To Eat or Not to Eat

So let’s ask ourselves.  If God was to appear before you right now and said, “ I want you to stop eating chocolate,” would you?

I know I’m being silly but I think you get the point.

Our knee jerk reaction is to say, YES!  If God Himself was standing in front of me and told me not to do something, of course, no matter what it was, I’d lay it down.

How could you do something that the Creator asked you not to do, right in front of him?

So, my next question is well, then why aren’t we?

·       He told us to love our neighbor as yourself.

o   But how many times do we look the other way at the homeless?

o   How many times do we doubt the ability of God to provide when we know a brother or sister has a need?

o   How many times do we gossip about someone, and totally forget that our God is omnipresent and here in the room with us?

This isn’t a slide to condemn us, but to challenge us.  No matter how learned we get, we still mess up.  Our flesh is going to be a struggle daily.  We have to pick up our cross daily. We have to die to our flesh, daily.

We’ll see through this presentation that our flesh is a great battle to overcome.  We want to fit in.  We want to be liked.  We don’t want to offend anyone……but yet, we forget about that still small voice with us.  What if we are offending Him?

Isaiah 29:13

The Lord says: “ These people come near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules that they have been taught.

This is one of the founding principles of our ministry.  We don’t want to give God lip service.  We want to worship Him, how He asked to be worshipped.  100% sold out for Him.  On fire, not lukewarm.  And constantly reminding ourselves that it is not about us.

1John 5:3 New Living Translation Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.So no matter what our flesh says or thinks, His instructions are not burdensome.  And this is God’s love language.  When we keep His commandments, it is an act of showing our love for Him.

But I think we do agree that whatever God says, we should do it.

Consider this:

How did Noah know the difference between the clean/unclean before the law was given at Mt Sinai?

Genesis 7:1-4 7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

So how did Noah know? 

Noah’s Dad, Lamech, personally would have known Adam – who walked with God.  Lamech would have heard first hand accounts of what God said to Adam.

We know that Cain & Able were making sacrifices in Genesis 4. Abel made an offering to Yahweh from the firstborn of his flock of sheep, clean animals.  Although the text doesn’t explicitly say, I believe it is safe to infer that God would have instructed Adam on sacrifices and clean/unclean animals at creation.

The next slide shows the commonality of some of the clean beasts that we can eat.  It is interesting to notice some additional similarities, such as being vegetarians, having a for chambered stomach, which scientifically helps us understand why they would be considered clean.  Also, neat to notice the coronated heads (antlered).

The next slide we take a zoomed in look at pig’s feet.  From a distance, they appear to be split hooves.  Which is 1 of the 2 qualifiers required to be clean. 

But upon closer examination, if we turn the pig’s foot over, it is unlike any of the other clean animals hooves.

So perhaps this is why Yahweh gave us the additional qualifier that we can see from a distance. They must also chew the cud.

11 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “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.

4 “‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. 5 The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 6 The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. 7 And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

43 Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. 44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. 45 I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

46 “‘These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water and every creature that moves along the ground. 47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.’”                      **1Peter 1:16  - I find it pretty neat that most people who quote that doesn’t realize that he was quoting Leviticus 11.

1 Peter 1

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a]

So if holiness is directly related to cleanliness…. Let’s now consider these next scriptures.

Matthew 8

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes,[c] two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Also told in Mark 5:1-20 & Luke 8:26-39

If demons are comfortable dwelling in pigs and we know demons can dwell in pigs, then I don’t want to consume a pig and bring that inside of me.

While Leviticus 11 only tells us that we are unclean until evening, I don’t believe we should take that as a license to consider unclean animals just a frowned upon rule that’s okay to break.

Because we still have to contend with this verse:  Isaiah 66:16

ISAIAH 66:14-17

14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass;the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.15 See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.16 For with fire and with his sword    the Lord will execute judgment on all people, and many will be those slain by the Lord. 17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

Here we see those eating pork, and mice and other unclean things, associated with following the enemy, and are called foes of the Lord.  Ultimately being slain by Lord in judgement.

Unclean does not necessarily equal dirty.

Although I do find it funny to think about all those things I heard when I was a child in a Baptist church.  How cleanliness is next to Godliness.  (which by the way is not exactly in scripture.  I believe it was John Wesley who said that.  Not Jesus) 

And then also the concept of dirty.  Dirty movies, dirty thoughts….   I get it now.  It was unclean.  So really they weren’t that far off. 

