Carol Balizet Cult: 14. Take No Thought What You Should Eat

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Take No Thought What You Should Eat - Really?

by Carol Balizet

We are told in the New Testament that we are not defiled by what goes into our mouth - but it does give analogies about what does defile the spirit

Food can defile

The first of these three main sources of defilement in the Old Testament was related to unclean food. However, in Matthew 15:11, Jesus rescinds this when He says: "Not; that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man..." That admonition is affirmed by many other New Testament scriptures which indicate that we can eat what we like without defilement. So while food may involve the sin of gluttony and other areas of self-indulgence, Jesus himself told us, unequivocally, that we are not defiled by what goes into our mouths.

On the other hand, James tells us that we can be defiled by what proceeds from the mouth. "...; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body..." (James 3:6) And the Scripture we quoted above, Matthew 15:11, which says we can't be defiled by food, goes on to say: "...; that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." (Matthew 15:11) But whatever we believe about the possible defilement from food, it is clear that Jesus made no such reversal of policy concerning the other Old Testament defilements. He didn't tell us that it is now acceptable to be sexually impure, or that we are now free to handle death and disease and blood.

Let's think about what we "eat;" today, in the spirit. This is what we take into our souls and spirits, the information, teachings and ideas which are given to nourish the eternal parts of our beings. We'll hold these things up to the law; which law was given to natural children, concerning natural food, to nourish their natural bodies. What spiritual food are we eating?

Animals

("...; and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten." Leviticus 11:47) This is strong, muscle-building meat which does not defile, and I compare that to good teaching with little or no mixture.

The clean animals were characterized by two things: they chewed the cud, and their hoof was divided. I think "chewing; the cud" means that these teachers study, meditate, "chew; on" the Word over and over. It's a matter of deep, prolonged, serious deliberation, not a hasty or superficial glance. A possible representation of the foot which is "cloven;" might be a walk of separation from the world. One of the strongest principles of our faith is separation - from the world and from uncleanness. "And; that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between clean and unclean..." (Leviticus 10:10) A cloven hoof is a symbol of a walk with God which is faithful, without deviations into the world or the flesh. A walk which is in obedience to the voice which says, "This; is the way; walk ye therein."

I believe teachings which are too derivative, too facile or from a source which wavers from one footpath to another, represent "meat;" which is "unclean;" and therefore defiling.

herbs

("...; thou shalt eat the herb of the field..." Genesis 3:18) The spiritualizing of this would mean the natural growth and fruition from time spent walking with the Lord. I see it as learning from growing, and growing from learning; using the natural life experiences common to all of us as food for the spirit.

The labor of thy hands

("For; thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy [shalt] thou [be], and [it shall be] well with thee." Psalms 128:2) This is the natural equivalent of our own studies in the Word. We are told to "study; to show yourself approved unto God", so we are accountable for the cultivation of our own little field. We may keep notebooks, write a daily journal, do our own inquiries into the Bible, building a personal data base of experience, teaching and learning. We can't grow very far if everything we "eat;" filters through some secondary source. We don't grow to full maturity because we're in a good church, or because we have a great Sunday School teacher; we need our own direct teaching from God. The "labor; of our own hands", in the Word, with the Holy Spirit as Teacher.

Unleavened bread

Bread without leaven - without additive or mixture. This is Jesus. Only He is totally and completely free of any contaminant or any lack. I think leavened bread is comparable to teaching which may be Christian in background or at heart, but has mixture from the world. These additives today might be psychology, or New Age ideas, or political rhetoric and goals - or more subtly a mixture with unbelief or error.

Of course on this side of the veil, there is nothing outside the Bible which is totally untainted. "For; we know in part, and we prophesy in part... For now we see through a glass, darkly..." (1 Corinthians 13) There is always some slight flavor of flesh, and sometimes even a thread of the demonic which defiles the teaching. But we should be as careful as we can to avoid "leaven;" in what we receive.

Unclean animals

These are just the opposite of the cleans ones - and remember, there are no animals (which in the realm of spiritual intake means teachings) which are neutral. Unclean animals are flesh, flesh, flesh. And the flesh kills.

