What is kilayim? Kilayim is rare word and, according to Hebrew scholars, only appears in the context of the prohibitions regarding the mixing of kinds. The root word K-L-A is used elsewhere in Scripture in the context of “being held back” or “expire”. This makes perfect sense because the genetic crossing of two types of plants or animals produces a “terminal” cross, or causes that offspring to be unable to reproduce effectively.
There are two main Scriptures that deal with mixing: Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:9-11. Lev 19:19 commands “you are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your livestock (KJV uses cattle but not correct. Behemah is the Hebrew-meaning a large quadruped) you shall not sow your field with mingled (two heterogeneities) seed, nor wear a garment upon you mingled of linen and woolen.” Deut 22:9 “Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with diverse seeds lest the fruit of thy seed which thou has sown and the fruit of thy vineyard be defiled.”
Our working summary of this section of Torah is this:
- Not to crossbreed animals
- Not to plant various plant species together (cross-pollination)
- Not to wear certain fabrics together
- Not to use two species of animals to plow together
How does this apply to our world today? The “surface” context shows Yah’s incredible love for His people. Crossbreeding animals often produces a sterile animal and the mixing of seeds produces plants with seeds that do not correctly reproduce. Think of it this way: One tomato seed will produce a plant that bears much fruit, and each fruit contains hundreds of new seeds. What a miracle! One seed producing one plant can literally produce thousands of new plants. The mingling of some seeds takes away this Yah-provided ability to store provision for ourselves.
However, in our world today, there is a much more covert and sinister plan taking place. GMO-genetically modified organisms-have been sneaking their way in our food sources since the first FDA approval in 1990 and have become the norm and a matter of routine for most Americans. As Americans, we actually consume many more of these altered food sources than other countries, who appear to be somewhat smarter about health than we are.
On a physical level, any food source with a genetic modification is not wholly recognized as food-rather our bodies view them as the foreign material that they are. Because our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and designed by Creator to be self-healing, these faux foods set off an immune system response. In essence, it causes the body to fight against itself. We have a coined phrase for these reactions-“autoimmune diseases”. There are many great documentaries of real people who ditched the grocery store garbage for organic foods, and this change in diet allowed their bodies to heal from very dramatic illnesses. GMO-OMG is among one of my favorite documentaries.
On a spiritual level, Yah most certainly understood the choices that would be before us in these last days. He certainly knew that the mixing of kinds would have reached the current level of scientists attempting to prove themselves to know better than the Creator how to produce a perfect vegetable, fruit or animal. All the instructions that are given to us are for our good and for our protection. The propaganda is that only a “small tweak” has to be given to the DNA to cause great improvements. Think for a moment how god-like and assuming mere mortals are with such a statement! These “small tweaks” include mixing animal DNA with our vegetables. Maybe that doesn’t sound too terrible to you. Monsanto experimented with fish genes in tomatoes but says they have pulled that tomato off the market. There are lists of food which are currently in the stores, but it’s pretty hard to avoid GMOs if you eat processed foods-because of the corn and sugar beets which make their way into our diets in so many forms. However, The FDA has to approve and declare them all safe, and WHO is totally behind them. I feel better already, don’t you? Many people have become wary of the GM products, and laws have passed requiring all such foods to carry a label by the year 2022. Guess what? The name of the genetically modified foods has been modified! The label itself is quite attractive with a sun and a plant-quite healthy looking, actually. The new term we need to familiarize ourselves with is “bioengineered”. Sounds quite safe… By the way, would you like to know who produced the first GMO food product? Pfizer….
The latest FDA and WHO-approved genetic modification is a pig. Yes, the humble pig has had a small DNA tweak that makes it less allergenic-both for food consumption and for the organs to be less likely to be rejected when implanted in humans. I find this to be the most interesting of all, because of a verse in the Bible. It is found in Isaiah 66:17 which is a vision Isaiah saw regarding the judgement at the end of days. The chapter starts by stating the slain of the Lord shall be many and the description of these entering into Yah’s wrath include those eating swine’s flesh, abominations and the mouse. This ties in nicely with the new FDA pig, since mouse genes were used to tweak this pig’s DNA. The other Torah concern with using pig organs in transplants is the fact that, in other dietary laws where we are given the animals fit for human consumption and those that are not, pork is the one unfit animal that also carries a warning against touching the dead carcass. (Deut 14:8) How much more of a violation of this when a person allows a doctor to use the parts of a pig in their body?
Believe it or not, my goal in this post is not to educate you in GMO foods but rather to give you some sound Biblical principles to help you navigate your choices. While all the information surrounding GMO/bioengineered foods is interesting, the main point is that these foods involve the mixing of kinds. You now know this is expressly forbidden in the Bible. It isn’t the research and knowledge we can obtain but the knowledge our Creator has. We need to be willing and ready to follow His instructions whether they make sense to us or not. After all, they are just another confirmation of how much He truly loves us!