Leviticus 11:2-3 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: 3 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.
The dietary restrictions of the Hebrew Bible are often puzzling, even to those who follow them. This is attested to by the columns that have been written over the millennia on the subject by the scholars and Rabbis of Judaism. The meaning and practice of kosher eating still puzzles many.
We have in our text the first spelling out of what constitutes clean and unclean animal protein, whether it is on the land, in the water or in the air. Each area is spelled out in general terms to guide the application of these principles later.
But where did these categories of land, water and air come from? For the readers of the Hebrew Bible the reference to pages one and two of the Bible would be obvious. These are the things that get divided in those first pages.
The land gets divided from the waters. The waters get divided from each other, those above and those below. The air is the place between these two waters. And then each realm gets populated with creatures that are appropriate for each realm, land, water and air.
So the author picks up those divisions here in this text. He uses the categories of division that are familiar within the community. The LORD lays out divisions of clean and unclean in each of these realms of life He created. And once again He divides them for use by humanity.
Now the question arises, why these divisions? What is it about a divided hoof and cud chewing that allow it to be on the menu? What makes all the others unclean, unacceptable? For water inhabitants, what makes fins and scales acceptable? Why are specific birds named as unclean? Why insects who walk on four legs unclean?
To be honest, I’m not sure. And to be even more honest, for me it doesn’t matter.
What I think does matter is that the LORD is the one doing the dividing. He is giving clear guidance and expects them to obey that guidance. Eat every fruit in the Garden, except this one fruit. It isn’t humanity’s job to question and not obey. It is ours to obey.
I think the LORD is giving them clear guidance without an explanation on purpose. Will humanity trust me and follow that trust with obedience? Or will they once again disobey?
Even if we aren’t following the dietary restrictions laid out in the Hebrew Bible, and are following the freedom laid out in the New Testament, some of this guidance does make logical sense to modern readers. Animals that live off the flesh of other animals, because there was blood involved, these shouldn’t be eaten. That makes sense for the original readers. Blood had already been prohibited.
So what about us? Are we supposed to eat kosher foods? From the New Testament we learn that all foods are now acceptable. The Jewish Christians wrote to the non-Jewish Christians opening the door to greater freedom in diet. Food with blood in it, and those items that were offered in sacrifice to idolatrous gods; these were the things prohibited.
Since we don’t have food sacrificed to idols here in the USA, we don’t have to worry about that one too much. And if we stay away from blood sausage we can stay clear of the other prohibition. Both of these were put into place to help remove a barrier to others coming to believe in Jesus.
So perhaps we need to consider things we might eat and drink that might hinder someone else from coming to trust Jesus and avoid them. They might not be these items of food and drink, but others. I trust the Holy Spirit to point them out to you in His timing.
The Arnold Journey 