Old Testament dietary laws and us today
How should New Testament believers view the Old Testament dietary laws outlined in Leviticus 11?
This is an important question, not only because the answer affects what we can or can’t eat (like bacon cheeseburgers), but also because it relates to a deeper issue: the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law.
The New Testament is clear that the dietary prohibitions of Leviticus 11 are no longer binding on believers today (cf. Mark 7:19; Acts 10). But in 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul said, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, [and] for training in righteousness.” If all Scripture is profitable, then that must include passages like Leviticus 11.
So how are the dietary laws of Leviticus 11 profitable for New Testament Christians? Or put another way, how should New Testament believers approach a text like Leviticus 11, in order to interpret it correctly and apply its truth appropriately?
THREE KEY QUESTIONS
In approaching an Old Testament text like Leviticus 11, I believe Christians must ask three primary questions. These questions provide a basic framework for how to dig deeper into challenging portions of the Old Testament.
While there might be additional questions to be asked of certain texts, I’m convinced these three questions can help us think accurately and deeply about the truth God has revealed in the first 39 books of our Bibles.
Let’s overview these questions quickly, and then we’ll use them to work through Leviticus 11.
FIRST, we need to ask a historical question, which we might state this way: What did this passage mean for its original audience?
SECOND, we ought to ask a theological question: What does this passage teach us about God and His expectations for people?
FINALLY, we are then able to ask a practical question: How should the truth about God revealed in this passage affect the way we live today?
BACKGROUND TO LEVITICUS 11
When we come to the book of Leviticus we find the Israelites still camped at the foot of Mount Sinai, shortly after having received the Ten Commandments.
Not long before this, they had been liberated from slavery in Egypt.
They had witnessed God’s power in the ten plagues and experienced His deliverance at the Red Sea. They had trembled at the sight of dark clouds and the sound of thunder as they approached Mount Sinai. And while Moses was on the mountain, they foolishly participated in worshipping a golden calf, falling under the displeasure of God.
All of that is recorded in Exodus.
But in Leviticus, the Lord reveals to the Israelites how they might be in the right relationship to Him as His covenant people. How could they approach this awesome God the right way? How could they worship Him and walk in relationship with Him? The book of Leviticus was the answer to those questions, albeit within the context of the Mosaic Covenant established at Sinai between God and Israel.
So, it is necessarily filled with details about sacrifices, the priesthood, and the need for atonement, because if sinful people are to be in a covenant relationship with a holy God, their sins must be atoned for.
Of course, all of the sacrifices and priests of the Levitical system foreshadow the final sacrifice of the perfect Lamb and the once-for-all work of the Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus. The system established in Leviticus anticipates the work of Christ on the cross.
Within the flow of the book of Leviticus, chapter 11 follows the account (in chapter 10) of Nadab and Abihu, where we are reminded that God takes holiness seriously. Chapter 11 begins a section distinguishing for the Israelites between that which was clean and that which was unclean, and it begins with the most basic of human needs and behaviors—the need for food and the act of eating. Part of being the covenant people of God meant that there were certain things the Israelites could and could not eat.
We see this very quickly as we survey the text, beginning in Leviticus 11:1.
Leviticus 11:1 – The LORD spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, (2) “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. (3) Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. (4) Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you. (5) Likewise, the shaphan [or rock badger], for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; (6) the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; (7) and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. (8) You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.
As these initial verses demonstrate, there was a long list of things Israel could not eat. The rest of the chapter follows that same pattern.
In verses 3–8, God addresses the BEASTS OF THE FIELD, explaining that while animals with a divided hoof that chew the cud, like cows, were acceptable to eat. Other animals, like camels and pigs, were off limits
In vv. 9–12, God addresses FISH, noting that the Israelites were not to eat anything that did not have fins and scales. That means that seafood like shellfish, squid, and mollusks was forbidden.
In vv.13–19, God moves to the category of BIRDS, identifying birds like vultures, eagles, and owls as being taboo. And while they are not technically birds, the end of verse 13 indicates bats were also not to be eaten.
Verses 20–23 address INSECTS, noting that most insects were considered unclean, with the exception of locusts and grasshoppers.
