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Clean and Unclean Meats
The subject of which meats are Biblically acceptable to eat is very familiar to all Bible students. Every believer, every Torah (Pentateuch) keeper, who tries to obey the instructions of God, is faced with this subject every time he or she enters a grocery store to buy food. Is it important to follow these instructions? Why are they important? On a recent visit to Japan, this subject really came home to roost. The Japanese diet consists of much seafood. And, as we shall see, the Torah tells us that much of the seafood we see on a restaurant menu or in the meat counter at the grocery store should not be eaten or even touched. So a visitor to a country like Japan is also faced with the additional question of how to tell what the food is, since the Japanese have their own names for things. Should a visitor to a home or restaurant in another nation avoid certain meats even at the risk of offending his hosts? Why? Is it a matter of good health? If you discuss this subject with the majority of those who call themselves Christian, they will indicate they neither know nor care whether the Bible prohibits eating certain meats. Desires matter to them. The more Bible literate may tell you that Old Testament laws about most things, including non-edible meats, were done away by Christ, so all meats are now fit to eat. Does scripture, even New Testament scripture, agree with these opinions? The answers to these questions will be answered as we go through this sermon. Today we are going to see what the Bible really says about clean and unclean meats.
God’s Definitions We’ll start with the basic instructions. They are found in the eleventh chapter of Leviticus. The first group shown in that chapter refers to animals.
The word "carcass" comes from the Hebrew word nebelah, neb-ay-law', Strongs # 5038; from H5034; and means a flabby thing, i.e. a dead body or carrion (either human or bestial, often collectively). So we are not to even touch the dead body of an unclean animal. Obviously, we may touch the bodies of living unclean animals like horses, dogs and cats (and people, of course.) So only animals that have cloven hooves and chew the cud are acceptable for food. Acceptable animals would include sheep, goats, cattle, elk and buffalo. Unacceptable animals would include pigs, horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, bears, horses, squirrels, rodents, and camels. The next group of creatures that are mentioned in Leviticus 11 is water creatures. Let’s look at the verses which address these creatures:
The word "abomination" in Hebrew is sheqets, sheh'kets; Strongs # 8263 from H8262; meaning filth both figuratively and specifically. It is something about which we should find disgusting or hateful, a natural reaction to filth. So these verses clearly tell us that we are not to eat any water creature which does not have fins and scales. That would include all shellfish. So we must not eat crabs, lobsters, shrimp, abalone, clams, catfish, sharks, dolphins (the mammal), whales, sturgeon, and a host of others. But there are also a host of common fish which we may eat. Among the common edible fish are salmon, tuna, bass, and trout. Like the rules for animals, the rules for fish are easily remembered: If they have fins and scales, they are good for food.
A listing of clean and unclean fish is provided via a linked website. We
do not provide printed copies of this website but you may print the
listing once you've accessed the website. To see the listing of clean
and unclean fish, click
here.
The next group specified in Leviticus 11 are the fowls. Let’s read about at this group:
This group is more difficult to define because the forbidden birds are listed by name rather than by their characteristics. Unfortunately the Hebrew to English translators of the Bible had the same problem. Here are a list of unacceptable common bird families as these verses are translated by certain Jewish translations: Eagles, vultures, sea eagles, kites, ravens, sparrow hawks, owls, the great horned owl, pelicans, herons, cormorants, storks, and bats (a flying animal). All are predators. Non-predators should be OK. The words "after its kind" indicates that we are not to eat anything resembling the listed birds. For instance, we are not to eat crows because they are "after the kind" of ravens. The next group of unclean foods in Leviticus 11 are insects. Most of us would not want to eat an insect but some consider such insects as chocolate covered bees and ants a delicacy. Let’s look at the rules about eating insects.
It is commonly understood that insects have six legs, not four. So there is a potential problem in these verses. Some point out that when a flying insect walks, most walk with only four legs supporting them, the back two being sort of dragged along to be used for lifting the insect into flight. I can neither vouch for nor argue with this explanation. But from the above verses we can easily determine what type of insect can be eaten. Edible insects seem to include locusts, grasshoppers and crickets. All these are hopping or leaping insects. Spiders, which have eight legs, crawl (creep) but are not insects and should not be eaten. The New Testament also makes reference to eating locusts. Let’s look at Mat. 3:4.
Whether he was eating real locusts or beans from the locust tree is open to speculation. Let’s return to Leviticus 11 to see what else we are told not to eat.
