I have to admit that studying Ecclesiastes last year affected me in a number of ways. One of the lasting effects was a changed attitude toward food.

In the past, I looked at food as sort of a necessary evil, at least in terms of my Christianity. Eating was done for nourishment only, although fellowship as a “byproduct” was something I valued.

I’ve changed my mind. I think that food was meant to be enjoyed. Not abused. Enjoyed. Isn’t that why God filled our foods with such a wide variety of tastes and textures? Isn’t that one of the reasons why we find pleasure in certain foods?

Evolutionists would say that our bodies crave things like fat, calories, etc. out of a sense of survival. This sort of fits my old view of things, but it doesn’t go with what the Bible says. In the Old Testament there are many times when God’s people come together to eat “in the presence of the Lord,” drawing near to God by enjoying what he has given.

Ecclesiastes is full of verses that talk about enjoying our eating and drinking:

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.
Ecclesiastes 11:9 Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.

In Paul’s day there were some who taught that not only was food not to be enjoyed, but it was to be abstained from to try and please God:

“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Colossians 2:20-23)
“They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:3-5)

So what do you think a Christian’s view toward food and eating should be? Are there “good foods” and “bad foods”? Are there proper ways of eating and improper ways of eating?

Help me work on a theology of food.