Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 204 (The Food of the Gods) for week of 19 July, 2026

The Food of the Gods   “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, as to what you will tell him: for I am lovesick.   What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, that thus you adjure us?” (So 5:9)   “The nations of the world say to Israel: ‘How is your beloved more than another beloved?” In what way is He God more than other gods, in what way is He a protector more than other protectors?’” (Midrash Rabbah to Shir 5§9)   Once again, the proto-typical event is the exodus from Egypt:   "For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the LORD." (Ex 12:12) "And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods?" (2 Sa 7:23)   When did the other “gods” of the pantheon assume power over the nations?   And are these entities unruly evil demons or ruly assigned powers over the principalities (2 Pe 2:10; Jde 1:8)?   Too involved to answer, and probably not so fruitful, but when Israel goes into the principality of an assigned power, in a sense, it is the territory of that nation’s assigned angelic majesty, elohim, or "judge, authority." There are indeed, however, unruly demonic entities that operate within those principalities that are worshipped as gods.   Elohim is spirit, yet He “eats” the gifts of our worship, the human desire to be near to Him expressed in gifts and sacrifices:   ”You shall consecrate him, therefore, for he offers the food of your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the LORD, who sanctifies you, am holy.” (Le 21:8) “Speak to Aaron, saying, ‘No man of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect shall approach to offer the food of his God.’” (Le 21:17) “...nor shall you accept any such [blemished, diseased] from the hand of a foreigner for offering as the food of your God; for their corruption ("decay") is in them, they have a defect, they shall not be accepted for you.’” (Le 22:25)   Elohim's food is to receive our heartfelt, lovesick obedience free of the decay of death. Our food is to do the will of the Father who sent Yeshua, the Living Word. (Jn 4:34)   The evil and unclean gods of the pantheon also receive “food” when we idolize them [we actually worship ourselves and they enable it]. As in the Garden, when the serpent offered the humans the opportunity to “be like God,” so evil spirits receive the gifts and sacrifices of human beings as food, fuel for their ability to cross into our realm and proliferate.   It was the serpent who was trying to be like God, and he needed Adam and Eve to feed that desire. He fed them what they desired; they fed him what he desired. The serpent is always eager to feed our wrong appetite, desire, emotion, and intellect. The end result, though, is death, not life.   Obedience to Elohim’s voice, however, produces life and the ability to continue abundant life in the Garden, a Land flowing with milk and honey, wine and balsam.   The following recitation for the tithe of the third year contains specific language that reminds us we are not to feed the dead, whether ancestors or gods.   Instead, we feed only our Elohim with our holies of sacred obedience. In return, our Elohim sets us high above all the nations and their gods. This is why our Beloved is high above all others and why we are lovesick, seeking His Voice in the night of exile, which is what Adam and Eve should have done, waited to hear His Voice walking in the cool of the evening.   “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year