Transcript document

Is the Bible a message from a
God I can’t see?
A law ahead of its time
Part 1
A law ahead of its time
• Law thousands of
years ahead of its
time
– Community health
– Civil law
• Law of Moses
A law ahead of its time
• 1847 – First British
Medical Officer of
Health
–
–
–
–
Community medicine
Guidance on food
Disposal of waste
Control of disease
The Bible ahead of its time
Bible good food guide
• Fruit or vegetables not
restricted
• Flesh of animals
severely restricted
Experience and Science agree
Bible good food guide – meat
Among the animals,
whatever divides the hoof,
having cloven hooves and
chewing the cud – that
you may eat.
Leviticus 11 v 3
Bible good food guide – meat
• Sheep, cows and deer
all permitted
• All meat-eating animals
not allowed
Excluding pigs,
same rules today
Among the animals,
whatever divides the hoof,
having cloven hooves and
chewing the cud – that
you may eat.
Leviticus 11 v 3
Bible good food guide – meat
• Protection from pig
tape worm and
roundworm
• Cause blindness,
paralysis, epilepsy or
death
3,500 years ago
unwise to eat pig
meat
Among the animals,
whatever divides the hoof,
having cloven hooves and
chewing the cud – that
you may eat.
Leviticus 11 v 3
Bible good food guide – fish
These you may eat of all
that are in the water:
whatever in the water has
fins and scales, whether in
the seas or in the rivers –
that you may eat. But all in
the seas or in the rivers
that do not have fins and
scales … they are an
abomination to you.
Leviticus 11 v 9 and 10
Bible good food guide – fish
• Fish with fins and
scales permitted
• All other aquatic
animals forbidden
These you may eat of all
that are in the water:
whatever in the water has
fins and scales, whether in
the seas or in the rivers –
that you may eat. But all in
the seas or in the rivers
that do not have fins and
scales … they are an
abomination to you.
Leviticus 11 v 9 and 10
Bible good food guide – fish
• Shell fish can cause
food poisoning
These you may eat of all that
are in the water: whatever in
the water has fins and scales,
whether in the seas or in the
rivers – that you may eat. But
all in the seas or in the rivers
that do not have fins and
scales … they are an
abomination to you.
Leviticus 11 v 9 and 10
3,500 years ago wiser not to eat shellfish
Bible good food guide – fish
• Crabs can give
parasites
These you may eat of all
that are in the water:
whatever in the water has
fins and scales, whether in
the seas or in the rivers –
that you may eat. But all in
the seas or in the rivers
that do not have fins and
scales … they are an
abomination to you.
Leviticus 11 v 9 and 10
Again the Bible gives good advice
Bible good food guide – fat
Speak to the children of
Israel, saying: “You shall
not eat any fat, of ox or
sheep or goat”
Leviticus 7 v 23
Bible good food guide – fat
• Animal fat restricted
Modern medical
advice agrees
Speak to the children of
Israel, saying: “You shall
not eat any fat, of ox or
sheep or goat”
Leviticus 7 v 23
Bible guide to water supplies
Any earthen vessel into which any of
them (dead animal) falls you shall
break; and whatever is in it shall be
unclean … any drink that may be drunk
from it becomes unclean …
Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in
which there is plenty of water, shall be
clean, but whatever touches any such
carcass becomes unclean.
Leviticus 11 v 32 to 36
Bible guide to water supplies
• Flowing water is OK
• Don’t drink water in container
contaminated with anything dead
• Earthen vessel must be smashed
when a dead animal found in it
• However, wooden vessels simply
to be washed
Drinking stagnant water forbidden
– Wood now known to have antibacterial properties
Bible was 3,000 years ahead of its time
Bible guide to sewage
disposal
Designate a place outside the
camp where you can go to relieve
yourself. As part of your
equipment have something to dig
with, and when you relieve
yourself, dig a hole and cover up
your excrement.
Deuteronomy 23 v 12 and 13
The Bible was
3,000 years ahead
of its time
Bible guide to disease
control
a) Washing after handling
dead bodies
Whoever touches the dead
body of anyone will be unclean
for seven days. He must purify
himself with the water on the
third day and on the seventh
day; then he will be clean.
Numbers 19 v 11 and 12
Bible guide to disease
control
a) Washing after handling
dead bodies
• Surgeons used to
Whoever touches the dead
handle the dead and
body of anyone will be unclean
then do operations
for seven days. He must purify
without washing
himself with the water on the
third day and on the seventh
• Many patients died
day; then he will be clean.
Numbers 19 v 11 and 12
They might have lived if the Bible’s
advice had been followed
Bible guide to disease
control
a) Washing after handling
• Healthcare workers now
dead bodies
aware of risks
Whoever touches the dead
body of anyone will be unclean• Washing a vital part of
for seven days. He must purify modern procedures
himself with the water on the
third day and on the seventh
day; then he will be clean.
Numbers 19 v 11 and 12
Bible guide to disease control
b) Isolation of infectious
diseases
Now the leper on whom the
sore is, his clothes shall be
torn and his head bare … He
is unclean, and he shall dwell
alone; his dwelling shall be
outside the camp
Leviticus 13 v 45 and 46
Bible guide to disease control
b) Isolation of infectious
diseases
• Derived directly from
the Jews
Modern isolation ward symbol
Now the leper on whom the
sore is, his clothes shall be
torn and his head bare … He
is unclean, and he shall dwell
alone; his dwelling shall be
outside the camp
Leviticus 13 v 45 and 46
Bible guide to disease control
b) Isolation of infectious
diseases
• Quarantine
… the priest shall isolate the one
who has the sore seven days. And
the priest shall examine him on the
seventh day; and indeed if the sore
appears to be as it was, and the
sore has not spread on the skin,
then the priest shall isolate him
another seven days. Then the
priest shall examine him again on
the seventh day
Leviticus 13 v 4 to 6
Bible guide to disease control
b) Isolation of infectious
diseases
… the priest shall isolate the one
who has the sore seven days. And
the priest shall examine him on the
• Quarantine
seventh day; and indeed if the sore
appears to be as it was, and the
The Bible’s
sore has not spread on the skin,
recommendations then the priest shall isolate him
for “quarantine” are another seven days. Then the
part of modern
priest shall examine him again on
the seventh day
medical practice
Leviticus 13 v 4 to 6
Summary
The Bible was ahead of its time in community health
• Recommendations
– Fruit and vegetables not
restricted
– Restrictions on fat,
unsafe meat and
seafood
• Safe water supply
• Safe disposal of sewage
• Washing to avoid cross
infection
• Isolation of infectious
diseases
The Challenge
• How did the writers of
the Bible make such
remarkable
recommendations
about community
health?
It took the rest of the world 3,500 years to catch
up with the community health regulations
The Challenge
• Where else can you find similar
evidence of a power greater and
wiser than us?
• There is much more evidence that
the Bible is an accurate and
reliable source of information
You can trust the Bible when it gives
advice about your life