What Scripture Says Not To Eat (Leviticus 11)

This post is to enumerate the things that are forbidden for us to consume. Let's note that the Bible does not consider these things foods. While there are a few things on this list that are commonly eaten in our culture, this is not what the Living God intended. See Leviticus 11 for more on unclean animals.

What Scripture tells us not to eat:

Cats - housecats, cheetahs, leopards, panthers, tigers, lions.

Dogs - wolfs, coyote, fox, hyenas, etc.

Rabbits.

Equine animals - horses, donkeys, mules, zebra.

Flying animals such as eagles, crows, flamingos, ostriches, penguins, parrots, pelicans, bats, hawks, buzzards, and owls.

Insects - except for locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

Snails.

Pigs - including boar. This includes all pig products such as pork, ham, bacon, pork sausage, pepperoni, lard, and porcine gelatin.

Sea mammals - whales, dolphins, seals, otters, porpoises, walrus, etc.

Shellfish - shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, sea urchin, crab, crayfish, crawfish, lobster, calamari, and so forth.

Fish without fins and scales - swordfish, catfish, marlin, sturgeon, eel, shark, squid, jellyfish, octopus, cuttlefish, etc.

Miscellaneous animals - gorillas, monkeys, elephants, camels, llamas, badgers, rodents, raccoons, possums, kangaroos, wolverines, squirrels, earth worms, hippos, groundhogs, alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and so on.

Any kind of blood.

Reading through that list is extremely unappetizing. Who wants to eat worms or racoons or a housecat? And wouldn't it be sad to eat beautiful animals we see in the wild or at zoos like zebras, penguins, and dolphins? That is how the Creator feels about everything on the list...even what is commonly consumed in our culture.

More on what Scripture says about what we eat:
Ten Times the Bible Talks About Clean Eating
Understanding Mark 7 and the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean
How to Eat Biblically Clean
Understanding Peter's Vision

The Faith of the Bible

What faith does Scripture teach?

Seriously, stop and think about that for a moment... Is it Judaism? Is it Christianity? Is it some sort of hybrid?

Let's clear something up: Scripture does not advocate for a Jewish faith or for modern Christianity. While they are both based on certain portions of Scripture, neither is the faith taught by the Bible.

I know that sounds hard to believe and really harsh. But YHWH does not call his people "Christians," and he does not call them "Jews." He calls his people Hebrews and he calls them Israel.

Please note: I am not saying that if you identify as Christian or Jewish your faith is not sincere or that you are not saved, etc. Your salvation is between you and YHWH. I don't believe any of us have perfect theology and don't see that as a prerequisite for eternal life. 

In the "Hebrew roots" movement, there is often an emphasis on restoring the 'Jewishness of Jesus.' As you may know, what people typically mean by that is observing the Sabbath day and feasts, as well as not eating pigs or shellfish, and maybe even learning a few Hebrew words. And those are all great things! But saying that the Messiah did these things only because he was 'Jewish' creates a lot of confusion.

Have you ever thought about keeping the Sabbath or another Biblical instruction and then written off doing it because you aren't Jewish? Have you ever shared with someone about following Scripture's instructions and have them reply that they aren't Jewish so they don't have to do that? The misconception that these are "Jewish" things comes from this misnomer of the 'Jewishness of Jesus.' He was from the tribe of Judah, yes, but he is a Hebrew! 

It's important to realize that literally every instruction given to the tribe of Judah was given to all the other tribes of Israel as well. The Bible does not have different commands for different ancestry or family background. (Although many of the commands were given in regards to the Levitical priesthood, which was comprised of only members of the tribe of Levi, specifically of Aaron's family.) So all the tribes of Israel are called to the Scripture's instructions for the set apart times, the Sabbath, clean eating, etc. We also need to note that even if you aren't from the tribes of Israel or don't have family history going back far enough to know that, you are still called to keep the commandments. See Exodus 12:49, and Romans 11 where it talks about being grafted into YHWH's people.

Judaism rose from the Old Testament of Scripture and was in full swing by the time of the Messiah's life. Throughout the Gospels he frequently confronted theological issues he had with Jewish leaders. Though the practice of Judaism has changed somewhat (or a lot, depending on the sect) today from Bible times, Judaism's teachings continue to conflict with what the Bible says in many ways. Obviously with the rejection of Messiah, but also in adding literally thousands of laws that aren't found in Scripture, and often claiming that they are. An example of this would be the traditional Shabbat ritual of lighting candles while saying a blessing that says that God commands this. He does not. There is no verse in Scripture that instructs us to light candles at the start of the Sabbath. It's not wrong to do so, but it is wrong to teach that this is a commandment when it isn't. There are many examples like this. Some proponents of Judaism say that if you tear toilet paper off the role on the Sabbath day it's sin. Does Scripture teach that? Nope. Certain sects of Judaism teach its followers to swing a chicken over their heads on Yom Kippur. Again, does Scripture give this instruction? It does not. Many elements and practices of Judaism not found in Scripture.

Now please hear me: I am not saying that those in Judaism aren't sincere in their faith. I am not saying that every single Jewish person abides by the entire Talmud. I am not passing judgment on anyone's sincerity or relationship with God. But I am not going to turn a blind eye to contradictions between this faith system and what Scripture teaches. It is incorrect to say that Judaism is just the faith of the Old Testament still waiting for the Messiah, when so much has been added to it. It is worth noting that Yahusha never once described himself as Jewish, and that Apostle Paul described Judaism as his former way of life (Galatians 1:13). 

