Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore

We live in a day of diets: the Keto diet, Paleo diet, Low Carb, and fasting diets. Today, in chapter 11 of Leviticus, we will see the Mount Sinai Diet given by the Lord. Chapter 11 is the third division of the book of Leviticus. So far, we have seen the first two divisions. The first one, Leviticus 1-7, covered the five great personal sacrifices and the need of a High Priest for sinners to gain God’s favor and enjoy God’s presence. Then we moved into the second section, Leviticus 8-10, which covered the installation of the tabernacle, the first inauguration of the Aaronic priesthood, and the first worship of the people of God. Now that the temple is erected and they have worshipped the true God, the next beautiful, logical step, in chapters 11-15, is for God to teach his people how they should live by avoiding uncleanness in every area of life and living holy. We read in the previous chapter, in verse 10, that one duty of the priests was to teach Israel to distinguish between “the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.” These next chapters provide the teaching about discernment.

The people of God at that early time were spiritually just a toddling, immature child. God uses visible signs of clean and unclean food, diseases like leprosy, the childbirth process, and bodily discharges to teach them important truths. A superficial reading may make it all seem irrelevant to us, but with the Holy Spirit’s help, I believe we can see many wonderful truths that are very relevant to our practical lives as God’s people. We can learn basic lessons on how to live holy, shown clearly as you would teach a small child. So you have to patiently learn and dig for the truths in these chapters.

Chapter 11 talks about the dietary laws in Israel; it is very puzzling to many people. Each commentary will say different things about clean and unclean animals. One great question everyone asks is, “Why is this one clean, and that one is unclean?” Let us see if we can find the answer.

The whole chapter is divided into three sections. First of all, in verses 1-23, we notice the distinction between clean and unclean. Then, in 24-43, we see the instruction in case you defile yourself with unclean things, how to treat that pollution. And now, the third main division, 44-47, gives the explanation of how they should be so careful about their cleanliness and holiness.

Let us first understand the first section, 1-23, and then we will see the second and third sections next week, and we will also see the marvelous spiritual and practical application for living a holy life. Because of English and other languages, I don’t want this to be long.

First of all, in verses 1-23, we notice the distinction between clean and unclean. You will notice the distinction is given according to three categories that are used in the creation account. Three spheres we will see in verses 1-23. There are creatures of the land, creatures of the sea, and creatures of the air, just like God created in all those three spheres in Genesis 1. Animals are divided into three parts. Verses 1-8, we see creatures of the land discussed.

Now, there are two specific distinguishing features that determine whether or not a creature of the land is clean or unclean. For something to be clean, two things are needed: verse 3 says, “Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—Those are clean and that you may eat.”

The hoof must be divided, meaning the animal’s feet divide into two and look like two toes, and it also must be a ruminator, one who, like a cow, eats the grass but doesn’t immediately swallow, it keeps chewing on it again and again. So clean animals have two features: all that have a split hoof and chew the cud, and there are edible animals like the oxen, the sheep, and goats. These are creatures of the land that are edible.

Now, there are other unclean creatures that are inedible. How do we know they are unclean? They may neither chew the cud nor have a split hoof. Donkeys and horses all do not have two toe nails. That is unclean. Some animals may chew the cud, like the camel, but it does not have two toes; it may seem like two toes, but the foot is one, it just has two nails in front. For an animal to be clean, it must have both these two traits: the split hoof and chewing the cud. If it fails to possess both features, it is unclean. Remember this, it has amazing truths for us. Under unclean animals fall the camel, the rabbit, the pig, the donkey, and horses. You should not eat them. So all of this is for land animals.

The second group of animals is water animals, in verses 9-12. The distinguishing features here are different. It is not a split hoof and chewing cud. Here it is the issue of fins and scales. Verse 9: “‘These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat.'” Fins are the wings of a fish, which makes it swim, and scales are on the body of the fish, which we brush and clean when we buy fish. If it is to be clean, it has to have both fins and scales. It has to have an appendage coming out from its body that propels it through the water, fins. And it also has to have scales, which is skin overlapping like flakes.

Clean animals, which have both fins and scales, are different fishes, and salmon, and mackerel, sheer fish, Sheela, catla. All of these are clean. However, there are certain types which do not have such, a shrimp, squid, octopus, crab, frog. It doesn’t have fins or scales. These are said to be detestable and abhorrent, even a stronger word than unclean. Oh, what have you said, pastor, I love shrimp, squid. Wait for some time.