1. What Does “Clean” and “Unclean” Mean?

The Hebrew word for unclean is טָמֵא (tamé) and for clean is טָהוֹר (tahor). Something unclean is not inherently sinful—it simply means that it is not in a state fit for entering God’s presence.

Even natural processes—like childbirth, menstruation, or touching a corpse—render someone unclean. It's not a sin to be unclean; however, it is dangerous to approach God in an unclean state.

Cleanliness or  purity is deeply connected to the Temple and God’s presence.   To enter the Temple or participate in offerings, a person had to be in a state of cleanness.

The Mikvah, a pool of water, was used for immersion to restore cleanness.

• Women immersed after their menstrual cycle or childbirth. (Monthly Baptism)

• Men immersed after seminal emissions or contact with corpses. (Baptism as needed)

• Priests immersed before serving. (Daily baptism)

• Converts immersed when joining the Jewish people.  (Baptism as we know it)

There are many, many instructions about washing yourself in water to rid yourself of unclean status.

“He shall wash all his body in water and be unclean until the evening.” – Leviticus 15:16

“Then he shall bathe his body in water and afterward he may come into the camp.” – Leviticus 16:26

But not only are these just ritualistic instructions, it is so much more than that.

Clean / Holy / Set Apart

Clean – Strong’s H2889 Tahor – pure, clean, ceremonially, physically, morally, ethically

First let’s notice that pure and clean are the same word, used interchangeably.  This immediately brings forth the notion to me of being tried in the fire, and purified.

We will also see that clean and pure are also holy.

Yes, at surface level, we are to walk in His example.

               Jesus was baptized. And we were commanded to be baptized.

Acts 2:38 ESV And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are commanded to baptize others.

Matthew 28:19 ESV Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

But he was also a clean, spotless lamb without blemish.  We can’t be walking around unclean and be very close to his example.  Being clean in one avenue to be more like Yeshua.

·        Cleanliness symbolizes holiness, set-apartness, and alignment with God’s will.

·        Uncleanliness represents the effects of death, sin, and the fallenness of this world.

“Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips…” – Isaiah 6:5“Create in me a clean heart, O God…” – Psalm 51:10

Yeshua did not abolish the concept of clean and unclean—He fulfilled it. He touched the unclean, healed the lepers, and raised the dead, not becoming unclean Himself but cleansing them by His purity.

“A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him… Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be clean!’” – Matthew 8:2-3

He didn’t remove the standard of holiness, but rather brought cleansing and access to God through His own righteousness.

This understanding leads us directly into Pentecost (Shavuot)—the day the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers.

But first, let’s examine baptism.

1. The Mikvah and Baptism

The Greek word baptizo means to immerse. Baptism is not a “Christian” invention—it is a biblical commandment rooted in the Torah.

In biblical times people immersed:

• For ritual purity

• For conversion to Judaism/Christianity

• For spiritual renewal

• Before entering the Temple

“John was baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance…” – Mark 1:4

John the Baptist wasn’t doing something foreign to Judaism—he was calling people to repentance and preparing them to meet the Messiah, in the traditional Jewish/biblical way—through immersion.

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” – Matthew 3:11

2. Baptism on Pentecost: Acts 2

On Shavuot, Jews from every nation had gathered in Jerusalem, as commanded in Torah (Leviticus 23). It was one of the three pilgrimage feasts.

The Holy Spirit descended on the believers gathered in the Upper Room.

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yeshua the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” – Acts 2:38

Three thousand were immersed that day. Jewish historians note that there were numerous mikva'ot (immersion pools) around the Temple Mount, making this mass immersion completely feasible.

These were Jewish men and women who understood that immersion was a symbol of repentance, cleansing, and readiness to receive the Spirit—which aligns perfectly with the mikvah/ baptism’s purpose.

Golden Calf – 3000 Exodus 32:28 28 The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day.

Pentecost – Acts 2:41  41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Teaching Takeaway for Pentecost

Just as Leviticus 11 teaches the need to distinguish between clean and unclean, so too must we examine ourselves before drawing near to God.

“Therefore, cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” – James 4:8

And just as our forefathers immersed themselves before drawing near to God at Sinai (Exodus 19:10), we too must repent, be washed, and be filled with His Spirit to fully receive the power of Pentecost.

Final Thought

Leviticus 11 is not obsolete—it is the beginning of God teaching us how to live holy lives in an unholy world. The call to be clean continues today—both spiritually and symbolically.

Let us prepare ourselves, body and soul, for what God wants to pour out on Pentecost.

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” – Hebrews 10:22