Verses 24–28 reiterate some of the earlier commands with the additional note that any animal that walks on FOUR PAWS should not be eaten. So, no dogs or cats.
In verses 29–40, God gives a final category of SWARMING THINGS, a category that primarily includes rodents and reptiles.
The Israelites were not allowed to eat mice or moles or lizards or crocodiles. And in these verses, we find that even their carcasses were considered unclean, and anything they touched became unclean. So no pet rats or alligator boots allowed.
That brings us then to verses 41 and 42, where the Lord sums up the previous verses:
Lev. 11:41 Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten. (42) Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable.
Then skip down to verse 46:
Lev. 11:46 This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, (47) to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.
At first glance, this passage may seem somewhat confusing, or perhaps irrelevant, to believers today. After all, this represents a long list of dietary restrictions that were given to ancient Israel.
But as we noted earlier, 2 Timothy 3:16 says all Scripture is profitable. So, how is this chapter profitable for Christians who are part of the church?
Well, let’s revisit our three questions to dig into this chapter in a little more depth:
1. THE HISTORICAL QUESTION
First, let’s consider the historical question: What were the implications of this passage for the original audience? How would Moses and the ancient Israelites have understood God’s words in this text?
The immediate implications for the ancient Israelites are fairly straightforward. Clearly, there was a long list of things they were not allowed to eat. And many of those things, we would agree should not be eaten. They were to avoid bats and vultures and rodents and camels and lizards and bugs and other creepy crawlies. Certainly, we would have no problem agreeing that those proteins ought to be avoided.
But there are other items on the list that might actually make us hungry. The Israelites could not eat pork or shellfish. That means no bacon, no ham, no pork chops, no crab, no lobster, no shrimp, and no calamari.
The Israelites could not eat any of those things. And even today, those who observe a kosher diet still avoid them based on God’s instructions here in Leviticus 11.
But this raises an important question: WHY? Why were the Israelites to observe such detailed dietary restrictions?
Some have noted that these dietary restrictions had certain health benefits, especially in the ancient world. There certainly could be concerns regarding disease and sanitation when eating most of the creatures listed here. Others have suggested that there might also be a sense of God wanting His people to depend on Him for their provision. There in the wilderness, it may have been tempting for the people to hunt down a mouse or a rock badger for breakfast. But God wanted the Israelites to depend on Him for food, like the manna He provided for them in Exodus 16.
But the primary reason God wanted the Israelites to avoid these foods is actually stated in the text. Look at vv. 43–45:
Lev. 11:43 Do not render yourselves de testable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. (44) For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. (45) For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
The entire book of Leviticus is about how a nation comprised of sinful people can approach a holy God in worship and walk with Him in covenant relationship. And God’s primary point to the Israelites is that, if you are going to be My people, you must consecrate yourself. Your behavior must reflect My holiness. And that includes watching what you eat.
Though it would take them a while to get there, because of their disobedience, the Israelites were on their way to the land of Canaan, in order to possess the land from the pagan Canaanites. And the Lord was calling them to be distinct in their behavior, to separate themselves from the pagan rituals and practices of the surrounding nations – and in so doing, to reflect His holiness.
One of the ways they could demonstrate that separation was in what they ate. Their diet would be noticeably different from the pagan nations around them; and as such, it would serve as a daily reminder, at every meal, that they were God’s holy people.
So, that meant no bacon cheeseburgers; no shrimp alfredo; no clam chowder and no crab cakes, but instead a constant reminder for them that they had been separated unto God, and a continual testimony to the nations around them that because the Israelites were God’s people, they were different – even when it came to what they ate.
2. THE THEOLOGICAL QUESTION
That brings us to our second question. We’ve looked at the historical question, now let’s consider the theological question: What does this passage teach us about the Person and work of God, and His will for His people? Or put another way, what does this text reveal about God’s character, purposes, and expectations?
I like Leviticus 11 because the theological truth taught by this passage is explicit in the text. There is no question as to what truth about God is being emphasized here.
Look again at verses 44–45:
Lev. 11:44 — For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. (45) For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’”
In keeping with the theme of the book of Leviticus, the theme of this passage is the holiness of God.
