The LawRedeemed
“Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two
and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Yet of those
that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these:
the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because they chew the
cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you.” (Deut. 14:6–7)
Why did any of this matter to God?
The fact that God would not allow the people of Israel to eat
bacon or shrimp is enough for many Christians to conclude that
the Law was oppressive. What possible purpose could there be for
such limitations? After all, doesn’t Paul say that God created all
foods for people to enjoy richly (1 Tim. 6:17; Gen. 2:9)?
For years I heard that God’s objective in giving food restrictions
was to produce a healthier people. The idea was that eating
uncooked pork could lead to trichinosis, and shellfish can easily
spoil. Ultimately, however, this well-intentioned defense of God
doesn’t hold up — kosher foods are not inherently healthier than
the prohibited foods. Besides, God overturned the food laws in the
New Testament anyway (Acts 10:15)!
The actual reason for the food laws in the Old Testament directly
relates to God’s mission for the nation of Israel. God chose the nation
to be a holy and separate people whose corporate life was dedicated
to living life God’s way. In order to be an effective testimony to the
world, they had to be, in some sense, separate from it.
The genius of the food laws can be found in the simple yet
powerful way that they discouraged social interaction with pagan
nations surrounding Israel. On a very practical level, the seemingly
arbitrary food laws made it nearly impossible for Israelites to dine
with Canaanites. When societies can’t mingle together over a meal,
they don’t become close. We can see the power of kosher food laws
even today because Israel is still a distinct culture and nation. You
can’t say that about the ancient Hittites or Edomites, for example,
whose national identity has been completely lost to the ages.
So what do we learn about the kosher food law that is useful for
our lives today? At least two things:
by Chris Miller
First, we learn
the importance of
separation from evil.
This doesn’t mean
that we separate from
“sinners” since Jesus
obviously spent time with
all people in need (Luke 15),
but we must be vigilant not
to adopt the ungodly ways of the
world around us. Keeping ourselves unspotted from the world,
while constantly engaging it with the Gospel of Christ, requires
intentional and persistent care.
Second, we are reminded to spread the Gospel to all people
and remember the role food can play in that mission.
The New
Testament abolishment of the food laws signals the end of the Old
Testament restrictions. When Peter went into Cornelius’ house
in Acts 10–11, the brothers in Jerusalem were astonished. The
circumcised believers criticized him for going into the house of
uncircumcised men and eating with them (Acts 11:2–3). Peter
experienced the power of acceptance that eating with another can
bring, and he used the intimacy of a meal to share the Gospel.
The food laws were designed to keep the Jewish culture distinct
until the Messiah came. Once the Messiah came, there was no
reason for the nation to remain separate. In fact, the new directive
was to spread the Good News of His arrival to all nations. “Go into
all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15)
remains our calling today.
Chris Miller
is a Senior Professor of Biblical Studies. He received
his Th.M. at Grace Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. at Dallas
Theological Seminary. He has been at Cedarville since 1991. He and
his wife, Pam, reside in Cedarville. You may contact Dr. Miller at
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