So we see land and water. The third category of animals, clean and unclean, is creatures of the air, in verses 13-23. Birds are spoken of. And all birds which are scavengers or birds of prey, these are unclean. Verse 13, you see a list: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, the kite, and the falcon after its kind; every raven after its kind; the list goes on.

Then, verse 20, other creatures of the air, not only birds, but what else flies? Well, insects fly. And so, too, certain distinguishing features of the insects. If they are to be clean, they must not be both winged and walk on all fours. If it’s winged and walks on all fours, with four legs of equal size without thighs, it is considered to be detestable and unclean, such as the mosquito. It has wings, but it also walks on fours. Some have six legs. Mainly, I think it is flies that also walk. Those are unclean.

What insects are clean? Verse 21: “Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.” These would be insects that have legs, but they also have large legs in the back, which enable them to hop. And these would be the locust, the cricket, and the grasshopper, and they are clean.

So these are clean and unclean animals on land, in water, and in the air.

Application

How do we apply this? If you read most commentaries, each commentary takes a single view. Some groups say, “These are only dietary regulations we should follow for good health,” but that contradicts New Testament Bible teaching, which clearly reveals we are freed from these ceremonial dietary rules. Then some say, “God wants to keep them as a distinct people, unlike unclean gentiles eating everything, even worshiping some of these unclean animals, like snakes. They have to be clean, like Daniel guarded himself from unclean food.” Some say, “God arbitrarily, for no reason, made this rule. There is nothing in the animals themselves, but God wants to test their obedience.” And then some say, “It has no dietary applications, only allegorical spiritual explanation.” We have to take a biblical balance and compare it with other scriptures and apply this to our lives. When you see other passages and church history, I believe there is truth in each of those aspects. A biblical balance is not seeing them as a single thing but integrating and blending all these approaches. Yes, there is a hygiene lesson. Yes, God wants to keep his people holy from gentiles by food. Yes, God wants to test their obedience. And yes, there are also important spiritual lessons. We will focus on two applications: hygiene and then the spiritual application.

Dietary Rules and Hygiene

Should we follow these diet rules? The New Testament clearly reveals we are freed from these ceremonial dietary rules. Matthew 15:4 declares that all foods are clean. In Acts 10:15, remember God gave a vision to Peter. He’s hungry, people are making preparations to eat, but there’s no food for him yet. He falls into a trance, and in Acts 10:11, he beholds “the sky opened up and a certain object like a great sheet comes down, and lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.” And a voice came to him and said, “Arise, Peter, kill and eat!” Now, listen to that description of what’s on that sheet: “…all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.” These are things right out of the unclean foods list in Leviticus 11, and yet the voice from heaven says, “Peter, arise and eat.” And how does Peter respond? “‘By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.'” And the answer comes in verse 15: “‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.'” God taught him a dietary lesson, that these Old Testament diet rules are not applicable. Paul explains this in Galatians and Romans 14. The New Testament makes it clear we are free to eat anything. So if you like shrimp or squid, don’t be discouraged.

But is there no dietary value in these rules? No, the Bible and history show there is definitely a dietary value in these rules. In those olden times, when they were vulnerable and out of the desert, they didn’t have high-tech medical care or vaccinations, where people were dying with all kinds of viruses from animals. Remember our latest coronavirus came from bats, which is an unclean animal mentioned in verse 18. If the Chinese would have followed Leviticus 11, we wouldn’t have a global pandemic. In those olden days, God was careful to preserve his people from diseases so there would not be an outbreak of many plagues among God’s people.

Even today, nutritionists caution us to avoid some meat. For example, eating pork, unless it is thoroughly cooked, can bring about trichinosis, where worms multiply, travel through the bloodstream to muscle tissues throughout the body, stay for many years, and bring terrible suffering later. It is a very serious disease, especially in warmer climates. We talk about swine fever. Also, think of the idea of a mosquito. A mosquito is a blood-sucking insect that can spread malaria by biting us. What if we catch and eat it? So it is unclean.