These prohibited creatures are pretty easy to identify. Rodents and reptiles, including snakes are not to be eaten. As a sidelight, when cats eat lizards, the cats become very thin, even scrawny. Apparently lizards are not good for cats either. They just don’t know it. Other prohibited creatures include frogs, toads, weasels, and porcupines The carcasses of these unclean animals and other creatures can even contaminate food storage containers. Let’s continue reading Leviticus 11.
Touching a dead carcass of any unclean creature does not cause a person to be permanently unclean ritually. Notice that God provides a way for people to get rid of their uncleanness.
God’s Distinction Why did God give food laws to man? What is the purpose of these laws? As I said before, people from different countries regularly eat many of the unclean creatures we have been identifying. We do not know whether this accounts for certain health problems. But we do know that some countries which eat large quantities of these unclean creatures experience a larger percentage of certain health problems. An example is Japan which suffers a higher incidence of stomach cancer and prostate cancer than most other countries. Whether there is a link between the unclean creature consumption and these cancers is unknown. But there’s another reason why God tells us to avoid them:
The children of Israel were to be holy, set apart from all other people. It is God’s direct revelation that the eating of these creatures makes a man abominable and unclean before God. God’s people must instead be holy just as God is holy. One of the identifying signs of being called and set apart from other peoples by God is to avoid eating unclean flesh.
Therefore:
Leviticus 11 is not the first scripture where the laws of clean and unclean foods are mentioned. Noah was also aware of the difference, though he was probably a vegetarian up to this time.
This law of clean and unclean meats was also reiterated in Deuteronomy.
Along with this command, Deuteronomy gives us one additional instruction.
But again, this command about eating blood goes back to Noah.
We just read that Noah took a pair of unclean animals and seven clean animal pairs of each kind with him on the ark. Were the seven clean pairs intended to be sacrificial animals instead of food? Some, quoting the following verse, would argue that they were.
But it is hard to understand why Noah would need so many clean animals if he only intended to sacrifice one of each kind after he left the ark. But it does not matter to us today whether Noah ate the animals while on the ark or not. Leviticus 11 still tells us that we may eat the clean animals. But let’s get back to the subject of blood. There are many instructions against eating blood. The first, of course, was Gen 9:3-4 which we just read. But the main scripture which prohibits eating blood is found in Leviticus.
In verse 14 we see the word "life" used. "Life" in this verse comes from the Hebrew word "nephesh," neh'-fesh; Strongs # 5315, from H5314; prop. a breathing creature, i.e. an animal or person or soul. The word "soul" is often the translation used in the English Bible. Lets look at some examples of the use of the word nephesh. Here we can see the different translation of this word. Notice that the NKJV is more accurate:
So when God tells us that we are not to eat the blood of a creature, He is telling us that we are not to eat the vital life force, the nephesh, of the creature. Notice:
God’s Laws Are In Force Today As I said in the introduction to this sermon, many religious Christians will tell you that the Old Testament law was done away by Christ and the cross. If you believe this, let me give you a few scriptures to consider, the first from Christ himself.
The Greek word translated as destroy is kataluo kataluo, kat-al-oo'-o, Strongs # 2647; from G2596 and G3089; to loosen down (disintegrate), i.e. (by impl.) to demolish (lit. or fig.); spec. [comp. G2646] to halt for the night:--destroy, dissolve, come to nought, overthrow, throw down. The Greek word translated as fulfill is pleroo, play-ro'-o; Strongs # 4137 from G4134; to make replete, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, fully preach, perfect, supply. I think it is quite obvious that Christ’s meaning in Mat 5:17 was: "Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy the law but to fully preach the complete law." In the very next verse, Christ stated:
Here He is saying that not even the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet or of the decorations on the letters would "pass from the law [Torah]" until everything that is to happen, happens. The sun still shines, the world is still here, and so is the law, even the law of clean and unclean meats is still in effect. One of the arguments commonly made for the eating of unclean meats is that Peter was told to eat them in Acts 10. Peter had been staying at the home of Simon the tanner in Joppa. While preparing to eat he had a vision. Cornelius, a Roman centurion also had a vision where he was told that he should send an envoy of men to find Peter. Let’s pick up the story in Acts 10:9-16.
The first thing to notice is that Peter had never eaten unclean meats, not even after Christ’s resurrection perhaps ten years before. In fact he went so far as to not eat anything common or ceremonially unclean, i.e. not perfect enough to be sacrificed. The Greek word koinos, koy-nos' is translated as "common." See Strongs # 2839. The sheet was shown to him three times. Peter’s conclusion is shown in verse 28. Notice that he did not interpret it as meaning he could begin eating unclean meats.
