AMUSING, RANDOM COMMENTS ABOUT DIETARY LAWS

I’m always amused at people’s random thoughts and comments when you begin to study the dietary law parts of Leviticus.

This is my favorite comment: “Well if we just all were more like Jesus. He didn’t keep all of those stupid laws. He didn’t worry about what he ate; we should just think like the New Testament says and be more like Jesus.”

I wonder what Jesus they are talking about?

Surely not the Jewish Rabbi who taught the disciples?

What do they mean he didn’t keep the dietary laws?

Are you kidding? He kept every single one.

JESUS LED A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

I love that Jesus perfectly illustrated the real meaning of Acts. 10:9-16 (which is a very misquoted passage) by the way He lived from day-to-day.

He went out and ate at the same table with prostitutes, tax collectors and dirty rotten sinners (even Gentiles!); but he didn’t eat pork or shrimp while he was dining with them at their tables.

Jesus knew there was hope for these not-yet-converted people; that God could one day save them and call each one of them “clean.”

He also knew that God created those bottom feeding fish and all those predator and scavenger animals who often eat dead things and parasites (the “unclean ANIMALS”) to help with the world’s garbage disposal; and that they were not at all good for our general nutrition.

Jesus understood the difference between unclean animals and unclean people.  In Peter’s dream God was showing Peter how to treat those the Jews had called “unclean” people.  The Gentiles were considered to be unclean.

Some animals will always be unclean; but Jesus died to save EVERY SINGLE PERSON who comes to believe in him.  People do not have to stay unclean.  God can clean them up!

Unclean animals can’t become clean animals; but unclean people CAN be transformed into clean people. The dream that Peter had was about the differences in people – not animals. God can call those whom mankind has called “unclean” people “clean” people when they are atoned with the blood of Jesus because if they have that covering; God will not see the sins that make them “unclean.”

JESUS IS OUR VERY BEST EXAMPLE

It really is that simple folks.

We really CAN look at Jesus and see what the meaning of all the dietary and health laws boil down to. He was in great health. He went for days in the wilderness when he fasted and did without ANY foods; and he traveled rugged roads and hiked huge mountains and never complained. Jesus knew the value of a glass of water and He drank plenty of it.  He loved fruit and vegetables!  He ate right and he got his daily exercise. He didn’t overeat.

You can read about Jesus doing all these healthy activities; but you won’t ever read about him making a ham sandwich or eating fried catfish. He followed all of the dietary laws; every single one right down to the letter. He was raised to do so. His parents were Hebrews. They kept all of the strict dietary requirements of the Old Testament. Jesus didn’t change his mind about this when He grew into a man. He still kept the dietary regulations of the Jews, right up until the moment He returned to The Father to begin to prepare a place for us.

Jesus Christ is definitely our best example of how to live a good, godly, healthy life.

If the One who was at and participated in the creation of the world decides not to eat something – I think that is a subject which should capture our full attention. It is very clear when you think about the fact that He helped create these unclean animals that He would know that some animals were created for eating and some of the animals were created for other reasons than food.  Those are the ones God tells us not to eat.

It all works together for good.

Our study in Leviticus today points this out.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the every Thursday bible study called COME AS A CHILD. Today we will look at the scripture passages found in Leviticus Chapter 11.  This passage speaks about animals that are “clean” and “unclean” for eating.

We are so glad that you joined us here! We do this bible study once-a-week and we just keep stepping through the bible one page at a time trying to seek God’s face with the eyes and heart of a little child who is willing to learn straight from their Father’s Word and nowhere else.

If you missed last week’s lesson you may find it here: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/when-aaron-listened-better/

CONFESSION ABOUT ALLOWING GRACE

I’ll start by confessing up-front that I don’t always keep the letter of the law; even though I believe in the truth of the dietary laws given here. I observe them MOST of the time; but since I live in a family that isn’t convinced of their realities, sometimes I overlook this law in order not to offend them or in order not to make the issue larger than it really is.

I only want them to see God in me; not my rules for living.

I do know that whatever I put into my body eventually comes out of my body; so hopefully an occasional wrong food is only a temporary problem for my body to purge; but how I relate to others with love has a longer-more-lasting effect than food. I pray, listen, follow the lead of God’s Holy Spirit. It is rare that I don’t keep everything scriptural; but there are some occasions where grace takes over and I either don’t make it obvious that I’m not eating; or I participate and trust that God will forgive me because I do so out of love.

