From Vegetarians to Killing and Eating Animals

Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything (Genesis 9:3).


Here is another first.  Since the time of Adam and Eve, people only ate vegetables and fruit.
 
Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so (Genesis 1:29-30).


And the LORD God commanded Adam, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden (Genesis 2:16).


After the flood, God gave humans permission to kill and eat animals, but in the same passage that God gave animals to be eaten, God told Noah that he was not allowed to kill other human beings.

TWO CONCLUSIONS

1.  God gave permission to kill and eat animals after the flood, in which God destroyed all of humanity because there was so much violence in the world.   The implications are this - God did not allow the killing of animals before the flood.

2.  There are 2 facts that suggest that God did not like killing animals for food.
a.  God had not permitted the eating of animals before the flood.
b.  When God told Himself that it was not worth destroying humanity, because they wouldn't change - they would always be evil; he gave humans permission to kill animals.  It's like God this:  God realized that He couldn't win this battle with humanity - they will sin, and they will continue to be violent - so God put a boundry on human violence.  "You can be violent, but only so far, you can kill animals and eat them, but you cannot kill other humans."