But what is a locust? What does a locust eat? A locust is a herbivore. A locust eats corn and other types of foliage. And you can see, common sense, one is clean, nutritionally and hygienically, while one is unclean. You think of how a dead rat in a moist flour barrel could result in great tragedy. Zoologists tell us scavenger birds and unclean animals carry a very high load of parasites; therefore, they are a threat to health. It doesn’t mean other animals like chickens don’t have these viruses, but the unclean ones have more.

If you met a Jew, you would know he would be very fastidious about swarming cockroaches and bugs, and that kind of fastidiousness would keep them from bacteria-infested vermin. Historians tell us of the striking health of the Jewish people through the Middle Ages, when plagues frequently decimated the continent of Europe. Kellogg says this: “Even so long ago as the days when the plague was desolating Europe, the Jews so universally escaped infection that, by this their exemption, the popular suspicion was excited into fury, and the Jews were accused of causing the fearful plague among their Gentile neighbors by poisoning the wells and springs.” They were not much affected by the plague; most people thought that they were the ones who were spreading this, trying to decimate everyone else so they could have all the money and all the prosperity of the land.

History tells us Jews were so much healthier than the Gentile population. In fact, in Hungary, in the 1800s, there was nearly double the life expectancy of an individual if they were a Jew, as opposed to being from another Gentile nation. In fact, for years and years, life insurance charts were distinct for Jews, because they themselves lived longer.

I am simply saying I believe these general principles and categories were a means of blessing to his people with scientifically and medically sound diets thousands of years before the microscope was invented or bacteriology was developed. God gave them sound diets, and they didn’t fully understand why, but it was for their good.

Yes, in the New Testament, Christ has delivered us from all these regulations, so can we go and eat daily pork, mosquitoes, and rats? No. Just because we have the freedom to eat anything, it doesn’t mean we can eat anything to spoil our health. Some of these diet rules are good. A clear application to us in the New Testament from this chapter is that it shows God is very concerned about our health and what we eat, and we should learn a lesson about physical diet.

On one side, we have to take seriously God’s law, “Thou shall not murder,” and ensure our diets are balanced with fruits, vegetables, and meats. So you don’t suffer later. No vegetables, fruits, only chicken, meat. You may not feel anything now, but over time, there will be big nutritional deficiencies. After some age, you have to eat a box of medicines like food for not eating fruits. No fibers, so the digestive system becomes weak as you age. Vitamin A, B, C, D, K, all weaken your immune system. Mineral deficiency weakens blood circulation and bodily functions as you age. Magnesium causes muscle cramps and fatigue. Calcium from leafy greens strengthens bones. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which prevent toxins from filling the body. So heart problems, diabetes, kidney, bone, and skin problems. Later, you wonder why you have so many problems. All points to your intake. I know relatives who were trying to be frugal, not eating good fruits, and later kept spending a lot of money on medicine. So God cares for your health. So eat balanced food. Don’t eat anything that will harm your health. If you have no care and are just eating whatever tastes good, don’t blame God and murmur! You are reaping what you sowed.

On another side, we have to be careful not to spoil Christian liberty in Christ, not to make any rules in the church about what people should or should not eat. 1 Timothy 4 says one of the teachings of false prophets, which are doctrines of demons, forbids marriage and advocates abstaining from foods which God has created, to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. We have that Christian liberty in the New Testament, no rules, but take care of your health.

So that is the first point, food regulation and hygiene.

The Great Lesson of Holiness

This and coming chapters will be a great spiritual lesson on living holy lives. I can say this because see what is the purpose of all this, Lord. Verse 44: “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Verse 45: “For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

We have seen the intent of Leviticus is to teach us spiritual things in a baby language. I believe we have here profound spiritual lessons of holy living. The Lord is as if teaching the ABCs of holiness. Yes, we are positionally saved, but our walk with God and experience of salvation depends on personal holiness, right? Clean means fit for God’s presence, and, therefore, unclean means unfit for God’s presence. And anyone who was unclean or who had come into contact with uncleanness was unfit for public worship, unfit to come into the presence of God. The basic idea is that God himself is holy. He is clean. If we have to regularly commune with God and enjoy his presence, we have to strive for holiness. “Pastor, can you teach me basic lessons on how I can live holy?” Leviticus teaches baby lessons.

There are at least three basic lessons we can learn from this chapter: Watch, Watch, and Watch. Watch and pray. Watch your mind. Watch your walk. We will see the first lesson today.