Love is God’s trump card. Every now and then you have to play it.  Love overcomes all things. I occasionally lapse in keeping this law out of love; but lately I’ve been thinking about how Jesus acted when He ate with others who didn’t keep the dietary laws. He loved the people; but he still made the wise choices to only eat clean foods. Hence my confession and a new concerted effort to adjust my actions to the same patterns. We should always give grace; it is very godly; but we can’t deliberately use grace as an excuse to sin.

I’m not so sure my logic here has always been completely scriptural and sound; so every time I hit this passage and study it more; I have to wonder if this stance is off-track and I need to pull in the reigns and take a firmer stand. I do like to look back at last week’s lesson and think of Aaron who was remembering the INTENT of the law; thinking further into the areas of WHY God made the laws and what they can do and not do for us.

LETTER OR INTENT; WE ALL HAVE A CHOICE BUT SOMETIMES IT IS A HARD CHOICE

If you re-read that last lesson we studied about Nadab and Abihu and Aaron’s reaction in the end; you can see that Moses was intent on keeping the LETTER of the law instead of thinking of the intentions that God had in giving that law in the first place. Moses is always obedient and this is one of his best traits.  He had at first disagreed with Aaron’s actions; but eventually Moses too came to see that Aaron was right in his strange and different-than-expected actions; though they were not following the usual patterns spelled out in the commandments from God.

Aaron knew that the most important part about being a priest was for the heart to be right.  If the heart isn’t right; no proper physical actions will ever be effective in the end.  It all starts with the heart and one’s own spiritual intentions; and if the heart isn’t in the beginning; the end won’t come together properly no matter what you do. This was a lesson Aaron learned the hard way when he caved in allowing the people to have the golden calf. After that huge awful sin, he had learned to consider WHY God said the things God said and to consider carefully the eventual path of following God completely. Aaron had finally learned careful discernment.

Maybe that applies at times when we look at the dietary laws; but I’m not so certain.

Like everything else; the consequences of breaking the law are still going to be there. I am still eating unhealthy when I do this for the sake of allowing grace for others. It isn’t good for me; just like not having the proper atonement for the priests from Nadab and Abihu’s sacrifices was not good for Aaron.  It made his position in the priesthood temporarily very unhealthy.

I would like to not ever have to deal with these dietary questions; but almost daily the choice must be made. Our choices really do matter too. This is why we should truly be looking forward to the day that Christ returns and all the world automatically understands what is godly and good and what is not; because it is written on their hearts instead of a piece of paper or some tablets of stone. I so long for that time to arrive!  When it does come; I HOPE to be found doing the right thing.

LAW VS. GRACE; TRUTH VS. LOVE

This is a very old argument that just goes on and on for many.  It is one that Satan loves to use against us!

In the meantime though I often go the way of grace;  although I totally DO agree with the dietary laws spelled out in Leviticus. In this case I need to begin to take a firmer stand and be more like Jesus. Let’s take a further look at the commandments God gave about food and try to understand what they should really mean to us.

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN MEATS

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, say to the Israelites:  ‘Of all the animals that live on the land, these are the ones you may eat:  You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. (Leviticus 11:1)

So; only animals that have a divided hoof AND chew the cud.  Both things are required in discerning clean from unclean.  This would mean that we can safely eat cows, antelope, buffalo,caribou, deer, elk, gazelle, goat, ibex,sheep and moose.

This would NOT include:  dogs, cats, foxes, coyotes, jackals, wolves, lions, tigers, panthers, donkey, horses, mules, zebras, bears, beavers, camels, elephants, gorillas, groundhogs, hippopotamus, kangaroo, moles, monkeys, mouse, muskrats, porcupine, rabbit, raccoon, rat,  skunk, squirrel, slug, snail, snake, worms, swine, bores and pigs.

Why are these last-named group of animals either forbidden for eating or allowed to eat?

Because if you think about it; those on the last list of unclean animals are all scavengers or carrion eaters; or in other words they are those who prey on and eat other animals.  They generally are not too picky about these other animals that they eat; some of the animals they consume are often already dead or diseased.

God created these animals that prey on other animals with digestive systems that can handle disease; much unlike the digestion systems of human beings.  If we eat these animals that have eaten diseased or dead and decaying animals; we stand a chance of getting disease into our own bodies (indirectly.)  No matter how clean the environments are that they have been raised in (and this has greatly improved over the years concerning pork consumption) these animals generally do have terrible eating habits in which they consume things that are unhealthy for human consumption; even in very clean and controlled environments – things can still happen.

