The Dietary Laws and the Decalogue

The Bible predicts that cataclysmic events will shake the world at the time of Jesus Christ’s return. The existence of God’s Church will ensure the survival of humanity.

“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” (Mt. 24:22 NKJV unless otherwise indicated)

The end-time church is described in Revelation 12:17 as comprised of people, “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 14:12 tells us, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Among the commandments observed by God’s Church are the dietary laws of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. From a biblical perspective the deliberate violation of these laws can be described as taking God’s name in vain.

The Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 are repeated in Deuteronomy 5 and then expounded for the next twenty-one chapters. Deuteronomy 14 is part of the exposition of third commandment: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” (Dt. 5:11) We take God’s name in vain when, in our daily lives, we thank Him for what some people consider to be acceptable food, but what God has revealed that He has not created for human consumption. The people of Israel, as their name implies, were to be a godly nation. (Ex. 19:5-6) Members of that nation should not eat that which God considers to be detestable regarding eating. To do so is to sully their reputation and disrespect their divine Sustainer. Ultimately the same principle applies to every human being, because humankind was created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27).

Leviticus 11:43-45 declares: “You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them.

“’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.

“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.”

The echo of this passage can be heard as we read the words of the Apostle Peter, who exhorts Christians to be obedient, “…not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’”(I Pe. 1:14-16).

The Holy Scriptures tell us to express thanks to God for the food that He so lovingly provides. “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD our God for the good land which He has given you.” (Deut. 8:10)

The Holy Scriptures also reveal what creatures are prohibited as food. At times God’s Word uses very strong language in commandments against eating certain animals, revealing that regarding food they are to be considered, “an abomination” (Lev. 11:10: 11, 12, 13, 20, 23, 41). Human traditions often prohibit what God has allowed. We are to honor God in our eating and drinking. (I Cor. 10:31), so we’re spiritually accountable to Him, not to regulations not found in His Word.

I Timothy 4:1-3 warns,

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

“speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

“forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

The fourth and fifth verses continue to remind us that we are permitted to eat what the Scriptures indicate is acceptable and what we can thus express thanks to God for providing.

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;

“for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

Christians, as spiritual Israelites (Gal. 3:29; 6:16), spiritual Jews (Rom. 2:28-29) should not violate the biblical dietary laws. The Church of God is compared to a temple (I Cor. 3:16-17; Eph. 2:19-21). Each individual Christian’s body is “…the temple of the Holy Spirit…” (I Cor. 6:19). Thus, if we, as Christians, eat what God’s word prohibits, it is analogous to defiling God’s Temple. However, the analogy of God’s people as a priesthood can be carried too far when it requires everyone in the community to perform rituals specifically required of priests serving during the Old Covenant sacrificial ceremonies. Such requirements were and are an important element in Rabbinic Judaism.

By the time of Jesus’ ministry, Pharaiseeism had incorporated ritual washings associated with the Jerusalem Temple into daily life. This tendency to ritually sanctify meals is still reflected in contemporary Orthodox Jewish law (halakha). Rabbinic Judaism has inherited traditions of ritual washings from the Pharisees. One of these is included in the Passover Seder, the custom of ritual washing of the hands before dipping food in certain liquids. Another practice is part of the daily life of Orthodox Jews, the ritual washing of the hands before eating a meal that includes bread. The Pharisaic ritual washings before eating were not commanded in the Bible. The apostles evidently ignored them. This brought criticism from the Pharisees, as we can see in Matthew 15:1-20 and a parallel passage in Mark 7:1-23. These passages are not discussing the dietary laws of the Pentateuch. They are discussing rabbinic laws of ritual defilement of food through lack of observance of the Jewish tradition of ritual washings.

In order to complete a ritual washing, the hands should be physically clean. Jesus taught His disciples that the body could naturally deal with dirt taken into it along with food, “”Do you not understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?” (Mt. 15:17). He teaches Christians that from a spiritual perspective, we don’t need to worry about the dirt taken in with food, but rather we should guard against the spiritual dirt that we say as a result of evil thoughts. (Mt. 15:19-20).

Let’s focus on Mark 7:18-20 as translated in the New Revised Standard Version: “He said to them, ‘Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, ‘It is what comes out of a person that defiles.’” The sentence which the NRSV placed in parentheses is similarly translated by Moffat, The Jewish New Testament, the New American Standard Bible, and the New International Version. To understand this statement we should remember the topic that Jesus was discussing. Mark 7:2-3 tells us, “Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, (lit. with the fist) holding the tradition of the elders.” From the context we can see that Jesus Christ confirmed by His teachings that ritual washings before eating are not required. Any food which the Bible permits can be consumed in our daily lives without concern for ritual defilement based on laws that are not found in the Bible. The religious leaders who guided God’s congregations before Jesus’ ministry (Mt. 23:1-2) had gone beyond what was appropriate in their legislation in this matter.. In our regular eating and drinking we do not have to perform physical rituals similar to those conducted by Old Covenant Temple priests. That being understood, there are still God-given dietary laws which were intended for all Israel and ultimately for all humankind which must be obeyed. There is no biblical record of any accusations concerning violation of the divine dietary laws by Jesus and His followers during His ministry. Jesus Christ never violated those laws. He was without sin (II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15).

The first human sin involved eating what God had forbidden (Gen. 2:16-17; 3:11-19). If we continue to read through the Book of Genesis, we can see that the dietary laws of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 were in existence before the Deluge at the time of Noah (Gen. 7:2-3). Bible prophecy indicates that God’s dietary laws will continue to exist at the climax of human history. Isaiah 65 and 66 look far forward into the future, even including, “…new heavens and a new earth….” (Isa. 65:17). In that climactic section we find Isaiah 66:3:

“He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man;

He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck;

He who offers a grain offering , as if he offers swine’s blood;

He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol,

Just as they have chosen their own ways,

And their soul delights in their abominations,”

Continuing to read the final chapter of Isaiah we come to Isaiah 66:17:

“Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves,

To go to the gardens

After an idol in the midst,

Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse,

Shall be consumed together,” says the LORD.”

In describing the fall of the end-time Babylon which Jesus Christ will vanquish at His return, the book of Revelation quotes a dramatic angelic pronouncement: “…Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” (Rev. 18:1-2). We can see from this passage that as the biblical canon concludes, projecting us forward when God’s Kingdom is about to reign on earth, the Bible continues to reveal that there are unclean birds.

Genesis 9:3 says, “...I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.” All green herbs are not edible. In other words, not all plants were intended to be for human consumption. Humans can determine which plants can be eaten. Yes, not all plants were intended for human consumption, and, likewise, neither were all animals intended for human consumption. In the plant kingdom, humans can determine what can be eaten. Nature makes it obvious. Evidently what animals are permitted to us for food is a more complex issue, and necessitates divine revelation.

There are many human traditions and customs concerning food and drink. They are just that, human. There are also biblical instructions regarding our diet for which we are accountable to our Creator.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ did not change the nature of animals. The Apostle Peter would not eat forbidden food even when it seemed from a vision that God Himself was telling Peter to do so (Acts 10:9-16). The Apostle Peter knew that there must have been another meaning to the vision that he experienced. There was. Peter later realized that the vision was telling him that gentiles could directly enter into the New Covenant (Acts 10:17-20, 34, 47-48).

Members of God’s Church interact with God and each other not only by adhering to ethical instructions and practical principles, but also by participating in a Christian culture based on divine revelation (I Pe. 2:9-10). A crucial element of that culture is obedience to God’s dietary laws.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” (I Cor. 10:31).

As we avoid forbidden foods and enjoy the enormous variety of foods that a loving God provides for us, we are savoring the third commandment.