While Judaism tends to add things to Scripture, Christianity often takes things away. Not necessarily by actually removing verses from Bibles (Though that is a problem, and versions of Scripture are actually printed now that have removed all verses on homosexuality, for example.), but by a wholesale writing off of much of what Scripture teaches. Mainstream Christianity teaches that we shouldn't keep many of the commandments found in Scripture, including: not bringing YHWH's name to nothingness, honoring the Sabbath, instructions for how we should eat, laws related to hygiene, and celebrating the set apart times. I understand the argument against these things (and believed it myself for much of my life), but that simply doesn't hold up with a deep examination of Scripture. Furthermore, nowhere in Scripture are we given license to disregard the instructions on how to live.

I attended a Bible study with a couple who were adamantly against the instructions being for today. They believed the commandments are no longer for those who serve the Living God and that the Old Testament is just a history book with a few inspirational stories. They were also convinced that the Holy Spirit was only for those in the book of Acts. Their belief was that God is no longer interested in doing miracles or tangibly expressing his love to his people. It never made sense to me why they would bother bringing a Bible to study, as they believed so little of it. They had every excuse in the world for why 99% of Scripture wasn't applicable to them. They were nice people but they believed the full expression of faith was to ask Jesus into your heart and be somewhat friendly in public.

The Hebrew faith is so much more than this! I wouldn't begrudge anyone of the first small steps of faith, but I promise wherever your faith is right now YHWH has more for you! More learning and an abundant life through his instructions. A better understanding of who he is and what his word says. I can tell you from personal experience in my life and what I've seen from others who have also embraced the Hebrew faith that it brings significantly more fruit of the Spirit to your life! Again, many Christians and Jews are wonderful people and genuine in their faith. I am not passing judgment on them. I'm not writing to try and offend or upset anyone. It's not for me to judge your relationship with the Living God. But it is so important that we get the faith of the Bible right! The Hebrew faith is not a mixture of Judaism and Christianity, because both are flawed. The Hebrew faith is the accurate understanding of the entirety of the word of YHWH.

The Hebrew faith is different from both Christianity and Judaism. It's where we take the whole of Scripture seriously, without adding to it. We need to divide it rightly so that we understand what the faith of the Bible really is. While there is common ground to Christianity and Judaism, our faith shouldn't be a hybrid of two flawed religious systems. 

Related posts:
Commandments or Traditions - Understanding the New Testament

Is it Possible to Keep the Torah?

What is a Hebrew?

What Believers in Messiah Need to Keep in Mind about Hanukkah

Here are a few things all believers in Messiah should know about Hanukkah, whether or not you choose to celebrate it.

This is not a Biblical holiday. While passages of Scripture such as Leviticus 23 give us instructions for keeping YHWH's set apart times, Hanukkah is not mentioned there. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to celebrate Hanukkah.

The nine-branch 'menorah' that is used during Hanukkah is not the lampstand of Scripture. The Creator himself specified in Exodus 25 that his menorah has seven lights. Should we be altering its design so that it doesn't follow Biblical instructions?

The story of the oil miraculously lasting eight days when the Temple was rededicated is not in the book of Maccabees. Not that it couldn't have happened, but it's important to not make claims that it is in the book when it's not.

Unlike the traditional Hanukkah blessing says, the Creator never commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights. Don't teach falsities about what the Living God says.

The mention of the Messiah being at the Temple during Hanukkah in John 10 does not prove that he was celebrating or ordained what was happening. Yahusha frequently spent time with sinners - that doesn't mean he approved of everything they did.

If you read the rest of John 10 you'll see that the Messiah's presence was so poorly received during the Hanukkah festivities that the leaders tried to stone him there! Does it sound like he was taking part in what they were doing?

If you view it as a minor holiday, you should treat it as such. Don't put more effort, time, or money into Hanukkah than you would Passover, Sukkot, or the other Biblical holidays.

Many cultures have a 'Festival of Lights' around this time of year. Including the Hindu celebration of Diwali, and the Babylonian/Persian festival of Chaharshanbe Suri, which is nearly 4,000 years old.

Please keep these things in mind before celebrating this manmade holiday. If you celebrate, know the facts, and make it clear that this holiday is not something YHWH commanded us to do.

Related posts:
The Case for the Seven Branch Menorah
Why I Don't Celebrate Hanukkah
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why Hanukkah is Not a Biblical Holiday

Love YHWH and His Commandments Printable

So many people have told me that the Old Testament books are just not practical for today, but if you study these books of Scripture you will find that that's just not true! Here is some great life advice from Deuteronomy."Love YHWH and his commandment always." -Deuteronomy 11:1I think that is such practical advice. If we love who we serve and the things he tells us to do we are going to be much more content and at peace if we resist every little thing he asks us to do. The word "always" is a great reminder to not just love and serve him when it's convenient or when things are going well, but all the time, in all circumstances.

This printable is free for your personal use. Click here to download this Bible verse from Deuteronomy 11. Other Bible verse printables:
Blessed Be the Name of YHWH
Write the Torah on Their Hearts
Don't Let Me Stray from Your Commands