KASPARS OZOLINS
For former Adventists, the subject of SDA dietary teachings evokes many strong reactions. Central to leaving Adventism for us has been a proper understanding of biblical covenants, and the Levitical food laws are certainly a vivid example of this. But many Christians, not just formers, have long puzzled over the exact function of these old covenant commands. Speaking for myself, there have been numerous times when I have been perplexed, and somewhat befuddled, about God’s purposes in enacting such strict and seemingly arbitrary laws, only to then completely abolish them under the new covenant. In Isaiah 65:4–5, the God of Israel strictly condemns those who
“sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.’ These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.”
How, and why––does Jesus Christ, with a sweep of his hand “declare all foods to be clean” in Mark 7:19, almost as an afterthought? The likely biblical answer, as I was to discover in a lecture during the annual European Leadership Forum (just recently concluded) was surprising, and deeply moving. It turns out that gigantic biblical concepts are at stake here. To give a bit of a tease: some of the significant implications involved include the distinction between Israel and the church (and the mission of both), and the way that the gospel of Jesus Christ fundamentally and radically changes everything.
Much of this article will be a distillation of the wonderful insights of Steffen Jenkins, a Christian college professor based here in the UK. Some of his work, in turn, is indebted to the scholarship of the late Mary Douglas, a well-known British anthropologist. I apologize in advance for some of the length and detail involved here. Somewhat counter-intuitively, however, I believe that a deeper understanding of the Levitical food laws will induce a much deeper love for God and awaken a heart of worship to Christ––it certainly has done so for me.
Faulty common explanations
Many of us could probably rattle off a few common explanations (SDA or otherwise) given for these food laws. At the same time, we could probably just as soon poke holes in those same explanations.
Many of us could probably rattle off a few common explanations (SDA or otherwise) given for these food laws. At the same time, we could probably just as soon poke holes in those same explanations. Some have said the laws were given in order to stand as a visual metaphor for the Israelities. For example, pigs are not edible since they wallow in mud, and thus Israel was to view them as a metaphor for the avoidance of sin and moral filth. Now, it is true that the Bible sometimes uses animals to teach a moral lesson (think of the ant in Proverbs). The problem with Leviticus 11, of course, is that this approach requires a highly selective reading that ignores many other forbidden animals which do not even seem to be remotely filthy (just what is inherently filthy about a camel, for example?). Furthermore, there is no indication given in the text that this is the lesson intended to be taught.
Perhaps, then, these animals were to be avoided because the nations surrounding Israel made use of them? Here, though, the same objections can easily be raised. Besides pigs, we don’t know (and we aren’t told in Scripture) whether the surrounding nations made use of lobsters, camels, or swarms of mosquitos as sacrifices or as food. In fact, it stands to reason that the Gentile nations ate many of the foods that God also permitted Israel to eat. Why weren’t those forbidden, either?
A third explanation will be one that is especially associated with Seventh-day Adventism. Pigs and scavengers were deemed unclean because they really were unclean, that is, they are not healthy for human consumption. For many of us former Seventh-day Adventists, this particular association has been very consequential in our lives, shaping our diet (even in some cases post-Adventism), and often leaving lasting theological scars. Thank God we have since learned from Scripture that all foods are clean, and that Peter’s vision in Joppa was not merely an allegory (more on that later). Furthermore, there is no convincing scientific basis for claiming that the prohibited meats listed in Leviticus 11 really are unhealthful.
A three-tiered hierarchy
In order to get at God’s design for Israel in Leviticus, we need to step back and consider the integrated system of symbols we find in the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. To begin with, we observe a three-tiered system of holiness embedded right in the Israelite sanctuary (which was to become a temple under Solomon). In order of increasing holiness, we first have the outer courtyard, then the sanctuary/temple building itself, and finally the most holy compartment within the building (the holy of holies). The courtyard itself was accessible to any Israelite, while only priests could enter the building. The holy of holies, where God’s immediate presence dwelt, was off limits to everyone except for the high priest (and then only once a year––the Day of Atonement).
We are probably most familiar with this example, but it is also replicated in numerous other areas. The very arrangement of the Israelite camp aligns with this system, for example. The entire tabernacle, with its court, served as a first tier, which was to be surrounded by Levites (the second tier), according to Numbers 1:53. The Levites functioned as a buffer between God’s presence and the rest of the Israelites (tier three), “so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel.”