Firstly, the first lesson of holiness. If you start taking holiness seriously and want to obey God, it all starts with watchfulness—”Watch and pray so you do not enter into temptation.” How does watchfulness come? When you are conscious of danger, uncleanness, and sin always around you. I have been teaching that our spiritual growth depends on how our sensitiveness to sin grows. The more we are sensitive to sin, the more we will grow in God’s grace and holiness. The more insensitive, the more sin is hardening.

We clearly see in this old chapter, God is teaching this clean and unclean to keep his people always conscious that they were in the neighborhood of sin. God is making his people sensitive to sin everywhere in this world. Think of a Jew. A Jew wanting to follow these rules, the next passage will say he shouldn’t even touch unclean animals. A Jew walks on a beautiful road, meditating on God’s word and praising God, but behold, there comes a group of pigs coming opposite to him. “Ah, these unclean animals, that will defile me,” so he has to carefully walk far away, not to touch the unclean. Then he goes to a beautiful flower garden; there are insects among the flowers. “That is unclean.” He should be careful. Then in the summer, he goes to play in the river, lake, or sea. All those creatures in the water without scales or fins were unclean to him. He should not allow a frog or crab to touch him in the water. It is said Hebrew boys would not even play in such standing waters because of this. Oh, he thinks, “Everywhere I go, I see uncleanness that defiles me.” Oh, he thinks, “Let me go out in the wilderness, no uncleanness will come.” Behold, there he sees a camel, a “ship of the desert,” coming. “Ah, an unclean animal.” Then, “cha…” He climbs a tall mountain. “Ah, no one here, I can be clean and meditate on God with a pure mind.” Then, next to his rock, a group of crows comes and sits on the rock next to him. “Ah, unclean.” “Ayo Lord, this world is full of uncleanness.” And at least he lifts his eye up to heaven to see heaven, but behold, there are vultures flying along through the air, and he says, “Ah! there is an emblem of sin there!” Then he comes home frustrated and closes his door and sits and thinks, “Oh, now nothing unclean will come to me.” Then, buzzing around him, even if it doesn’t touch it, mosquitoes bite him. “Ah, ah!” he says, “unclean. Unclean, unclean. There is sin everywhere.”

Everywhere he would come in contact with some creature that would render him ceremonially unclean. However beautiful this world is, there is a constant reminder of uncleanness everywhere in this fallen world, and God by this old type shows that we should live with watchfulness and a consciousness of sin always. Just as a Jew who wants to be holy, we have to be conscious and watchful, otherwise, he will be defiled by this world.

Yes, our Lord said in the New Testament that defilement doesn’t come from outside, but comes from our heart, but temptations to provoke our wicked heart come from the world. There is no place in the world which is safe, where we will not meet something that will defile us. Is this not our experience? Sometimes, you get all alone and quiet, but do not imagine that you are even there free from sin. As the most beautiful landscape, so the sweetest retirement cannot shut out uncleanness. As the fly or the insect would intrude and defile a Jew’s worship, so sin will haunt and molest us even in the closet of devotion.

So the first baby step if you really want to be holy is to leave all your careless, easy-going attitude. Get up, Christians, and be upon your watchtowers. You may sleep, but your enemies never will. You may suppose yourselves safe, but then you are most in danger. In Ephesians, we have put on the full armor of God and are armed from head to foot, and having done all, we must watch and pray lest you enter into temptation.

Every morning we ought to ask the Lord to keep us from unknown sins, to preserve us from temptations that we cannot foresee, to check us in every path of life if we are about to go wrong, and to hold us up every hour that we sin not. Like we studied this morning, 1 Peter 1:17: “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Watch and pray, watch and pray so you don’t enter into temptation and defile yourself.

Finally, for those who are still not saved, you know what you need. The Lord needs to bring your sin before you. I wish that some of my hearers had sin before their eyes now. Oh! you that trifle with it, you do not know what it is! Fools make a mockery of sin. You laugh at it now—you do not understand what a fire it is that you have kindled to consume your soul! Oh! you that think it is such a little thing, but its deadly poison will soon envenom all your blood, and then you will discover that he that plays with sin plays with damnation.

May the Lord set sin straight before your eyes, and then set the cross of Christ there too, and so you will be saved.