Leviticus 11-15
Chapter 11
Kosher Laws
To Eat or Not to Eat:
1. Eat Land animals that have a split hoof (completely divided) and chew the cud (11:3)
2. Eat Water creatures that have fins and scales (11:9)
3. Eat only Birds NOT listed (11:13-19)
4. Eat flying insects ONLY if they walk on all fours AND have jointed legs for hopping (ie 11:22)
5. Do NOT eat animals that have been lying around dead (11:39)
6. Do NOT eat animals that move around on the ground (11:41)
A simplified list of Kosher foods:
Cow, goat, ox, sheep, antelope, deer, giraffe, seaweed, most fish, duck, goose, chicken, turkey, food coming from kosher animals (eggs, milk, cheese, etc), locust. (this is not a complete list and there are restrictions even on these). More info found in Deuteronomy 14.
A simplified list of Non-Kosher foods:
Snail, turtle, bear, cat, crab, dog, donkey, lobster, monkey, rat, scallop, shrimp, lion, worm, zebra, horse (I am not Jewish, nor a Kosher expert, so I reserve the right to be wrong in these areas though I think they are researched correctly).
Jewish reasons for keeping Kosher laws:
1. God said so
2. Spiritual well being (it damages the soul to break law)
3. Self-discipline sharpened
4. Health concerns
5. Moral kindness to animals
6. Tradition
3 Christian views of Kosher
1. They are commands from God that should still be kept by His people
This view is held primarily by Messianic Jews or like-minded Christians. They argue that God doesn't just make laws randomly, but for a purpose. Whatever the purpose of Kosher laws, they are true for all of time. The counterargument to this position would be that the NT seems to indicate that we are no longer under the Old Covenant and, even more directly, that Jesus specifically declared all foods clean. Mark comments that Jesus, with His words in Mark 7:19 declared all foods clean. 1 Corinthians 8:8 declares that food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Romans 14 declares that the man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. It seems to me that this argument is very strong: Christians are not commanded to keep Kosher. Keeping Kosher may have some value in terms of health, but it is not an obligation.
2. They were symbolic and nature and should be kept spiritually
The NT speaks often about the fact that many ideas and practices of the Old Testament were shadows of greater, more spiritual, realities. Some argue that this is true of the OT food restrictions. Each 'unclean' food represented something immoral to avoid. This position is argued in the early church fathers, especially in the Epistle of Barnabas: "Moses spoke spiritually...he mentioned the swine for this reason: you must not associate with such men who are like swine." He makes a multitude of correspondences b/w animals and moral truisms before closing with this statement: "because of their fleshly desires the people accepted them as though they referred to actual food....but how could those people grasp or understand these things? But we, however, having rightly understood the commandments, explain them as the Lord intended." I find this position to be mostly correct, if not exaggerated a bit by the author of the Epistle of Barnabas.
3. They passed away with the Old Covenant
A third position doesn't care much about whether the food laws had symbolic value. The important point is simply that they no longer matter. We are under a new covenant where kosher law is not required. Jesus declared all foods clean. We are free to follow kosher laws or free to not follow kosher laws. We should not judge each other over this topic.
Chapter 12+15
Why were women 'unclean' after birth?
It would seem odd for God, who commanded procreation, to consider procreation sinful. It seems to me it is not 'sin' that is in question here, but a proper approach to God. Israel was surrounded by pagan nations who worshiped gods of fertility with promiscuous rituals. God didn't want Israel to be like the other nations in these regards and so wanted no sexual connotation attached to the sacrificial system or the presence of God. Chapter 15 moves to the specific issue of bodily discharges. Such were unclean (not sinful, but not to be associated with the tabernacle ceremonies and sacrifices).
Chapter 13-14
This chapter deals with the following skin disorders: swelling, rash, bright spot, boil, burn, sore, white spots. Upon observing such an ailment, an Israelite was to be brought to the priest for examination. The condition was deemed serious if the hair in proximity had turned white, if the problem seemed more than skin deep, if the flesh was raw, if the problem was spreading, or if there is a discoloration. The treatment was quarantine/isolation (13:45-46). Skin disease continues as the topic in chapter 14:1-32). The same general principles apply for dealing with Mildew in one's house (13:47-59, 14:33-57).
