And in verse 28, God gave mankind dominion over the animals. This verse doesn't contradict verse 28.
This is fine. But this doesn't exclude consumption of meat. The ground is cursed, and people are going to have to work for their food. Obviously Adam didn't just live off of bread after the fall. This doesn't even make any sense because even YECs recognize that animal death occurred after the fall. So it sounds strange that God would command Adam to live off of bread while everyone else was eating meat anyway.
Ok. So that negates your prior post-fall references.
Thanks.
Nope. You're missing a verse again.
"Genesis 9:4 NIV
[4] “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it."
All dietary rulings in the old testament begin with that which was already being consumed (which you've already acknowledged) followed by the prohibitive ruling.
Example:
Deuteronomy 14:3-4, 7, 9-12 NIV
[3] Do not eat any detestable thing.
[4] These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
[7] However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you.
[9] Of all the creatures living in the water, you may eat any that has fins and scales. [10] But anything that does not have fins and scales you may not eat; for you it is unclean.
[11] You may eat any clean bird. [12] But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,
These verses are not saying that the Isrealites never ate sheep or goat or fish or birds. Or that God is just now giving the Isrealites permission to eat their sheep for the first time. It's acknowledging that these are already aspects of their diet. Then the prohibition follows.
Its the same structure as Genesis 9:3-4. Indeed, people in Genesis, much like the Isrealites in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, were already consuming meat identified in the first verse. The second verse introduces the prohibition as a sub category of what was already being consumed.
Nope. See above.
Additionally, in Genesis 1, God commanded mankind to subdue and rule over all the animals. But you can do a word study with strongs concordance on these terms. They typically hold war-time and armed struggle connotations. Like subduing a lion for example (and I'm not talking about Narnia lions, I'm talking about meat eating lions that might endanger your sheep). Subdue and rule. That's the real message God was giving Adam and Eve.
Got didn't tell Adam and Eve to subdue wild fish and birds so that they could start an aquarium and a petting zoo. This is ancient near east conquest language. It's not clear to me what Adam would even do with a wild salmon other than eat it anyway.
In contrast, God also instructed the Isrealites to subdue and rule over the land of Canaan. And we all know how that went.
Examples:
Zechariah 9:15 KJV
[15] The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and
subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
Joshua 17:17-18 NIV
[17] But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment [18] but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
Joshua 18:1 KJV
[1] And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was
subdued before them.
2 Samuel 8:11-14 NIV
[11] King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had
subdued: [12] Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. [13] And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. [14] He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.
When God commands people to subdue in the old testament, he's not talking about starting a petting zoo. The world beyond Eden was a dangerous place. So much so that Cain feared for his life when he was being exiled (notice that no other sons or daughters were yet mentioned, so who did he fear?).
And that's the true story of Genesis that you won't hear on Sunday school, censored for kids.
