Leviticus 7:23 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats.”
Have you noticed how many people have dietary restrictions, either voluntary or for medical reasons? They seem to have exploded in recent years. Vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, low carb, no carb, gluten free, raw, Mediterranean, no sugar, diabetic, heart friendly. The list could continue, but I only have so many words.
What about those of us who eat everything? Do we have a name for our diet? Mine might be the “once a week apple fritter diet!”
So why does our text put a restriction on eating fat? And a few verses later the restriction on eating blood? Why these two restrictions? Why not on other things?
Well, if you have been reading through these seven chapters so far, then you will recall all the references to burning of the fat portions of sacrifices and the sprinkling of blood against the side of the altar. These two elements, more than any other, seem to be of special significance in the newly established sacrificial system.
These two elements become the parts that consistently are brought into the tabernacle and disposed of in a way that makes them holy. They end up touching a holy piece of furniture, the altar. Everything that touches it becomes holy, set apart, unable to be used for ordinary purposes.
So our text prohibits the eating of these two elements as a way to keep these two things separate in the minds of the Israelites. Keeping them separate prevents them from using these two things by accident in a way that would dishonor the LORD’s commands. It is here to help them be obedient to the more important commands.
We might hear this as a strange prohibition. Doesn’t fat provide needed energy for those who need it? Isn’t BBQ better when there is some fat? Don’t we spread butter on bread?
Remember, these seven chapters are part of a larger story. The Israelites have been part of a culture very different from the one the LORD is calling them to be. Egypt was like the wild west. Lots of things were acceptable. Worship of gods took many shapes and sizes.
So as the LORD sets up His people for success, He wants to give them clear rules right up front. He wants to eliminate the human errors. He wants them to know what is and isn’t acceptable. Clear guidance is always best.
And this first set of rules is smack dab in the middle of the narrative of the exodus from Egypt and the entry of the Promised Land. It takes three more books to detail their trip, both their journey and the sin that kept them wondering for forty years. It isn’t until Moses dies and Joshua takes over that they make the final step.
So these chapters and books serve the purpose of focusing this new community on how they are to live, view sin and obedience, and how they are to treat each other and those around them. They give them guidance on what living a holy life entails. If they are to be His people, they need to reflect that separateness in the way they live.
The way they were to show separateness in their time and culture is different than our time and culture. Some of the specifics of holiness have changed, but the need to live a life that honors our relationship to the LORD has not. It will just look differently than their way.
But holiness is still the standard. Let’s find a way to live it in our day and age.
The Arnold Journey 