Vomit

"For; all tables are full of vomit [and] filthiness, [so that there is] no place [clean]".; (Isaiah 28:8) Vomit represents food which has been eaten, partially digested, then brought up again. In the case of natural children, it refers to natural food; in our case it refers to spiritual food, which of course is teaching. When it is tainted or corrupt, when it isn't "fit; to eat", or when the eater is ill in some way, food is not accepted and made a part of the person (or the body), so it's spewed out. And vomiting itself is parallel to rejection. I see a "table; full of vomit" as representing a ministry where there is teaching, over and over again, of the same old thing - things which have already been "consumed;" but not "digested;".;

Asses' heads and doves' dung

"And; there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was [sold] for fourscore [pieces] of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five [pieces] of silver." (2 Kings 6:25) This was some serious famine; the next few verses tell of women who were boiling their children for food! So how do we recognize such a dearth of life-sustaining food that the people are reduced to cannibalism and to "asses;' heads and doves' dung"? What is the spiritual equivalent of these disgusting foodstuffs?

I see "asses;' heads" as human reasoning. The donkey is often a Scriptural symbol for the unregenerate human nature, and its mind cannot produce life. Without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we have nothing of life to sustain ourselves or to pass along to others. It is this natural, carnal mind which propagates deceptions, carnal notions, logical reasonings - the kinds of "good; ideas" which Sarah had (and Abraham yielded to) which produced Ishmael. The way which seem right unto man, but the ends thereof are death.

Asses' heads equal man in charge. The Adam nature being the head, holding sway; running things, and those who feed on it starve. The Lord tells us through Paul: "Beware; lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Colossians 2:8)

The dung of a dove is the parallel for what is left after the Holy Spirit has departed. If there is enough grieving, wounding and quenching, the Dove leaves, and "Ichobad;!" is written. The glory has departed! (I Samuel 4:21,22) Remember that the Dove released from the Ark found no place for the sole of her foot, no place of rest and dominion. The Holy Spirit has that same problems today. Man has the potential to wrest the control of things from the Spirit; when it gets too bad, the Spirit leaves and man is desolate. But often he doesn't even realize his loss. And what is left for him to "eat;" has absolutely no life at all. It is sickening, disgusting, stinking and full of death.

Summary

There are many other examples of things God has told us to eat and not to eat. The Bible is full of examples of what God's children ate and didn't eat in the natural realm, which we should or should not eat in the spirit. There's honey, wild honey, locusts, boiled babies, fruit, fish, eggs, various grains... on and on. There is a spiritual counterpart for each of them, and I believe that's where we should focus our attention. We should be looking at the spirit, which is eternal and of transcendent importance. We must not pass our time of sojourning here continually wondering or worrying about cholesterol, fiber, animal fat or sugar. Better to consider what sort of spiritual contaminants and disease-producing factors we're taking into our souls and spirits. That's where the action is! After all, He didn't He tell us, "Therefore; take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? ..." (Matthew 6:31)

So that's what I believe, along with a few other people. Of course, you are perfectly justified in asking why you should believe me any more than you should believe the nutritionists. The answer to that is, you shouldn't. You need to hear from God. But don't forget that my basis of truth is the Bible; their truth is usually something from the natural realm. By that I mean the opinions of experts, the results of research, statistical studies, scientific surveys, actually any articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine. These are all fruit from that other tree. Their goal is to improve and sustain natural life, fitness and health. That (they say) comes from dietary intake. I'm saying that the life, fitness and health of the soul are dependent on what is taken in to nourish that part of our beings. And it is of infinitely greater importance. And that's not hyperbole - I mean it literally.

I suggest you ask God what He wants you to believe and do about the relationship between food and defilements, between food and health, between food and healing. Remember, if there's too much confidence in the excellence of your diet and its capacity to keep you healthy, you're not too far from idolatry.

In fact, there are two ways that food can be used as an idol, and I mean by that as a substitute for God. The first is to use food as a Comforter. "My; husband doesn't love me; I've been betrayed; I'm worried about money; my kids are in rebellion... I need some ice cream!" The people who do this are usually over-weight, despised, and full of shame and guilt. The second group uses food as a Healer, as a Giver of Life. "I; eat right; I work out three times a week; my doctor says I have the heart rate of a 20 year old; I may live forever..." These people are usually lean, fit, self-satisfied and full of pride.

Maybe the goal for all of us should be: let's use food as a provision from God, thank Him for it, and believe what He says.

Carol Balizet Cult

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

14. Take No Thought What You Should Eat - Really? by Carol Balizet