The Old Testament is a violent, bloody book, but the more we modern Christians neglect it, the more our gospel loses its teeth.
This little book will call you out, cut you up, lift you up, and set you on fire. It begins where all spiritual meat does: not at the dinner table, not in the kitchen, nor even at the market. It begins in the abattoir. The God of the Old Testament is a butcher only because the Christ of the New Testament is a chef.
Real theology deals with food, with milk and honey, flesh and blood, bread, oil, and wine. It is nourishment for children, wisdom for kings, and courage for prophets.
God gave us food to teach us about life and death. God gave us sacrifice to teach us about death and resurrection. We prepare food for ourselves as God prepares us for Himself. The culinary art is close to the heart of the God who is a consuming fire.