Leviticus 11

Leviticus 11 discusses the clean and unclean food that the Israelites are allowed to eat. Instead of discussing the types of food I want to consider the why more than the what. Why were there laws about the foods to be eaten or not eaten?

These laws have probably been more debated and discussed than any of the other laws. Many people have adjusted their diet to more resemble these foods. The assumption is that by holding to these original food laws I am going to be closer to God and healthier. It can be debated about being healthier or not. We know that through modern science that many of these animals can be dangerous if not handled correctly. Shell fish are scavengers and pigs if not slaughtered and handled correctly can cause poison to be released throughout the pig and thus be harmful to us.

With modern science also comes knowledge on how to safely prepare some of these foods that were once forbidden. We can see in the New Testament that some of the forbidden foods in the Old Testament were presented to Peter by God in a dream. Peter said he could not eat that food it was unclean. God said that what he has made unclean he can make clean.

The next place to look at concerning the food is that possibly that some of the foods were used by other in that region for sacrifices and pagan worship. It is true that some of these were used in rituals by other groups in that region but not all.

So if it was not so much about the safety and healthiness of the food, and it was not completely about the rituals of other nations why separate the food. How about being set a apart as a people as holy, to show a distinction between the Israelites and others in the world. It is a matter of being willing to do as God has requested to be called his children. It was symbolic to show that Israel was to be holy in an unclean world.

The Application

Since we are not bound by the dietary laws found in chapter 11 the question remains how we set ourselves a part as holy in an unclean world. There are other ways that we set ourselves apart as holy to God. By what we do, say, places we go all ways that we set ourselves apart. Can the world tell the difference between you and them?