I have two lobsters in my freezer. Can I eat them? We'll come back to that and other questions in a moment.
Crash diets, counting calories, weigh watchers. Have you tried of these diets? It’s remarkable that today, around the world, obesity is a bigger health problem than starvation. And so many of us are constantly “on a diet.” We try to obey the rules. We want to keep the regulations. Until, of course, the big bar of chocolate appears - our resolve is tested. We’re tempted. And often we go with our whims and wants rather than the rules we know are good for us.
Today’s Bible passage is also about food. And if dieting feels relevant in the modern world, many people would say Leviticus 11 feels anything but. For some, it’s a joke chapter—an ancient list of strange food rules that feels distant, boring, and irrelevant.
But this chapter is God’s word. And it has something deep to say about God’s character, our character, and our deepest needs.
1. Clean Cuisine
Leviticus 11 introduces a key concept: clean and unclean (pure and impure). Certain foods made a person ceremonially unclean and were therefore to be avoided.
For ancient Israel, this mattered deeply. Being unclean didn’t neatly equate to being (everyone was sinful). The default state for an Israelite was ‘pure’ / ‘clean’ —able to draw near to God through sacrifice and priesthood, impurity disrupts this and endangers the worshipper. God’s holiness is the issue here. Once again, we see in Leviticus that drawing near to a holy God is not light or casual.
And one quick way to become unclean was to eat prohibited food. And so we get the lists… Land animals had to meet two criteria: divided hoof and chewing the cud. Sea creatures needed fins and scales, birds are listed by exception. Insects are mostly out.
Why these rules? Ultimately, the answer is simple: because God says so. These laws weren’t about health and hygiene (as some speculate), they were about obedience and trust.
One thing is noticeable though. : Israel is forbidden from eating carnivores. Death and impurity are closely linked. Death enters the world through sin, and these daily food choices constantly reminded God’s people that sin brings death—and that God is holy.
2. Defiling Death
It wasn’t just what you ate that mattered, but also what you touched. Touching a dead animal rendered you unclean until evening.
This chapter functions as warning, information, and remedy. It tells you what to avoid, what happens if you become unclean, and how purification works. Holiness and impurity cannot safely coexist. God’s presence in the camp raised the stakes. These laws served as constant reminders: God is holy, and approaching him requires care.
3. Echoes of Eden
At this point you’re thinking “thanks (or maybe no-thanks) for the history lesson – but what on earth has this to do with me?”
The place to begin is to spot that this chapter is cleverly shot through with echoes from Eden – linguistic links to the opening of Genesis. The animals are grouped by habitat—land, sea, air—just like creation, but in reverse order. There’s repeated emphasis on creatures that move along the ground, especially those that crawl on their bellies.
Sound familiar? Picture it this way:
In Eden, there were commands about foods to eat, commands about foods not to eat, and an unusual, tempting encounter with a serpent. Adam and Eve failed the test.
Leviticus 11 profoundly sets up a an echo of this choice—every day, several times a day, whenever the Israelites dine. With commands on what to eat, what to avoid, and particular emphasis on serpent who ‘move along the ground’ (Lev 11:41; 42; 44). This chapter asks, “Will Israel trust God’s word and live in his presence, or go their own way and experience separation?”
What looks like a dry list of rules turns out to ask the biggest question of all: will you trust and obey God?
4. Sent to the Saviour
This chapter ultimately points beyond itself—to Jesus.
Where Adam failed, and where Israel failed, Jesus succeeded. He faced temptation, met the serpent, and obeyed God perfectly. Where others questioned God’s word, Jesus stood firmly on it.
The food laws were never ultimately about food. They pointed to the holiness of God and the need for a perfectly obedient, perfectly pure Saviour.
Jesus fulfils these laws—and declares all foods clean (Mark 7:19, Acts 10:14-15). But that doesn’t mean food no longer matters. Our eating still reflects our discipleship: avoiding excess Col. 3:5-6), practicing fasting (Matt 6:16), caring for others’ consciences (Rom. 14:20-21), feeding the hungry (James 2:15-17), and practicing hospitality… without grumbling (1 Pet. 4:9).
I’m grateful to G Geoffrey Harper in his excellent book for this list of applications to ponder.
Food led Israel daily to choose obedience. And today, food still leads us—to Jesus.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31)
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You can watch the whole sermon below, read the full text, download the service sheet (with outline).
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