A Mouse in the House.
I’ll never have fond thoughts of the time a mouse ran across my face in the middle of the night while baby-sitting at a mouse infested house. I can’t tell you how many mice I caught during that weekend. It was not a fun experience, and it left a bad fragrance in my nostrils.
If you have ever had a mouse make his home in your house, you know they can eat through walls. And to make matters worse, they like to leave things behind — like droppings everywhere and a musty urine smell that is hard to eliminate. They also can spread disease and germs.
I can’t tell you for sure WHY God created mice, but I am sure He had a reason. Perhaps it was to give cats a toy to play with or use as a prize to leave on the front steps for their masters.
But this I know: mice were not created to be eaten by humans.
The Evolution of Food.
God gave vegetables, fruits, and seed-bearing plants to humans as their first food. Later, after the curse, man began to cultivate the ground and grow grains and crops. But animals were forbidden to be eaten until after Noah’s flood. At that time, Noah was aware of two classes of animals: clean and unclean. Noah was to take one pair of unclean animals upon the ark and 7 pair of clean animals.
This foreshadowed the introduction of meat into the human diet. If there had only been one pair of “clean” animals, the clean animals could have easily become extinct when man began to eat flesh.
It wasn’t until later at Mount Sinai that God expressly forbid the eating of “unclean” animals, also calling them “inedible” — but it was certainly implied at the time after the flood.
All Animals Have A Purpose.
All of God’s creatures have a specific design to live in the world He created. Interestingly, those animals which are classified “unclean” or “inedible” are actually designed to process food differently than those animals which are classified “clean.” For example, a cow (considered “clean” and “edible”) has a four compartment stomach and chews it cud. And it has been designed to eat grass. A cat (considered “unclean” and “inedible”) has a single stomach comparment, like a human, and is an omnivore. By design, cats were never intended to be eaten. They were created for a reason, but it wasn’t for our food. I think God may have created cats to chase mice and be human companions. Personally, I’m glad that we will not see feline or mouse on our menu any time soon (hopefully never — because they are not designed as food.)
A Purpose Other Than Food.
Here are some animals that God never intended as food:
- Cats — created as free-thinkers, adventure seekers, playmates for children and adults, to live many lives — not as food.
- Dogs — created to bark at strangers, bond with boys and girls of all ages, and help hunters — not for dinner.
- Koala Bears — created to eat shoots and leaves (not to be eaten with shoots and leaves).
- Bunny Rabbits — created to hop and flop, leave pellet drops (hraka), and teach the little ones how to nurture an animal — not as a side dish.
- Kangaroos — created to be a friend of Pooh and carry their little ones for all to see.
- Raccoons — created to sneak and steal and thieve from humans so they can grow in sanctification. And I suppose Crocket needed a cap.
- Ferrets — created perhaps specifically for Ferris Bueller — please don’t eat his pet.
- Guinea Pigs — another one created perhaps to teach responsibility to children — and for all around amusement (but not for an appetizer).
- Mice — created as the cat’s plaything and to eat walls and run across the face of baby-sitters — please don’t mention it in a food group.
- Swine — I hear they make great pets — if you can stand the smell. Their single stomach is designed to digest anything, even raw sewage. They too are in the “inedible” group.
At one time (when the Law of Moses still required animal sacrifices for the atoning of sin), eating a cat, dog, mouse, or pig would have “spiritually” defiled a believer in God. In the New Covenant, eating these “inedible” animals no longer defiles a person “spiritually.” But the question has to be asked: Does that mean it is good and safe to eat as food?
At Reformed Health, we advocate the abstaining from cats and mice and other “inedible” foods on this list. Science concurs that these meats are not safe to eat — but that will have to be addressed in another post in the future.
For further study: search the Scriptures to see how God classifies an animal clean or unclean and edible or inedible.
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Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
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