The term “holiness,” in its most basic sense, refers to “separateness” or “otherness.” When the Bible speaks of the holiness of God, then, it is emphasizing the fact that He is altogether distinct from and other than His creation.
He alone is God, the Creator, and the King over this universe. Therefore, He is uniquely set apart, in a class all His own. He has no rivals and no competitors. There is no One like Him. As Isaiah 6:3 declares, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”
Now, when it's used in a moral context, the holiness of God refers to the fact that He is completely separate from sin and impurity of any kind. He is absolutely perfect, infinitely pure, and altogether righteous. Accordingly, He calls His people to reflect that holiness.
If the Israelites were to approach Him in worship or to walk with Him in a relationship, they had to consecrate themselves – separating themselves from any hint of moral impurity, or from any stain of ceremonial defilement. They were to be holy as He is holy.
They were to reflect His holiness; and that reflection involved every aspect of their behavior, including what they ate. Their diet reflected the holiness of God, and put His glory on display, even in the midst of pagan Babylon.
3. THE PRACTICAL QUESTION
Historically, we’ve seen that, for the Israelites, there were certain things they could not eat because they were to consecrate themselves and reflect God’s holiness. Theologically, we’ve seen that this passage emphasizes the holiness of God, making it clear that He requires those who would worship Him and walk with Him to be holy.
That brings us, third, to a practical question. How does the truth about God reveal in this passage impact the way we ought to live as Christians?
In other words, when we consider the holiness of God described in Leviticus 11, what practical implications does that theological truth have for our lives?
I’m sure we could think of numerous answers to that question. But I want to focus on two practical implications this morning, both of which are tied directly to Leviticus 11.
The FIRST has to do with our conduct as Christians; the second, with the nature of our conversion itself.
OUR CONDUCT
In order to see these implications, we need to look briefly at two New Testament texts. The first is found in 1 Peter 1.
Here is Peter’s first epistle, written some 1500 years after the writing of Leviticus, the apostle Peter addresses believers living in Asia Minor with words that reflect the truth of Lev. 11.
Look at 1 Peter 1 starting in verse 13:
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Notice how Peter quotes from the book of Leviticus, the very words that we saw in Leviticus 11:44–45, to exhort his readers to separate themselves from sin and walk in holiness.
Peter takes the theological truth of Leviticus and applies it directly to New Testament believers.
Look at the next few verses:
1 Peter 1:17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
Notice how Peter draws a parallel here with the Old Testament Israelites. The Israelites were redeemed from slavery in Egypt. That redemption involved the blood of a lamb being painted on the doorposts of their houses so that the angel of death would pass over them. And when they came to Sinai and entered into a covenant relationship with God, He commanded them to walk in holiness in order to reflect the fact that He is holy.
For us as New Testament believers, we who are part of the church … we were redeemed from slavery to sin. And our redemption was accomplished through the blood of the Lamb, who was nailed to a cross, such that the wrath of God passes over us.
And when our eyes were opened to the truth of the gospel (by grace through faith), we entered into a saving relationship with God. And now, He calls us now to walk in holiness in order to reflect the fact that He is holy.
For Israel, the application of the command to be holy included not eating certain foods. For us, because we are no longer under the Mosaic Covenant, those same dietary restrictions do not apply. Nonetheless, the basic principle remains the same: Because God is holy, we are called to be holy.
As Peter indicates in this passage, every area of the believer’s life and conduct—your thoughts, desires, goals, words, and deeds—must conform to the command of God: “You shall be holy for I am holy.” For the ancient Israelites, that command included what they ate. But even then, God was concerned with so much more.
As Jesus told the Pharisees in Mark 7:18–23
Mark 7:18–23: “Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
As Jesus’s words indicate: God is far more concerned with what comes out of the heart, then what goes into the stomach. The theological principle of Leviticus 11, then, is used in the New Testament to underscore the fact that the truth of God’s holiness has a direct bearing on our conduct—including both our outward words and deeds and the inner thoughts from which they arise.
