ELTB Eat Learn This Book
Introduction
ELTB 2.0100 [∞]
| God wants everyone to know him. So he made the world. | Notes
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| Everything he made is designed to teach about him. It is difficult for us to learn about God from stars and rocks. | Notes
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| He chose some people to teach us about him, but they didn't know what to say, since they did not know him very well themselves.
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| So God used them like actors in a play. Their lives became a parable for all of us to learn about God. In the play we learn from rocks and stars through what is said about rocks and stars. | Notes
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| God hid lessons for us in the history of Israel. In this book we will look at the things that they were allowed to eat and not eat and see what they teach us about God. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0300 [∞]
The Law and the Play
ELTB 2.0301 [∞]
| The first section of the Bible contains many laws that God gave the Hebrews telling them how to live. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0302 [∞]
| Some of these laws told them what to eat and what not to eat. These are called the dietary laws. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0303 [∞]
| When the Hebrews followed these laws, they show us the character of God in a riddle. So the dietary law is not about eating. It is more like a play. The laws were the script for the play, and everyone had a role. [1] God chose priests to be the directors of the play, telling everyone how to do their part. |
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ELTB 2.0304 [∞]
| The Hebrews’ lives would act out the play, and the audience, everyone else, would learn from it. [1] | Notes
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ELTB 2.0305 [∞]
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The play is written in symbols and riddle. [1][2] [q 1] [a 1] This means that for us in the audience, the dietary law says nothing about what we can eat. |
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ELTB 2.0306 [∞]
| Instead, eating is a symbol for learning what God says. It tells us who we should learn from, and who we should not learn from. [s 1] | Notes
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ELTB 2.0307 [∞]
| Each of these animals is a symbol for a different type of teacher. The clean animals (the ones the Hebrews could eat) symbolize the people we should learn from. The unclean animals (the animals the Hebrews were not supposed to eat) symbolize those who teach things that God doesn't want you to learn. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0308 [∞]
| This isn’t the first time that eating symbolized learning in the Bible. Remember Adam and Eve and the tree they were not supposed to eat from? [1] You could say that the tree was unclean. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0309 [∞]
| Let’s talk about the different animals that are part of the play and what they teach us about God. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0500 [∞]
ELTB 2.0501 [∞]
| Meditate on the word of God | Notes
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ELTB 2.0502 [∞]
| The clean animals are the ones the Hebrews were allowed to eat. They symbolize the people we should learn from. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0503 [∞]
| The clean animals of the Bible are cows, sheep, goats and deer. These animals 'chew the cud'. They eat something and regurgitate it to chew it again and again until everything is digested. If you are a clean animal, you learn from God's word, then you 'chew the cud', thinking about it over and over again. The symbol of the cow, sheep, goat and deer reminds us to learn from people who spend time meditating (or chewing) on God’s word. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0504 [∞]
| Clean animals also walk on split hooves. These symbolize a 'separated walk' or life. The way you ‘walk' is a symbol for the way you live. If you have a separated life, you are living a life for God, separated from the things that distract us from God.
You learn to walk with God by meditating on his word. A good teacher is like this. Clean animals also walk on split hooves. These symbolize a 'separated walk' or life. The way you ‘walk' is a symbol for the way you live.