Kosher Laws
To Eat or Not to Eat:
1. Eat Land animals that have a split hoof (completely divided) and chew the cud (11:3)
2. Eat Water creatures that have fins and scales (11:9)
3. Eat only Birds NOT listed (11:13-19)
4. Eat flying insects ONLY if they walk on all fours AND have jointed legs for hopping (ie 11:22)
5. Do NOT eat animals that have been lying around dead (11:39)
6. Do NOT eat animals that move around on the ground (11:41)
A simplified list of Kosher foods:
Cow, goat, ox, sheep, antelope, deer, giraffe, seaweed, most fish, duck, goose, chicken, turkey, food coming from kosher animals (eggs, milk, cheese, etc), locust. (this is not a complete list and there are restrictions even on these). More info found in Deuteronomy 14.
A simplified list of Non-Kosher foods:
Snail, turtle, bear, cat, crab, dog, donkey, lobster, monkey, rat, scallop, shrimp, lion, worm, zebra, horse (I am not Jewish, nor a Kosher expert, so I reserve the right to be wrong in these areas though I think they are researched correctly).
Jewish reasons for keeping Kosher laws:
1. God said so
2. Spiritual well being (it damages the soul to break law)
3. Self-discipline sharpened
4. Health concerns
5. Moral kindness to animals
6. Tradition
3 Christian views of Kosher
1. They are commands from God that should still be kept by His people
This view is held primarily by Messianic Jews or like-minded Christians. They argue that God doesn't just make laws randomly, but for a purpose. Whatever the purpose of Kosher laws, they are true for all of time. The counterargument to this position would be that the NT seems to indicate that we are no longer under the Old Covenant and, even more directly, that Jesus specifically declared all foods clean. Mark comments that Jesus, with His words in Mark 7:19 declared all foods clean. 1 Corinthians 8:8 declares that food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Romans 14 declares that the man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. It seems to me that this argument is very strong: Christians are not commanded to keep Kosher. Keeping Kosher may have some value in terms of health, but it is not an obligation.
2. They were symbolic and nature and should be kept spiritually
The NT speaks often about the fact that many ideas and practices of the Old Testament were shadows of greater, more spiritual, realities. Some argue that this is true of the OT food restrictions. Each 'unclean' food represented something immoral to avoid. This position is argued in the early church fathers, especially in the Epistle of Barnabas: "Moses spoke spiritually...he mentioned the swine for this reason: you must not associate with such men who are like swine." He makes a multitude of correspondences b/w animals and moral truisms before closing with this statement: "because of their fleshly desires the people accepted them as though they referred to actual food....but how could those people grasp or understand these things? But we, however, having rightly understood the commandments, explain them as the Lord intended." I find this position to be mostly correct, if not exaggerated a bit by the author of the Epistle of Barnabas.
3. They passed away with the Old Covenant
A third position doesn't care much about whether the food laws had symbolic value. The important point is simply that they no longer matter. We are under a new covenant where kosher law is not required. Jesus declared all foods clean. We are free to follow kosher laws or free to not follow kosher laws. We should not judge each other over this topic.
Chapter 12+15
Why were women 'unclean' after birth?
It would seem odd for God, who commanded procreation, to consider procreation sinful. It seems to me it is not 'sin' that is in question here, but a proper approach to God. Israel was surrounded by pagan nations who worshiped gods of fertility with promiscuous rituals. God didn't want Israel to be like the other nations in these regards and so wanted no sexual connotation attached to the sacrificial system or the presence of God. Chapter 15 moves to the specific issue of bodily discharges. Such were unclean (not sinful, but not to be associated with the tabernacle ceremonies and sacrifices).
Chapter 13-14
This chapter deals with the following skin disorders: swelling, rash, bright spot, boil, burn, sore, white spots. Upon observing such an ailment, an Israelite was to be brought to the priest for examination. The condition was deemed serious if the hair in proximity had turned white, if the problem seemed more than skin deep, if the flesh was raw, if the problem was spreading, or if there is a discoloration. The treatment was quarantine/isolation (13:45-46). Skin disease continues as the topic in chapter 14:1-32). The same general principles apply for dealing with Mildew in one's house (13:47-59, 14:33-57).
posted by matthew at 11:03 AM
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