Leviticus 11:1-47


God’s desire for His people was that they be holy just as He is holy.  This continues to be the will of God for all men to this day.  We often think that holiness is a synonym of boring or even painful.  However, God has made us to bear His image and we will only be truly fulfilled and experience true joy when we live in accordance with His will and the purpose for which we were created.  Since God is holy; He has created us to be holy.  Our satisfaction depends on this holiness that has been made available to us through the cross of Christ.  This chapter deals with the types of animals that were permissible to eat for the children of Israel.  Certain animals were clean while others were unclean.  Israel was only permitted to eat those animals which were clean.  God always makes a clear distinction between right and wrong and clean and unclean.  Unfortunately we live in a relativistic world which does not recognize absolute values and therefore has no ability to distinguish between right and wrong.  God has always been very distinctive and clear about the difference between pure and impure.

GOD DETERMINED THAT WHICH WAS CLEAN AND UNCLEAN: God did not leave it up to man to determine that which he should eat or not eat.  Every person may have their unique tastes for foods.  Food is one of those areas in which we all have our personal preferences.  Every culture has its foods and our tastes seem to develop according to the foods with which we grow accustomed.  If anything is personal, certainly our taste for foods is personal.  However, God determined that some foods were not be consumed by the children of Israel.  It was not a matter of preference of taste; it was of matter of God’s determination.  Since this time, God has made provision for us in the New Testament to enjoy all of these foods, but the point is not so much about food as it is about God’s right to determine what is right and wrong.  It is not about what we feel or experience, it is about what God has determined.  Our job is to live our lives in accordance with that which God has revealed to us.  We must not be fooled into thinking that we have the right to determine truth for ourselves; this has been determined by our eternal God. 

GOD DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN THE CLEAN AND UNCLEAN: Not only did God determine what was right and wrong; He also made a clear distinction between the two.  He took the time to describe the difference between clean food and unclean food to the children of Israel so that they could tell the difference between that which was clean and that which was unclean.  It was all very black and white.  Satan always tries to confuse the issues and blur this line of distinction.  Satan wants us to believe that there is a little bit of wrong in every right and a little bit of right in every wrong.  He tries to paint the world in all different shades of gray.  The only way we will be able to live in a manner that is pleasing to our Lord is by recognizing the distinctions that God has made and living according to them.  We must not allow our minds to become clouded and confused by the relativistic culture in which we live.  We must constantly hone our consciences to be discerning and fortify our convictions to be able to distinguish between right and wrong.  This world desperately needs this type of conviction and then a clear commitment to live accordingly.

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