I think the most intriguing part of the piece written by guest blogger, Halle the Homemaker, was the difference between conquering creation and being a good steward of it. While some of us may view this concept differently than another, if we are at least contemplating our part in subduing the earth in terms of how God sees it and not just our own ideas, then our food journey will be pointed in the right direction for becoming good stewards.
If you haven't done so in a while, try reading through the first three chapters of Genesis this week and meditate on this topic. Recently, I read through the book of Leviticus as part of my Bible reading plan for the year. I was amazed at some of the things I read concerning their food practices as they relate to being a good steward of the land; particularly Leviticus 19:19,23-25.
I love this verse from Leviticus 20: 24 (ESV):
"...'You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess a land flowing with milk and honey.' I am the Lord our God..."
While this is speaking to the Israelites, it connotes that it is good to inherit the land, to possess it, and that God is the one who blesses it or not. The "milk and honey" refers to the blessings that God would give as an inheritance.
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow states:
We start with the interpretation of the Talmud, which interprets the words zavat halav u'dvash, (flowing with milk and honey) as "milk flows from the goats' (udders), and honey flows from the dates and the figs (Ketubot 111b)." For a pastoral people, this indeed must have been an inviting description of the land. The goats were a source of milk as well as meat, and were very prolific. In biblical times, goats were a reflection of wealth.
This speaks right to my heart about living close to the land, being a good steward of it, and reaping the blessings that God gives from the land! I won't say any more so that you'll be curious enough to go read Halle's article for yourself!
Also, I want to thank Wendy... As a participant in the discussion last week, I won a $15 gift certificate to spend at LocalHarvest.org! So many choices! Now I have to decide on how to spend it!
Just an update on last week's poll topic: Are you raising hens for eggs? 32% of you have been for quite a while and 9% are starting out this year. That's great! I think you're going to love it. I was amazed at how easy chickens can be to raise. We're entering our fourth year and I wish I had tried this years ago! While 20% of Homestead Revival readers plan on raising layers in the future, 22% are restricted based on zoning ordinances. Don't give up! I truly believe that as the economy changes and people realize that chickens aren't that intrusive for neighbors if you don't have roosters, then the ordinances may relax.
This week's poll: Do you observe any of the dietary guidelines in the Bible for health purposes (not as spiritually binding)? You can select more than one answer this time, so let me hear what you are practicing! I find this topic very interesting because a lot of Christians are following the Nourishing Traditions methods which hails the benefits of organ meats in particular.
As of the writing of this post, there are 199 Homestead Revival followers on blogger, 324 on Facebook, and 342 on some type of reader! Wow! You've really honored and blessed me by visiting here so often! And the conversations keep getting better and better! Thank you! I'm trying to drop by each person's blog and at least visit. Too bad I can't blog all day long, but then again, I love being a wife and mom, too! That's what this is all about!
Speaking of blogging, I haven't forgotten some of the topics that I've started here, such as prepping, raw milk, and food journeys. But these posts take a bit more time. So hang in there; I'll get back to them!
