Praise Lord Anyhow

Does the Lord Eat? in the Sacred Books

Does the Lord Eat? In the Bible

Yes, the Lord ate:

The Lord and two other men appeared to Abraham. Abraham said: Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed. Abraham told Sarah to bake some bread, then he brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared. Then the Lord and the other two men ate and Abraham stood near them under a tree.

It follows that the menu of the Lord food was meat, bread, curds and milk.

Also, we understand that if the Lord eat he can be refreshed.

However, the Bible does not say who the other two men were. It seems likely that the other two men have some authority; they accompanied the Lord and ate with Him. Were they the Lord friends?

According to Genesis 18, Abraham saw the Lord and talked to him face to face.

However the verse of Exodus 33:20 says:

But," he (the Lord) said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

Now, we have two verses, one says the Abraham saw the Lord and talked to him face to face and invited him for food and the Lord accepted the invitation and ate.

The other verse says that no one can see the face of the Lord.

Also, it is very interesting that the Bible does not describe how did the Lord look like?

On the other hand, the Bible may describe in more than one chapter how did a tent look like! Is not that amazing?

Herein, the story of the food that the Lord ate:

Genesis 18 (New International Version)

1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.

2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.

4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.

5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."

7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.

8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said.

10 Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.

11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.

12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"

13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?'

14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."

16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.

17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?

18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.

19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous

21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.

23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?

25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,

28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."

29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."

30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."

32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

Sciences and eating:

Eating is a normal process for man and vertebrates.

Eating is followed by digestion, metabolism, excretion and stool formation.

You eat, hence, you defecate stool.

However, Scientists discovered bacterial spores that live for more that 70 million of years without eating. When they provided water to that spores, the spores regained their biological activities.

It is possible then that some creatures do not eat for many million of years.

Now, let us go to the Quran to answer the question Does the Lord eat?

Does the Lord Eat? In the Quran:

Neither the Lord nor the Angels eat.

The story of Abraham guests.

The Quran gave us the story of Abraham guests and his food presented to them.

Yes, Abraham saw some strange men.

The tradition was to present food to your guests.

If the guest eat from the food, it is okay, if they do not eat then it is a big problem, it means that the guests want to do evil thing to you.

This was the tradition at the time of Abraham and still it is in many Arabian countries.

Abraham guests were some Angels.

Angels do not eat or sleep.

When Abraham put the food for the Angels, he looked at them; he saw that they do not eat. Hence, Abraham was very scared of them.

The almighty Lord never appeared to Abraham nor did He eat his food!

The Men were Angels and also they did not eat Abraham's food.

The issue of Does the Lord eat is very important from the theological point of view; that is why the Quran mentions the story of Abraham's guests and food three times.

You smart readers are invited to read the story here and there and compare.

Surah 11:69-77

[69] There came Our Messengers to Ibrahim with glad tidings. They said, "Peace! "he answered, "Peace!" and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.

[70] But when he saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: "Fear not: we have been sent against the people of Lot."

[71] And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed: but We gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after him, of Jacob.

[72] She said: "Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!"

[73] They said: "Dost thou wonder at Allah's decree? The grace of Allah and His blessings on you, O ye people of the house! for He is indeed worthy of all praise, full of all glory!"

[74] When fear had passed from (the mind of) Ibrahim and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with Us for Lot's people.

[75] For Ibrahim was, without doubt, forbearing (of faults), compassionate, and given to look to Allah.

[76] O Ibrahim! seek not this. The decree of thy Lord hath gone forth: for them there cometh a Penalty that cannot be turned back!

[77] When our Messengers came to Lot, he was grieved on their account and felt himself powerless (to protect) them. He said: "This is a distressful day."

Surah 15:49-62

[49] Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,

[50] And that My Penalty will be indeed the most grievous Penalty.

[51] Tell them about the guests of Ibrahim.

[52] When they entered his presence and said, "Peace!" He said, "We feel afraid of you!"

[53] They said: "Fear not! We give thee glad tidings of a son endowed with wisdom."

[54] He said: "Do you give me glad tidings that old age has seized me? Of what then, is your good news?"

[55] They said: "We give thee glad tidings in truth: be not then in despair!"

[56] He said: "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord, but such as go astray?"

[57] Ibrahim said: "What then is the business of which ye (have come), O ye messengers (of Allah)?"

[58] They said: "We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin,

[59] "Excepting the adherents of Lot: them we are certainly (charged) to save (from harm), - all -

[60] "Except his wife, who, we have ascertained, will be among those who will lag behind."

[61] At length when the messengers arrived among the adherents of Lot.

[62] He said: "Ye appear to be uncommon folk."

Surah 51:24-35

[24] Has the story reached thee, of the honored guests of Ibrahim?

[25] Behold, they entered his presence, and said: "Peace!" He said, "Peace!" (and thought, "These seem) unusual people."

[26] Then he turned quickly to his household, brought out a fatted calf,

[27] And placed it before them He said, "will ye not eat?"

[28] (When they did not eat). He conceived a fear of them. They said, "Fear not," and they gave him glad tidings of a son endowed with knowledge.

[29] But his wife came forward (laughing) aloud: she smote her forehead and said: "A barren old woman!"

[30] They said, "Even so has thy Lord spoken: and He is full of Wisdom and Knowledge."

[31] (Ibrahim) said: "And what, O ye Messengers, is your errand (now)?"

[32] They said, "We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin;

[33] "To bring on, on them, (a shower of) stones of clay (brimstone),

[34] "Marked as from thy Lord for those who trespass beyond bounds."

[35] Then we evacuated those of the Believers, who were there,

Again, it should be emphasized that Islam consider saying that the Lord ate or eats as a big unforgiving offense in respect to the Lord the Almighty Creator.

Anyone who believes that the Lord the Almighty Creator ate or eats put himself in the category of unbeliever and he is responsible for himself at the Day of Judgment when the Lord the Almighty Creator asks him:" Did I eat? Do I eat? How I eat?

The smart wise one has to prepare his answer for that big day.

Back to the main topic of my series of articles (1-42); this is my question to you smart readers: "Is the Quran quoted from the Bible "?

About the Author

Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology,
Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit,
Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt.
And,
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors.
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers