Bible Laws for Food and Health
Food and Other Laws in Leviticus
Chapter 11 of Leviticus in the Bible is one of two places that document ancient food laws passed down to Moses by God for the people of Israel. The previous study of Leviticus ended stating "An example of optional laws that are not mandatory but worth consideration in modern times will be featured in the next study article." The Bible laws for food and others provide important lessons even though God's children went from a dispensation under the law to the dispensation of grace. Salvation may not depend on obeying ceremonial laws. Your physical health could.
Likewise the 10 commandments stand, and loving God and loving your neighbor are two commandments that were emphasized as the basis of all others by Christ in the New Testament. Follow those two faithfully and you are likely to comply with the other 8 as love of God and fellow mankind separates you from doing good instead of evil. The phrase "love thy neighbor" is found most often in the New Testament in 8 verses, and once in the Old Testament in Leviticus 19:18, and the word translated to neighbor has deeper meaning.
Neighbor in Hebrew is reya (RAY-ah) and means "associate" (more or less close), so it is not just family, friends, and those living in our neighborhood, it means all persons you meet or contact during each day. In the Greek of the New Testament, the word for neighbor is plesion (play-SEE-on) and means someone "near" or "close by". Love in this command, whether from the Greek or Hebrew manuscripts, is intended to be boundless.
Health Laws and Unhealthy Menu Items
The food laws in Leviticus 11 are health laws, and although believers do not receive salvation based on works like obeying ceremonial laws, the laws are arbitrary though not mandatory. The animals listed as abominations could be characterized as scavengers, and the filth they aborb into their flesh can cause health problems for humans if eaten.
The earthly creatures mentioned as unhealthy are separated by where they live whether land, sea, or air. Here is a partial list of common food found on some restaurant menus that should not be eaten: swine, rabbit, hare, lobster, shrimp, crab, crayfish, snails, catfish, eel, shark, turtles. Personally, I have in the past, and at least on one occasion, eaten 7 out of the 12 on that list.
Ignorance is not an excuse, so although eating these very unhealthy foods does not constitute sin, I now avoid those listed above. For those with more exotic appetites, here's some that I never tried, yet these are abominations according the definition in Leviticus: camel, dog, cat, wolf, lion, tiger, bear, eagle, vulture, raven, owl, pelican, weasel, mouse, lizard, ferret, and chameleon.
Defying Health Laws of Leviticus
Will you die and go to hell for eating bacon contrary to the health laws of Leviticus? No. However, your health may suffer, so the creatures listed in Leviticus chapter 11 either continue to scavenge for what they eat or their makeup is unhealthy for other reasons, and eating them should be avoided.
Leviticus chapters 12-17 continue with laws regarding personal hygiene and health, and provide interesting reading about how the priests identified and dealt with ancient diseases like leprosy. Many of the laws and ordinances of Leviticus provide moral guidelines in contrast to the immoral behavior of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. The next study explains why those people were to be driven out or destroyed.
Article Source: www.ultimateriddles.com/leviticus-bible-lesson-02.html.
About the Author: Jim Degerstrom is an author who works in a faith based business offering custom website design and graphic art services, and documents Bible studies at his Ultimate Riddles Spiritual Journey website and blogs about spiritual growth on his Ultimate Riddles Spiritual Study blog from Kissimmee, Florida USA.
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