (for animals) existed (Genesis 7:2; 8:20). Some try to say this was only for animal sacrifice, but that dismisses the connection between an animal sacrifice and human consumption of meat. Abel's offering from the flock was a firstborn offering (Genesis 4:4) and such an offering could be eaten by the worshiper who brought the offering (Deuteronomy 15:19-23). So if Abel was offering a clean, firstborn flock animal, he ate that clean animal. 

The way I used to explain it to my children (when they were all little and lived at home) was: If Mama bakes a batch of cookies and later puts them in a bowl or cookie jar, and I wake up the next morning and they're all gone, and I ask, "Who ate ALL the cookies?" Am I talking about all the cookies in the world, or even all the cookies in our town? Of course not; the word "all" is defined by the context in which it is used. I'm speaking of all the cookies that Mama baked *for our family* the day previously. Case in point, the words "every" and "everything" should be understood in the context of the clean verses unclean designations earlier in Genesis 7-8. 

On top of this, Genesis 6-7 has several uses of "all" and "every" that are limited in scope (just like the cookie illustration above). In Genesis 6:13, "Elohim said to Noah, 'I have decided to put an end to all flesh," yet Noah, his family, and a bunch of animals aren't part of the "all flesh." In Genesis 6:19 He tells Noah, "Bring into the ark two of every living thing of all flesh," yet this is only speaking of animal life, in spite of the use of "every living thing," and "all flesh." In Genesis 8:22 Yahweh says to Himself, "I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done," but we know from reading the account that Yahweh did not strike down "every living thing," because Noah, his family, and several animals survived the flood (being on the ark). We read the words "all" and "every" and have no problem interpreting them in context, because that is how we understand said words normally. But my goodness is Genesis 9:3 camped out on by some who are so bent on wanting to eat pork and shrimp. 

I think what is said by Yahweh to Noah in Genesis 9:3 is said due to no animals being eaten while on the ark. If you look at Genesis 6:21 carefully, mankind and the animals ate the same vegetarian diet while on the ark (for around a year; compare Genesis 7:11 with 8:13-16). So it makes sense that after a year of not eating animals, Yahweh would then speak to Noah about there being fear and terror felt by the living creatures designed for food for mankind (the clean ones). 

The parallel verse I ran into the other day while studying (something completely different) was Deuteronomy 14:26, a verse pertaining to the worshiper of Yahweh partaking of his tithe during an annual festival. The verse (HCSB) says "You may spend the money on anything you want: cattle, sheep, wine, beer, or anything you desire. You are to feast there in the presence of Yahweh your Elohim and rejoice with your family." Did you catch it? "Anything you want," and "anything you desire." We read those two phrases and I think most of us realize that they mean "anything within the confines of the Torah." The anything is even defined for us in the context with cattle, sheep, wine, or beer - items for food and drink, but I believe other items not mentioned are also in view (like grains or olive oil), so long as said items do not violate the Torah (instructions, teachings) Yahweh gave to His people as a whole.

If someone says "every living thing" in Genesis 9:3 means pig, camel, rat, vulture, etc. then we could just as easily say that "anything you desire" in Deuteronomy 14:26 has no limits - the worshiper could forget about Yahweh's complete instruction for the Feast and just purchase anything his flesh desired, even if such desires would normally be sinful. It's really silly, and I think most everyone will be able to see this in Deuteronomy 14:26... but I'm sad to say that many people will still not be able to see this in Genesis 9:3. May Yahweh help us to handle His word properly, and be honest and serious with each surrounding context.