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ELTB 2.0505 [∞]
| Unclean animals
If an animal doesn't chew its cud and have a split hoof, it is unclean. Some animals are unclean even if they chewed their cud because they do not have a split hoof. These are like the Scribes in the day of Jesus. They knew the Scriptures but it did not change the way they lived. Others thought they had a split hoof, like the Pharisees who were the most religious people in the day. But their 'righteousness' was not based in the Scriptures that God gave them. They would make up and keep their own rules instead. They were self-righteous. The Hebrews weren't allowed to eat unclean animals to remind us to avoid these types of teachers. When we eat 'unclean' animals, we remember the Hebrews and are reminded that the Word of God should change our lives. [1] |
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ELTB 2.0506 ELTB 2.0507 ELTB 2.0508 ELTB 2.0509 ELTB 2.0510 ELTB 2.0511 ELTB 2.0512
ELTB 2.0700 [∞]
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Camel |
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The camel is an unclean animal. The Hebrews did not eat it because it didn’t have a separated hoof [n 1]. The camel is a symbol of a judge. [v 1][p 1][n 2][s 1][s 2][s 3] |
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Being an unclean animal doesn't mean that judges are bad. It just means that they teach us something that God doesn't want us to learn [n 1]. |
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Jesus said that we should not judge, or we too will be judged. [1][n 1][2][3]. [4]. |
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Many people see God as a great and terrible judge. But he judged all of our sins on the cross of Jesus and forgave us [1] to show that he is also love [2]. When you are forgiven, there is no more judgement. [3] |
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God's teachers teach his love, the Gospel, by showing his forgiveness through the cross. He doesn't want us to become judges. He wants us to forgive as he has forgiven. [1] |
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Jesus told a story about a man who owed a lot of money to a king [1]. [2] He could never pay it back. When the king forgave him his debt, he put his neighbor in prison for owing him just a little money. |
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The man was shown great love through forgiveness, but then became a judge who had none. The king threw the man in prison for not also forgiving [1]. |
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We should not learn to be a judge, because if we judge, we will be judged. [n 1] |
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ELTB 2.0800 [∞]
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Coney |
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The coney is another unclean animal that the Hebrews did not eat. When Adam named the coney he must have seen the coney take a treasure into his den, then return to the opening to defend it with bared teeth. His name means 'hide the treasure' but it also means 'mystery of the biting teeth'. The coney is a symbol of a teacher who hides the Gospel. [v 1][v 2]. [p 1] |
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ELTB 2.0802 [∞]
| In the Bible, God tells us that he is both Holy and Love. Holiness is expressed by the law and judgement. We don't like the law because it bites us like the bared teeth of the coney. In his word, the message of his love is the treasure.
The coney represents the teacher that is always telling you what you did wrong, and never expresses any love or how to get forgiveness through Christ. The treasure; the love, is hidden away. |
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ELTB 2.0803 [∞]
| When God explains himself through the cross, we see that he is Holy because all our sin is punished. And we see that he is Love, because rather than punish us, Jesus volunteered to take our place. This would be like your mother catching you do a bad thing, but rather than punish you, she punished herself. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0804 [∞]
| The coney-like teacher uses the Bible as a weapon. They never tell you how to receive the love of God. You receive his Love by "eating his body" which is a symbol for learning from the cross where he died because he loves you. | Notes
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ELTB 2.0900 [∞]
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Rabbits are unclean! |
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Some teachers are symbolized by rabbits. A warren of rabbits may look like popcorn. They jump when happy; they jump when scared; they just jump sometimes. The name in Hebrew means 'divided jubilation'. [1][p 1] |
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The rabbit is a symbol of teachers who mix all kinds of religions together. They hop about from one religion to the next. This week it is Christmas, Hanukkah, or Quanza, and next they are celebrating Hindu dust. To them all religions are good. They have no discernment about what to celebrate. |
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Some people say we can't trust the Bible because it says the rabbit 'chews the cud' and rabbits don't chew the cud. The Bible says that only in English. In Hebrew is says they chew the 'gerah' which is a thing pursued again because it was not understood. [1] |
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The rabbit actually passes its food through a second time by eating its night droppings. Unlike the clean animals that meditate on God’s word, the rabbit-like teacher knows the word of God but is not a good teacher. The teacher symbolized by rabbit or hare is not a good teacher because the knowledge of God does not produce a separated hoof. He does not live what he knows. Without discernment of what to celebrate, the teacher cannot dedicate his life to God. |
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ELTB 2.1000 [∞]
| Swine
Pigs are also unclean. Swine eat, or learn, anything, and teach it as truth. For example, some people say their favorite verse of the Bible is "God helps those who help themselves". That isn't in the Bible. [1][2] |
