Dietary Restrictions Under the Old Law

1. Restrictions on large animals. Leviticus 11:1-7 (See also Deut.14:3-8)

1) If it parts the hoof, is cloven-footed, and chews the cud, it may be eaten.

a. Cattle

b. Sheep

c. Goat

d. Deer, etc.

e. See Deut.14:3-5.

2) Specific restrictions.

a. Camel

b. Rock Badger (Coney)

c. Hare/Rabbit

d. Pig

3) Those that walk on paws on all fours are unclean (v.27).

2. Restrictions on water creatures. Leviticus 11:9-12 (See also Deut.14:9, 10)

1) May eat of anything that has fins and scales.

a. Bass

b. Tuna

c. Herring

2) May not eat of anything that does not have fins or scales.

a. Catfish

b. Eels

c. Whales, Dolphins, Porposes, etc.

3. Restrictions on winged creatures. Leviticus 11:13-19 (See also Deut.14:11-18)

1) Specific prohibitions (from the ESV)

a. Eagle

b. Vulture

c. Kites

d. Falcons

e. Ravens

f. Ostriches

g. Hawks

h. Sea gulls

I.   Owls

j. Stork

k. Heron

l. Hoopoe

m. Bat

2) Everything else was, assumably, edible. (Mr. Tyson would be happy.)

4. Restrictions on insects. Leviticus 11:20-23. (See also Deut.14:19,20)

1) Winged insects that crawl on all fours may not be eaten. (Cockroach)

2) May eat those with jointed legs above their feet.

a. Locusts

b. Cricket

c. Grasshopper

3) All other insects were presumably edible.

5. Crawling animals that were unclean ( Leviticus 11:29-31; 11:41-43).

1) Mole rat

2) Mouse

3) Lizard

4) Snakes (11:42)

5) Has multiple feet (Centipede/Milipede 11:42).

1. Tell the difference between clean and unclean, holy and unholy.

1) Leviticus 11:44 "For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy:"

2) Leviticus 11:45 "For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."

3) Leviticus 11:46, 47 "This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten."

4) Israel needed to learn how make distinctions.

5) They were to be distinct from the nations around them.

6) They needed to recognize that because God was holy/sanctified, then they needed to be that way as well.

7) God helped them to understand this through these dietary restrictions.

2. Health benefits.

1) Exodus 15:26 "…If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee."

2) Deut.7:12, 15 "Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: … And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee."

3. Preserve the seed line of Christ.

1) God promised in Genesis 3:15 that he would put enmity between Satan and the offspring of Adam and Eve.

2) God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all nations would be blessed (Gen.12:3).

3) Moses prophesied to the Israelites that a great prophet was coming (Deut.18:15-18; fulfilled in Acts 3:22, 23).

4) The Old Testament prophets are replete with references to the coming Messiah.

5) Galatians 3:24 tells us that the purpose of the Old Law was to bring us to Christ.

6) That was to be done through the seed of woman ( Galatians 4:4).

7) God used both miraculous and non-miraculous means to accomplish this.

a. Miraculous: Conception of Isaac, Plagues, Red Sea, Manna, Quail, Water, Jordan.

b. Non-Miraculous: Law of Moses, Ruth and Boaz, Queen Esther

1. The wonderful knowledge of God in dietary science.

1) Herein lies one of the great evidences that the Bible could have only come from God.

2) Modern science has confirmed that much of the restricted food contained harmful bacteria, parasites, and viruses.

3) Book, "None of these diseases."

2. Show the sinfulness of sin.

1) Romans 7:13 says that the Old Law made sin appear "exceeding sinful."

2) In other words, God used these restrictions to teach Israel that sin was bad.

3) Although we are not under these restrictions, we should learn that lesson today.

4) God hates sin. Romans 6:1

3. We need to understand the difference between the holy and the common.

1) Just as the Israelites were admonished by God to understand the difference, we need to do the same.

2) In our society, we tend to blur the line between that which is holy and that which is common.

a. In our language.

b. In our families.

c. In our worship.

3) God still demands that we be holy today.

a. 1 Peter 1:15, 16 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

b. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb.12:14 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:"

4) As mature Christians, we must exercise discernment between good and evil. Hebrews 5:14 "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

4. To appreciate the wonderful freedom we have in Christ.

1) Peter said regarding all of these restrictions, "Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." Acts 15:10, 11.

2) Galatians 5:1 "For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage."

5. God loves his people.

1) The fact that he put restrictions on them showed that he wanted what was best for them.

2) He wanted them to understand the difference between that which was holy and common.

3) He wanted them to be healthy.

4) He wanted them to be well.

5) Heb.12:6 says the Lord loves those whom he chastens.

6. God used the lifting of these dietary restrictions to show Peter that Gentiles could be saved. Acts 10:11-15

7. God has no dietary restrictions for his people today.

1) God told Peter to arise and kill and eat and that what God had made holy Peter should not call common. Acts 10:11-15.

2) God has authorized us to eat all things today if they be received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:4 "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:"