{"id":47330,"date":"2023-02-21T17:22:10","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T14:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=47330"},"modified":"2025-05-25T02:10:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T23:10:07","slug":"are-we-forbidden-to-eat-meat-according-to-isaiah-663","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2023\/02\/21\/are-we-forbidden-to-eat-meat-according-to-isaiah-663\/","title":{"rendered":"Are We Forbidden to Eat Meat According to Isaiah 66:3?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Answer: Let us read the passage carefully:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Isaiah 66:3 (ESV) says:
“He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; he who presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At first glance, one might mistakenly conclude that this verse forbids slaughtering animals or eating meat. However, this is a misunderstanding of the passage. If that were the case, then offering grain offerings (which the text also condemns) would be forbidden too\u2014but we know from elsewhere in Scripture that offerings are acceptable to God (Romans 12:1, ESV).<\/p>\n

So, what is really happening here?<\/p>\n

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Understanding Isaiah 66:3 in Context<\/h3>\n

God is addressing people who bring large, showy sacrifices to Him, thinking that quantity and grandeur will please Him, while their hearts remain distant and rebellious. This is not about the act of sacrifice itself but about the condition of the worshiper\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n

In fact, God reminds us in the very next verses:<\/p>\n

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Isaiah 66:1-2 (ESV):
“Thus says the LORD: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is my resting place? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

God is not impressed by elaborate rituals or grand offerings if they come from proud or unrepentant hearts. Rather, He values humility, brokenness, and reverence for His Word.<\/p>\n

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The Deeper Meaning of Sacrifices<\/h3>\n

When a wicked person brings a sacrifice, it is not truly a pleasing offering but more like a curse on themselves. Their sacrifice is likened to heinous acts\u2014killing a man or breaking the neck of a dog\u2014to show how detestable it is in God\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

Proverbs 15:8 (ESV) confirms this principle:<\/p>\n

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“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This means God desires obedience and a right heart above ritual sacrifices:<\/p>\n

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1 Samuel 15:22 (ESV) says:
“To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Practical Applications<\/h3>\n