Food Rules, not

~Hebrews 13.9-10

Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them. We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat.

In my search for principles of good eating from the Bible, the book which the creator of my body has out, here's another verse that says not to worry about rules for eating. sigh. But there is a difference: I'm looking for good health policies, not strict rules based on whether or not the food was first sacrificed to an idol. :-]

The Cost of Indulgence

Hebrews 12.16

Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.

Powerful example of what a food fixation can do. Makes me think of looking at, say, a DQ Chocolate Xtreme Blizzard Cake and thinking, "I don't care what this costs me in terms of sugar or fat or acidity or health. I've gotta have some!" There's a price. Of course the difference is that for the loss of health we have to make this decision continually; whereas Esau lost his birthright on one incident.

Esau's story, by the way, is found at the end of Genesis 25.

Good for the Stomach

~I Timothy 5.23

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

I grew up in a home that never had liquor of any sort. Raised Southern Baptist, my mom in particular was very strongly indoctrinated on this. I wonder what people who promote this "liquor will never touch my lips" thinking do with this clear verse. Have they seen so much of the evil of alcohol that they are afraid of it?