"Chapter 24—Flesh as Food The diet appointed man in the beginning did not include animal food. Not till after the Flood, when every green thing on the earth had been destroyed, did man receive permission to eat flesh. MH 311"
"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."
The passage refers to the original diet appointed to man in the beginning, which did not include animal food, directly referencing the provision of fruits and herbs in Genesis 1:29.
"Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things."
The passage states that man received permission to eat flesh after the Flood, which aligns with God's allowance of animal consumption in Genesis 9:3.
"In choosing man's food in Eden, the Lord showed what was the best diet; in the choice made for Israel He taught the same lesson. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and undertook their training, that they might be a people for His own possession. Through them He desired to bless and teach the world. He provided them with the food best adapted for this purpose, not flesh, but manna, “the bread of heaven.” It was only because of their discontent and their murmuring for the fleshpots of Egypt that animal food was granted them, and this only for a short time. Its use brought disease and death to thousands. Yet the restriction to a nonflesh diet was never heartily accepted. It continued to be the cause of discontent and murmuring, open or secret, and it was not made permanent. MH 311.2"
"Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no."
This verse describes God providing manna, 'bread from heaven,' for the Israelites, which aligns with the passage's statement that God provided manna as the best food for them.
"Upon their settlement in Canaan, the Israelites were permitted the use of animal food, but under careful restrictions which tended to lessen the evil results. The use of swine's flesh was prohibited, as also of other animals and of birds and fish whose flesh was pronounced unclean. Of the meats permitted, the eating of the fat and the blood was strictly forbidden. MH 311.3"
"And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you."
This verse explicitly prohibits the eating of swine, which directly corresponds to the passage's statement that 'the use of swine's flesh was prohibited'.
"Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings."
This verse explicitly forbids the consumption of blood, which aligns with the passage's statement that 'the eating of the fat and the blood was strictly forbidden'.
"Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you."
This verse outlines the principle of distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, which is the basis for the dietary restrictions mentioned in the passage.