How does Leviticus 11:6 connect with New Testament teachings on food? Setting the scene: What Leviticus 11:6 says “and the rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.” (Leviticus 11:6) • In Leviticus 11, the LORD distinguishes between animals Israel may and may not eat. • The designation “unclean” is ceremonial, marking Israel as a holy nation set apart from pagan practices (Leviticus 11:44–45). • The rabbit illustrates the principle: outwardly it seems to qualify (chews the cud) yet lacks the divided hoof. God insists on complete conformity to His standard. Why the Old Testament food laws mattered • They taught Israel to discern between holy and common. • They trained consciences to submit to God in every daily act, including eating. • They foreshadowed a deeper separation from moral and spiritual defilement (Deuteronomy 14:2). A turning point: Jesus declares all foods clean Mark 7:18-19: “Whatever enters a man from the outside cannot defile him… Thus He declared all foods clean.” • Jesus shifts the emphasis from external restriction to internal purity of heart (Mark 7:20-23). • He fulfills the Law’s requirements (Matthew 5:17), opening the way for a new covenant relationship in which ceremonial barriers fall away. Peter’s rooftop vision (Acts 10:9-16) “‘What God has made clean, you must not call impure.’” • The sheet of formerly unclean animals, including creatures like the rabbit, teaches that God now welcomes Gentiles. • Dietary change mirrors the gospel’s global reach—no people group is “unclean” if God cleanses them in Christ. Paul’s instruction to the churches Romans 14:14: “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself.” 1 Timothy 4:3-5: “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” Colossians 2:16-17: “Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink… these are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it is Christ.” Key points: • Food is morally neutral; thanksgiving and faith sanctify it. • Believers exercise liberty, yet walk in love—avoiding offense to weaker consciences (Romans 14:15, 21). • The old dietary laws were “shadows”; Christ is the substance. Connecting Leviticus 11:6 to New Testament freedom • Same God, same holiness standard—Leviticus shows that a mixed, partial obedience (chews cud but no split hoof) falls short. Christ supplies the perfect obedience we lack. • The ceremonial category “unclean” is lifted in Christ, but the call to separation from sin remains (1 Peter 1:15-16 echoes Leviticus 11:44). • Therefore, while the rabbit remains an emblem of former restriction, it also reminds us of our current freedom—freedom purchased by the One who fulfilled the Law. Living it out today • Receive every food with gratitude, recognizing God’s good provision. • Guard the heart; real defilement still springs from within. • Use liberty to build up others, not to flaunt knowledge. • Celebrate the gospel’s reach to all nations—symbolized by once-unclean foods now enjoyed together at one table in Christ. |
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