Which creatures are for food?
Answer From The Annual Reading Schedule - Week 2 Notes For Genesis: Genesis 9:3 says "every moving thing/creature", but does this mean literally everything? Obviously this is excluding certain things. For example, we humans are moving about on the land but that does not mean that we are being told by the Creator, "go and eat each other". So everyone who is reading this is making obvious exceptions which are necessary according to what is righteous in the eyes of our Creator. Similarly, another obvious exception are unclean animals. Just how the Creator never intended this verse to justify cannibalism, He also never intended this verse to justify people eating unclean animals. Even in pulling the animals into the ark there are 7 pairs of the clean beasts permitted, making a distinction between the clean and the unclean. When Noach (Noah) made an offering, he only used clean animals (Genesis 8:20). This shows that our Creator does make a distinction between the clean and the unclean. Noach also made a distinction. He did not dare offer an unclean animal on an altar. Another example is Titus 1:15 which states in the KJV, "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." Is this trying to say that if you're pure then a big pile of dung is pure? So obviously when a verse says, "all", exceptions can be made. Another example is Psalms 8:6 which says, "Thou made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:". Sha'ul (Paul) explains in 1 Corinthians 15:27 what this verse means: "For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he says all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him." So Sha'ul (Paul) says there is an obvious exception to the "all" phrase. Similarly, it is clear without a doubt that Genesis 9:3 is not intended to give permission for eating any unclean animals anymore that it is giving permission for cannibalism. That view is incorrect and would be disregarding commands of Yahweh.