View this lesson in a browser and print a "take-away" weekly copy. CLICK HERE (see link below)
| TUESDAY | April 20 |
Genesis 2:10 reveals that in the Edenic earth, even before sin, water was available for God’s creatures. What’s implied in that fact?
As creatures, we all need air, water, and food to preserve our existence (Gen. 1:29). In the description of Eden, aside from the presence of a beautiful garden, there was also a river that gave rise to four other rivers, Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates. God provided water to preserve the lives of His creatures.
As God’s creatures, we need water in order to survive. In fact, every body cell, tissue, and organ needs water to function. Water helps to regulate body temperature, transports nutrients and oxygen to the cells, removes waste, prevents constipation, moistens tissues, cushions joints, and keeps blood flowing throughout the body. We need to drink more water than our thirst demands. Many liquids, such as water, milk, and fruit and vegetable juices, contribute to hydration; however, alcohol and caffeinated beverages may paradoxically increase fluid loss, which may be harmful.
Pure water is superior to many other drinks. Start your day with one or two glasses of water and continue drinking water between meals to make sure you are well hydrated.
Water has other healthful functions, as well. Hand washing may reduce transmission of many infectious agents from person to person. A large percentage of infectious disease would be eliminated by hand washing, especially before eating. Daily bathing removes accumulated dirt, which can lead to disease, as well.
Read Leviticus 11:40; 13:6, 34, 53, 54; 15:3–13). What point comes through here?
A fair amount of scholarly debate exists regarding the purpose behind these cleansing rituals in the Old Testament. Many argue that these are purely ritual, with no health aspect involved at all. And though in some cases that point seems more obvious than in others (such as when the priests had to wash their hands and feet before going into the tabernacle [see Exod. 30:20, 21]), with what we know today about germs and cleanliness, the Lord could have instituted these things for health purposes as well, even if the Israelites themselves had no idea of germ theory and the like.
Whatever the facts are, today we know that using water to keep ourselves clean gives us wonderful health benefits.
No comments:
Post a Comment