Jews in the first century were forbidden by traditional law to have social contact with Gentiles for fear of becoming ritually unclean and thereby not being able to participate in Temple worship. Simon Peter said it was unlawful for a Jewish man to keep company with a Gentile or go into his house. But that law was not a part of the Torah. It may have been a part of the Oral tradition established by the rabbis. And in this case, Peter not only went into a Gentile’s house but he even ate with him. Another scripture that many religious Christians stumble over is found in Mark 7.
The key to understanding this scripture is found by reading verses 1 and 2 at the beginning of the chapter. Let’s read them.
The disciples had not gone through the ritual hand washing traditions of the Pharisees before they began to eat. Christ turned the conversation around to stress what really defiles a man in verses 20-23.
Paul also addressed the matter of abstaining from foods God had created. This is another scripture many religious Christians like to use to justify eating unclean meats.
This scripture states that those who command that we abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving are giving heed to doctrines of demons. In as much as the laws concerning clean and unclean meats were given by God, to contradict those laws would be close to blasphemy. There are those who believe that if you just pray over food, you can purify whatever you eat. God has given us clean meats to be received with thanksgiving. Poisonous fruits and unclean meats were never intended to be received with thanksgiving. Here is another verse used by people who want to justify eating unclean meats.
These verses are describing people who choose to eat vegetables for religious reasons. They think it is sinful to eat meat, any meat. In the next verses, Paul takes advantage of this situation by admonishing people not to judge such people.
At the end of the same chapter Paul describes such judgment as an evil influence which can encourage weak people to sin.
Let’s look at one more statement from which some get the idea they can eat whatever is put before them:
Don’t these verses allow us to eat any kind of meat? It would seem so, but these verses must be understood in the context of the surrounding verses. Let’s read the context:
The context provides four points:
It is my understanding that Greeks, to whom this book is written, didn’t eat pork. Now, a word of caution: Many try to avoid what is unclean by looking on the product label to see what the product contains. If they see that the label is marked with a capital K, usually but not always within a circle, they assume the product to be free of any unclean meat products. The K stands for Kosher. The Kosher mark indicates that a rabbi has certified the product to be free of unclean meats. In the case of gelatin, some would judge that certification to not be totally reliable. Gelatin is made from the hides and joints of animals such as cattle and pigs. It is claimed that in the process of making gelatin, a chemical and physical change takes place which alters the material so that its original identity as meat is lost. Additionally, there are some more liberal groups of Judaism which do not strictly follow the laws of clean and unclean meats. A rabbi of one of these more liberal groups is less likely to prohibit the consumption of these altered products and is therefore more willing to certify the resulting product as Kosher even though its source may be from pigs. Orthodox rabbis disagree with marking gelatin which may be from pigs as Kosher. Obviously, a food producer who uses gelatin is very willing to have his product marked Kosher. One final scripture which is commonly used to justify eating unclean meats (and several other "freedoms" regarding keeping the law) is found in Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
The essence of these verses is that we need not worry about how others judge us in these matters. When looking at the early manuscripts of this verse, one will find that verse 17 states "which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance [body] of Christ." The word "is" has been added to verse 17. Earlier references to "the body of Christ" in this book show that the body of Christ are the fellow believers, the Church. Let our judges be those in the church who are Biblically knowledgeable, not unbelievers who look for ways to avoid the law. Those who quote this scripture usually point out that this scripture somehow proves that the law was nailed to the cross. We have already shown that God’s law was observed and kept long after Christ’s crucifixion. What was nailed to the cross were the traditions of men which were being enforced by religious leaders of His day. One of Paul’s statements to the Corinthians included the following:
Verse 17 is quoted from Isaiah 52:11. Paul did not question Old Testament law and Old Testament promises. Neither should we. God has provided us with meat which is clean and meat which is unclean. Like Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit, it is another opportunity for us to decide whether we will obey God or not. It is not so much a matter of whether we will be physically harmed by eating that which is unclean. Even with the advanced technology of today, we still do not know whether the eating of unclean creatures will hurt us physically. But what we do know is that the eating or even touching of that which is declared to be unclean will harm us spiritually. For as we just read in verses 17 and 18: If we will separate ourselves from the ways of the society around us and not touch that which is unclean, God will receive us and be a Father to us, and we shall be His sons and daughters. In these end-time days, when the growing schism between good and evil is becoming ever more apparent, when Satan’s fury to destroy mankind is increasing worldwide in the form of hatred, rebellion, violence and degeneracy, isn’t it time to please God and be received as sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty (Yahweh – Jehovah -- YHVH). Isn’t that enough incentive to avoid unclean meats?
Portions of this sermon were adapted from an article in Hebrew Roots.
Sermon given by Wayne Bedwell February 14, 2004
Church of God Most High
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