The same three-tier system can also be applied in yet another way. The tabernacle, again, represents the holy dwelling of God. But this holy dwelling is situated in a land––the land of Israel. Outside that land lived the surrounding nations, which did not dwell with God. The upshot of this three-tier arrangement was that it vividly illustrated God’s absolute holiness. In order for man to dwell with God, he must be clean. In a sense, the “common” Gentile nations did not have to worry about this, since they had nothing to do with the God of Israel. But the land of Israel itself had to be clean, and the tabernacle, itself located in the land, stood out even more as being especially set apart as “holy.” Our three categories, thus, are “common,” “clean,” and “holy.”
When you think about it, just because an animal was “clean,” that did not automatically make it appropriate as as a sacrifice.
When we next consider animals in the context of the Levitical food laws, we can see that these, too, fall within the same three-tier system. The categories here are (1) “unclean,” (2) “clean,” and (3) “fit for sacrificing.” When you think about it, just because an animal was “clean,” that did not automatically make it appropriate as as a sacrifice. Instead, there were only a select few animals (which fell under the “clean” category), which could be used for sacrifices: for example, the heifer, the ox, the lamb, the turtledove. Even though there were many clean animals fit for consumption, not all were suitable for sacrifices.
Connecting Leviticus with Genesis
We are now in a better position to actually consider some of the thought behind the list of clean and unclean animals in Leviticus 11. Bear in mind that the Pentateuch is a unit, and that there are many connections between Israel, its tabernacle/sanctuary, on the one hand, and creation/Eden, on the other. As such, we can find helpful clues to the symbolism of Leviticus if we take a closer look at the story of Creation. Here, we find a similar three-tier arrangement. When God created the earth (3rd tier), he placed within it the land of Eden (2nd tier). In that land, God planted a garden (1st tier). Now, notice that when Adam and Eve were expelled from that garden because of their sin, they initially still remained in the land of Eden (east of the garden) according to Genesis 3:23–24. That itself is a promising indication that God was still in covenant with mankind, and especially with the seed of the woman.
The very importance of distinct levels of separation is deeply engraved in the creation account of Genesis 1, in which God creates distinctions (Hebrew root b-d-l) no fewer than 5 times. For example, there is an expanse which separates (mabdîl) the waters from the waters in verse 6. There are lights in the expanse of the heavens which separate (le-habdîl) day from night in verse 14. And so on. Interestingly, this Hebrew verbal root is next found in Exodus 26:33, which describes the veil of the tabernacle as separating (we-hibdîlāh) the holy place from the most holy. After that, it occurs quite a few times in Leviticus, again, usually with the aim of describing the important levels of separation that were so critical in Israel’s life.
When we think of the clean and unclean animals of Leviticus 11, it is important to consider them in a creation context. Broadly speaking, in his work of separation, God set up three earthly domains: (1) the heavens, (2) the waters, (3) the dry land. God next populates each domain with animals: (1) the birds filling the sky, (2) the waters teeming with swarms of living creatures, (3) the land animals according to their kinds. The exact same categories of animals are replicated in Leviticus 11. First, there is a description of “the living things you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.” (Lev 11:2–11). Next follows a list of “all that are in the waters” (Lev 11:9–12). Finally, the animals that fly in the heavens (“[a]nd these you shall detest among the birds”: Lev 11:13–19).
The key insight of Mary Douglas was to understand that the criterion by which an animal was deemed as unclean generally depended on that animal’s violation of these strict domains. This is not to say that some animals were morally “bad” or inferior in some respect. Rather, each animal was to play a role in instructing Israel about the importance of strict boundaries. When we turn to Leviticus 11, we discover that all this is actually explained in some detail within the text itself.
In the first section (Lev 11:2–11), forbidden animals were any that vacillate with respect to (1) parting the hoof, (2) being cloven-footed, (3) chewing the cud. These animals violated the prototypical creation boundaries and thus fell into the “unclean” category. In the second section, any animal that failed to act like a water creature (i.e., by not having fins and scales) was unclean. Finally, birds or insects which violated the strict boundary between the heavens and the earth in a particular way were also pronounced as unclean. The rest of the chapter gives further explanations for forbidden animals that move in a way contrary to their domain (for example, atypical locomotion, such as crawling on the belly). The summary at the end gives a strong indication that this particular framework is likely to be right. As you read, recall our Genesis domains and the language of “separation”:
“This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, to make a distinction (le-habdîl) between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten” (Leviticus 11:46–47).