OUR CONVERSION
The New Testament also uses Leviticus 11 to teach us an important truth about our conversion. This point is vividly illustrated in Acts 10, the account of the conversion of Cornelius.
Cornelius was the first Gentile convert in the New Testament. His conversion is significant because it powerfully demonstrated that gospel was not reserved exclusively for the Jews, but that it was also to be preached to the Gentiles.
Cornelius did not have to convert to Judaism in order to convert to Christ. The Lord saved Cornelius even though he remained a Gentile, which meant that from a first-century Jewish perspective, he was considered to be unclean.
For Jewish people living in NT times, and even initially for Jewish Christians, it was difficult to accept someone who was a Gentile. So, the Lord used a dramatic illustration to show Peter that he was to go and preach the gospel, even to a Gentile like Cornelius.
Look at Acts 10:9
Acts 10:9–16 – On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
Isn’t that interesting? God used the dietary laws of Leviticus 11 to show Peter that what was once considered unclean had now been cleansed.
To be sure, one implication of this passage is that the dietary laws of the Old Testament no longer apply to us today. But the main point in this passage has to do, not with food, but with Gentile converts.
After Peter is given this vision, messengers from Cornelius arrive to invite him to come and preach the gospel to Cornelius and his entire household. And Peter, who normally would have refused that invitation because to enter the house of a Gentile was considered unclean, realizes that God is calling him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
So Peter goes. And he preaches the truth about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and about how forgiveness is granted to those who believe in Him.
Look at verse 44
Acts 11:44 – While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Through the preaching of Peter, Cornelius and his family are saved. They receive the Holy Spirit and then they are baptized into the church.
Again, we can’t overemphasize the fact that they were Gentiles. From an Old Testament standpoint, they were unclean. Yet, they were cleansed by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, so that God declared them to be clean.
The lesson Peter learned, from the vision God gave him based on Leviticus 11, was a lesson that others in the Jerusalem church also needed to learn … which is why in Acts 11:5–18 Peter went to Jerusalem and reiterated what happened to him.
But I find it amazing, as we go from Lev. 11 to Acts 11, that we are given such a powerful illustration of the gospel. The unclean animals the Israelites were to avoid in order to be holy and separate from the pagan nations around them … those unclean animals are used by God in Acts 10–11 to picture the pagan nations themselves.
What a vivid picture that is, especially for those of us from a Gentile background. Because as that sheet comes down from heaven, filled with swine and snakes and scorpions and squid – that collection of unclean animals is a picture of us.
Yet, through the redemptive work of the Lamb of God, the gospel of grace extends to both Jew and Gentile, such that all can be forgiven and cleansed through faith in Christ. We were unclean, just like Cornelius. Yet, by the grace of God we have been cleansed. And thus, the Lord can say to Peter, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”
How could God say that about us, when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, and when we were far off from the things of God? How could a holy God declare sinners like us to be clean?
It is only because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
He bore our punishment and therefore our sins are forgiven. Moreover, His perfect righteousness is imputed to us and therefore we are clothed in His righteousness.
CONCLUSION
All of that brings us back to the heart of Leviticus because the book of Leviticus is about how sinful people can worship a holy God and walk in relationship with Him.
And in light of Acts 10–11, we recognize that the only reason we can do that is because we who were unclean have been cleansed; we who were far off have been brought near; and we who were dead have been made alive by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – who is both the once-for-all sacrifice and the Great High Priest anticipated by the Levitical system.
What a glorious reality that is!
Regarding Leviticus 11 specifically, when we ask ourselves the historical question, we see that this chapter meant the ancient Israelites were to restrict their diets in order to reflect the holiness of God.
But we should not stop there. When we continue and ask the theological question, we recognize that the truth is emphasized is that God is holy and that He calls His people to reflect that holiness.
And when we ask the practical question, we are reminded from passages (like 1 Peter 1) of how we ought to reflect God’s holiness in how we live.
Moreover, in light of texts like Acts 10–11, we remember the wonder of the gospel. That in Christ, we who were unclean have been cleansed.
We’ve been forgiven and clothed in His perfect righteousness. On that basis, God declares us righteous and welcomes us into His family.