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The swine is a symbol of the self-righteous; people who think they are good just because they think they are good. They think their own ideas, or whatever new ideas they hear, are true. |
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Swine pass off new teachings from others as if they are from the Bible. They hear from others that there are errors in the Bible. They pass it on as truth to make themselves look clever. Teachers may learn things from scientific theories and pass them on as absolute truth. One thing is absolutely true in science: what it says is true today, will not be true tomorrow. They may read the Bible and not understand it. They will teach their error as truth. When faced with things that appear to be opposite teachings in the Bible, they just choose one and ignore the other, rather than work to understand they are both true. The one who cannot understand the word of God is not a good teacher. |
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ELTB 2.1100 [∞]
| More Swine
The attitude of the swine-like teacher is so contagious it is dangerous. God’s law to the Hebrews about the swine was that they should not even 'touch their dead bodies'. This riddle in Hebrew about teachers means that we should not be 'joined to their foolishness nor plagued by it.' [1] |
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A pig-like teacher may brag he gave an apple to a homeless guy. The next swine brags he gave two apples. The first responds that his was the only apple he had and he gave it. The swine will also make you feel bad for the good work that you did, trying to seem better than you. |
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This bragging of works is contagious. Do not be joined to it. |
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Swine attitudes of self-righteousness based on his own ideas are contagious because they appeal to our desire to be important. We want to be noticed and appreciated. We want to look good to others. Do not be plagued by it. Instead, seek teachers who build their students up. [1] |
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Have nothing to do with the swine or you may get caught up in their folly. Perhaps this is a source for Paul's teaching: 2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? |
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ELTB 2.1200 [∞]
| Fish
Water is a symbol the word of God, so the clean fish represents the teacher who moves with fins or lives in the Word of God. The Hebrew word for 'fish' means 'commanded to pursue'. When Adam watched the fish darting around the water, it seemed like an appropriate name. The teacher is commanded to seek God in his word. [1][n 1] |
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A clean fish has scales symbolizing the armor of God, and is propelled by fins symbolizing that the love Jesus had for the word, motivates the teacher. This is hidden in riddle. [1][2] |
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God's teachers are always looking to understand God better. They study, meditate, and then live what they have learned. They correct their teaching and their lives as they learn more. |
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They are motivated by the same love for God's people that God has for his people. They desire that others know God's love. |
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The one who wears the armor of God as he searches the scriptures, swims in the water of God’s word, and is motivated by the love of God, is a good teacher. |
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| Summary
All of these animals are on the stage and part of the play. Though the actors had to follow the rules for eating or not eating them, we may eat them all as we remember what they teach. When we eat beef, lamb or deer we are reminded to meditate on God's word, and let it change the way we live. If we eat a camel we remember not to judge. Should we eat a coney we would remember to share about God's love for us through the cross. The BBQ'd rabbit would remind us to be dedicated to God and not mix up others things in our worship. As we eat bacon, mmm... bacon... We remember to be discerning in the things we learn. Fried fish reminds us to seek God in His word and let it change our lives. As students, we learn to be like the good teachers, and avoid being like the bad ones. |
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ELTB 2.1400 [∞]
| Appendix A
Introduction The basis for this study is a first century hermeneutic demonstrated by the New Testament authors as they used Old Testament references, and an observable property of the Hebrew language called 'notarikon'. Notarikon is an attribute of the Hebrew language where words get their meanings from the combined meaning of the letters, and letters get their meaning from the dots (yods or jots) and strokes (vavs or tittles). John demonstrates a fluency in notarikon which is missed when the Septuagint is used instead of the original Hebrew texts. It can be demonstrated that John 1:1-4 is derived using these tools from the first three words of Genesis 1:1. Also that John used the notarikon to unpack 1Jo 5:7-8 from the words for 'heaven' and 'earth'. [1] Notarikon is used to unpack the meaning of the names of the animals. This is not free-for-all allegory. Examples of animal behavior which may have caused Adam to name the animals thusly are plausible explanations, but not considered 'Bible truth'. The names are used to show why a person represented by the animal would be a good teacher or not. This thesis challenges the common academic acceptance that Paleo-Hebrew is the oldest form of written text and supports the Wiseman hypothesis which suggests that Genesis was written by eye-witnesses. This will be discussed in future works. [n 2] |
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ELTB 2.1500 [∞]
The natural catechism of the Hebrew alphabet
The short Catechism of the alphabet [∞]
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