Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, the concept of "consuming" can be understood in both literal and metaphorical terms. It often refers to the act of eating or drinking, but it also carries deeper spiritual and moral implications throughout Scripture.
Literal ConsumptionThe Bible frequently addresses the act of consuming food and drink, providing guidelines and laws for the Israelites. In
Leviticus 11, God outlines dietary laws, specifying which animals are clean and unclean for consumption. This reflects a concern for holiness and obedience to God's commands: "You are to distinguish between the clean and the unclean, and between animals that may be eaten and those that may not" (
Leviticus 11:47).
In the New Testament, Jesus addresses the issue of consumption in a broader sense. In
Matthew 15:11, He states, "A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it." This teaching shifts the focus from external observance to the condition of the heart, emphasizing that spiritual purity is not merely about dietary laws but about one's words and actions.
Metaphorical ConsumptionThe Bible also uses the concept of consuming metaphorically to describe spiritual realities. In
Deuteronomy 4:24, God is described as "a consuming fire, a jealous God." This imagery conveys God's holiness and His zealous nature in maintaining a covenant relationship with His people. The consuming fire represents both judgment against sin and the purifying presence of God.
In the New Testament, the metaphor of consuming is evident in the Lord's Supper. Jesus instructs His disciples to consume bread and wine as symbols of His body and blood, establishing a new covenant through His sacrifice: "Take and eat; this is My body... Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (
Matthew 26:26-28). This act of consumption signifies participation in the life and death of Christ, fostering unity and remembrance among believers.
Warnings Against Excessive ConsumptionScripture also warns against excessive consumption, particularly in the form of gluttony and drunkenness.
Proverbs 23:20-21 cautions, "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty." Such behavior is seen as a lack of self-control and a deviation from a life of discipline and moderation.
The Apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in
Ephesians 5:18, advising believers, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Here, the contrast is drawn between physical indulgence and spiritual fulfillment, urging Christians to seek the latter.
Spiritual ConsumptionThe theme of consuming is also present in the spiritual nourishment provided by God's Word. In
Jeremiah 15:16, the prophet declares, "Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight." This metaphorical consumption of God's Word signifies internalizing divine truth, leading to spiritual growth and joy.
Similarly, Jesus refers to Himself as the "bread of life" in
John 6:35, inviting believers to partake in Him for eternal sustenance: "Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst." This highlights the essential nature of a relationship with Christ for spiritual fulfillment and eternal life.
In summary, the concept of consuming in the Bible encompasses both physical and spiritual dimensions, reflecting God's concern for holiness, obedience, and the well-being of His people. It serves as a reminder of the importance of moderation, the pursuit of spiritual nourishment, and the transformative power of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
p. pr. & vb. n.) of Consume.
Greek
1160. dapane -- expense, cost... cost. From dapto (to devour); expense (as
consuming) -- cost. (dapanen) -- 1
Occurrence. 1159, 1160. dapane. 1160a . Strong's Numbers.
2654. katanalisko -- to use up
... Word Origin from kata and analisko Definition to use up NASB Word Usageconsuming
(1). consume. From kata and analisko; to consume utterly -- consume....
Strong's Hebrew
5556. solam -- a locust... Word Origin probably from the same as sela Definition a locust NASB Word
Usage devastating locust (1).
Consuming locust. Apparently
...398. akal -- to eat
... Definition to eat NASB Word Usage ate (76), certainly have eaten (1), certainly
not eat (1), consume (30), consumed (30), consumes (9),consuming (9), devour...
2152. zalaphah -- raging heat
... horrible, horror, terrible. Or ziliaphaph {zil-aw-faw'}; from za'aph; a glow (of
wind or anger); also a famine (asconsuming) -- horrible, horror, terrible....
Library
TheConsuming Fire.
... THECONSUMING FIRE. Our God is aconsuming fire."Hebrews 12:29 Nothing
is inexorable but love.... And our God is aconsuming fire....
On God.
... to the declarations of our own Scriptures, God is a body, because in the writings
of Moses they find it said, that "our God is aconsuming fire;" [1933] and in...
But as it is in Mockery that Celsus Says we Speak of "God Coming...
... The divine word says that our God is "aconsuming fire," [3728] and that "He draws
rivers of fire before Him;" [3729] nay, that He even entereth in as "a...
Prayer and Desire
... Yet holy zeal need not to be fussy in order to beconsuming.... It is Divine fire in
the soul, intense, dross-consuming " the very essence of the Spirit of God....
How to Dwell in the Fire of God
... prophet has been calling all men, far and near, to behold a great act of divine
judgment in which God has been manifested in flaming glory,consuming evil; now...
Sixth Day. Holiness and Glory.
... With Moses in Horeb we saw God's glory in the fire, in its double aspect of salvation
and destruction:consuming what could not be purified, purifying what was...
Argument. --Moreover, that when God is Called a Spirit, Brightness...
A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity. <....
Exodus iii. 6
... destroy with them. It is the very opposite to this at last, for then he is
expressly said to be aconsuming fire. Moses turned aside...
The Return to Capernaum - Healing of the Centurion's Servant.
... The circumstances, the incessant work, and the all-consuming zeal which even His
friends' could but ill understand, led to the apprehension - the like of which...
Him Cyrus, his Grandson by his Daughter, Expelled from the Kingdom...
... being on intimate terms with Daniel, asked him why he did not worship the image,
since it was a manifest symbol of the living God, asconsuming those things...
Thesaurus
Consuming (26 Occurrences)... n.) of Consume. Multi-Version Concordance
Consuming (26 Occurrences). Hebrews
12:29 for our God is a
consuming fire. (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV).
...Burning (415 Occurrences)
... n.) of Burn. 2. (a.) That burns; being on fire; excessively hot; fiery. 3. (a.)
Consuming; intense; inflaming; exciting; vehement; powerful; as, burning zeal....
Openeth (48 Occurrences)
... Numbers 26:10 and the earth openeth her mouth, and swalloweth them and Korah, in
the death of the company, in the fireconsuming the two hundred and fifty men...
Consumeth (37 Occurrences)
Logos
... This restless, all-consuming and yet all-transforming activity-now darting upward
as a flame, now sinking to an ember and now vanishing as smoke-is for him at...
Locust (25 Occurrences)
... Such an awful visitation swept over Egypt (Exodus 10:1-19),consuming before it
every green thing, and stripping the trees, till the land was bared of all...
Glowing (14 Occurrences)
... Coals were kindled by it. (See RSV). Psalms 18:8 Smoke went out of his nostrils.
Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. (See RSV)....
Wastes (33 Occurrences)
... thy wastes, and thy desolate places, And the land of thy ruins, Surely now are
straitened because of inhabitants, And far off have been thoseconsuming thee....
Wrath (503 Occurrences)
... God is not love only: He is also righteous; yea, "Our God is aconsuming fire"
(Hebrews 12:29); "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God...
Inundation (6 Occurrences)
... heard hath Jehovah The honour of His voice, And the coming down of His arm He doth
shew with the raging of anger, And the flame of aconsuming fire, Scattering...
Resources
What does it mean that God is a consuming fire? | GotQuestions.orgWhy can't Catholics eat meat on Fridays during Lent? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that “zeal for your house will consume me” in John 2:17? | GotQuestions.orgConsuming: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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