Israel lived and breathed within a world permeated by boundaries! Each day was a perpetual reminder of their privileged status among the nations. God dwelt with them in a unique way, and therefore categories of separation were absolutely vital. The food laws became for them a perpetual sermon, reminding them that God had separated them from the rest of the world in covenant with Himself.
Deep gospel implications
The more you think about these detailed and pervasive food laws, the more you should be led to consider how different Israel and the church are, and how the gospel lies at the very heart of this difference. God was life-giving to Israel, leading them out of Egypt and through the wilderness and bringing them into a land flowing with milk and honey. Yet God was also dangerous to Israel! He was dangerous to Israel because God is fundamentally holy, and Israel was far too often unholy.
Hence the importance of strict degrees of separation. Because the surrounding nations were common and did not have contact with God, to a degree they did not lie in immediate danger. Yet even Israel, living in the holy land promised to their forefathers was not entirely safe. Contact with a holy God was always mediated through the tabernacle/temple, and always with strict distancing requirements (I’m sure we’ll never ever look at such language the same way post-COVID!). Along these lines, a priestly class was set up to mediate between God and Israel. Everything had to be done strictly in order according to how God commanded Moses. Finally, even the very food Israel ate was a perpetual reminder of the concepts of holiness and separation.
These restrictions were just as vivid and real in Jesus’ day. Archaeologists have discovered warning signs carved in stone for Herod’s temple which ominously state in Greek and Latin “No alien may enter within the inner court around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.” Yet into this world came Christ, the long-promised Seed. He came to live a perfect life as the holy Son of God, the spotless lamb of God, without blemish or spot. He took upon himself our impurities and sin at the cross, even as he touched unclean lepers and embraced outsider Gentiles.
From now on, we, as born-again believers, are united to God with a closeness that was simply unthinkable, indescribable, to an old covenant saint.
At the cross, the God-man, our Lord Jesus Christ, destroyed the dividing wall of separation between us and God, and between the Gentiles and Jews (as Ephesians 2 so richly explains). Because of Him, the veil dividing off the most holy place was torn apart. Because of Him we now have access to God by means of His blood, which speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:24). Because of Him, God’s Holy Spirit, his Shekinah presence, dwells in us permanently! From now on, we, as born-again believers, are united to God with a closeness that was simply unthinkable, indescribable, to an old covenant saint. It is no wonder, then, that with Jesus our Messiah, all foods truly are clean!
Levitical food laws and missions
As God’s people, Israel was to be a light to the nations. People from other nations could (and on occasion, did) come to Israel and in the process, became ritually clean by observing all that Israel had to observe. However, Israel was never to go out among the nations. Israel never truly possessed the kind of internal, blood-bought holiness that every new covenant believer glories in. Because of Jesus, we the church are now to go out into the world among the unbelieving nations and preach the gospel.
Are the nations any less sinful and “common” than they were in Israel’s day? Not at all. The difference lies in the body of Christ. With hearts regenerated and souls made alive, with God himself dwelling in every saint (even the weakest), the outside nations cannot defile that which God has already sanctified. While the call to holiness remains applicable for every true believer, we no longer need to observe strict protocols of separation in diet and other living practices.
If we expand Jesus’ words as given to us in Mark 7, everything makes much more sense:
“Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:18–23).
Jesus has fulfilled even the tiniest details of the Mosaic law (such as food laws) in deeply profound ways.
We see now that everything within the old covenant law was a tutor that was intended to lead us to Christ. Jesus has fulfilled even the tiniest details of the Mosaic law (such as food laws) in deeply profound ways. In these last days, with God’s own Son having come and revealed the Father to us, we have a new mission to the world. No longer are we to call unclean that which God has made clean. Jesus Christ has washed us with the word and made us clean. That is why Peter was told in the vision about Cornelius, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15).
In Christ, we “are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph 2:22). Consequently, in some small measure, we mimic Christ in our Christian lives. We have been sanctified by the Spirit and have the mind of Christ, yet we are to freely mix and mingle with “sinners” and “tax collectors” and “prostitutes” because the gospel has provided a way of unrestricted access to God through the blood of God’s own precious Son. There are unimaginable blessings in store for us, and potentially the world because of the free gift of Jesus Christ. We as Christians need to take seriously the Great Commission, in light of his unfathomable mercy, and the love that he intends to show to many others.
So the next time you enjoy some delicious bacon, think of your new status in Christ, the amazing grace that has been shown to you, and the call of Jesus upon your life:
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4–7).
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Thank you for such great article. Blessings from the Heavenly Father going your way!!