The “clean” animals are animals that mostly eat plants and/or grain.  These do not prey on other animals or eat dead things. They do not eat things that would get into their system and be harmful to any humans who might indirectly consume them.

So that is pretty much the science behind the logic of the meat we eat.  It is much better for humans to eat meat that hasn’t been directly or indirectly contaminated.

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN FISH AND WATER CREATURES

There is more to consider however; let’s discuss what God told us about consuming fish.  The scripture is found in Leviticus 11:5; “Of all the creatures living in the water or the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales.”

Those fish that have fins and scales are:  bass, bluegill, bluefish, carp, cod, flounder, grouper, grunt, haddock, herring, kingfish, halibut, mahimahi, mackerel, minnow, mullet, perch, bream, pike, pollack,  Boston Bluefish, rockfish, salmon, sardine, shad, whiting, snapper, sole, sucker, sunfish, tarpon, trout, tuna and whitefish.

These are all “clean” fish because they have fins and scales.

Those who do not have fins and scales are considered unclean.  An example of this would be as follows; bullhead catfish, eel, turbot, marlin, paddlefish, squid, sturgeon, swordfish and shellfish such as; clams, conch, crab, crayfish, lobster, mussel, oyster, scallop, shrimp, jellyfish, octopus, dolphin, otter, porous, seal, walrus and whale.

These forbidden fish are fish that feed on the bottom of the ocean floor where all the dead fish and decay collect.  Much of this dead fish contains mercury.  Many of these bottom-feeding fish also feed on other sea creatures which could contain decay and they might eat somethings that are already dead and decaying.  Nothing like that – whether first hand and direct or second-hand and indirect is good for human consumption.

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN INSECTS AND REPTILES

Then the scriptures tell us what reptiles and insects are clean or unclean.  Insects with jointed or jumping legs are considered clean.  These are locust, some crickets and grasshoppers.  (You may remember John The Baptist had a steady diet of locust and honey.)

The unclean reptiles and insects are pretty much any that are not of the locust family.

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN BIRDS OF THE AIR

Well; what about birds of the air?

Yes there are unclean and clean birds too.  The same logic applies to them.  Some feed and prey on other animals and dead animals; and some do not.  The birds that eat plants and grains are the ones that we call clean and they are the ones we are commanded to use for food.

Clean birds are:  chickens, doves, ducks, goose, peafowl, pigeon, quail, sparrows and other song-birds, sagehens, swan, turkey.

Unclean birds are:  albatross, bat, buzzard, condors, crane, crow, cuckoo, eagle, flamingo, gull, hawk, herring, kite, loon, magpie,osprey, ostrich, owl, parrot, pelican, penguin, raven, road runner, sandpipers, stork, swallow, swift, vulture, waterhen and woodpecker.

If you want to truly understand why we don’t eat unclean birds; just follow a vulture around for a while and you will begin to get the logic.

THE MOST SKIPPED PART OF THE BIBLE

Isn’t it pretty plain here?

So why do people want to skip this part of the bible?

I think it mostly boils down to the fact that human nature is stubborn and always wants its own way; whether that way is good for them or not. The very same people that will break all of these rules have strict adherence to their, low-calorie, gluten-free, low-carb, whatever else fact of human science that has been preached to them from the world. They would frown on you giving their child too much sugar; but they will fill that kid up with unclean meats served on low-calorie whole wheat bread. It is almost comical.

Do they not see that the one who made the body and the digestion system understands how it works more than those commercials they read on the internet and watch on TV?

LIFE IS A CHOICE

Anyway – these are the laws that God gave us about eating clean and unclean food.  The King of the Universe has proclaimed His truth to us.  We can take it ; or leave it.

We all have a choice as to what we wish to put into your bodies.

Please don’t forget though – if you are a believer; your body is the temporary dwelling house for God’s Holy Spirit. This spirit living in each of us makes us all come together as one body that forms God’s true Sanctuary on the earth.

Do you really want to risk something that God has called abominable and possibly turn God’s Spirit away from you? It will take a lot of prayer and attention to bring that empty place back to holy order and to fill it up with God’s goodness again.

The Holy Spirit is a Gentleman. He always gives you a choice. He will not be forced upon anyone. It is totally up to you. If you decide to imitate Jesus though; be sure you truly know what Jesus did that kept Him healthy enough to live on this earth long enough to die for you and me.

Just like those old Hebrews wandering through the wilderness; we all have our choices to make.

I choose life!

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