So, no shellfish. You know, the lobster, the crab, crayfish, oysters, snails, etc. Those of you that like catfish, it must not be eaten. The catfish has fins but it doesn't have scales. The Lord Jesus says these creaturesare an abomination onto you and they shall not be eaten. Let's take a look at the fowl.
And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey, And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;
Every raven after his kind; And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind, And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle, And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. (Leviticus 11:13-20)
Those of us that like to eat duck; it is an abomination. The duck is in the swan family. Let's continue;
Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;
Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. (Leviticus 11:21-22)
Those are the insects that can be eaten.
But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even. And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. (Leviticus 11:23-26)
Note what the Lord says, "whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even." If an individual touch the carcass or dead body of one of these beast, they will be unclean until sundown. They must wash the clothes that they were wearing and also bath themselves. Let's continue;
And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even. And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you. (Leviticus 11:27-28)
Note what the verse says, "whatsoever goeth upon his paws." Individuals that eat the opossum, raccoon and the squirrel. Those beasts are unclean unto you and must not be eaten or touch if they are dead. So we see clearly what the Lord deems clean and unclean, what shall be eaten and what should not be eaten. The Lord gives a clear description of the beats just incase we are not sure what a particular animal is. Let, skip down to the 43rd verse, PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT THE LORD TELLS MOSES!
Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:43-45)
Note what the Lord says, "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing, that ye should be defiled thereby, ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy."
If an individual observe the Lord's dietary law, they will be holy, like their God even Jesus. Those that observe this law, along with the other righteous rules of conduct put forth by the true and Living God, are truly sanctified, or set apart from the so-call Roman Christian community.
The Roman Christian community as the apostle Paul states in I Timothy the fourth chapter in verses one and two, " they speak lies and hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron, in other words their brains are burnt clean out of their heads. They take heed to doctrine of devils, thinking if they pray over something that is deemed unclean by the Most High God, it is okay for them to consume. If the beast is regarded as an abomination and is eaten it becomes sin. And what is sin? (Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4).
And, when sin is finished it brings forth death. So, how can an individual pray over something that is unclean? They cannot. Why? (He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. (Proverbs 28:9). A prayer of a sinner is an abomination to the Lord. Some might say, "come on, the Lord wouldn't put a person in the lake of fire for eating swine's flesh (pork).
TAKE GOOD HEED TO THESE NEXT SET OF SCRIPTURES!
For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD. (Isaiah 66:15-17)
The Lord says' by the mouth of Isaiah that those that eat swine's flesh (pork) shall be consumed. Just in case we have forgotten who this Lord is, let's go to II Thessalonians chapter one, and start at the sixth verse and we will see that it is Jesus that Isaiah is referring to and not the Father.
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (II Thessalonians 1:6-9)
Note what the eighth verse states, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God." Paul was quoting Isaiah the 66th chapter and the 15th verse, where it states, "For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire."
These individuals that receive the Lord's vengeance know Him not and obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The dietary law is part of the comandments. (He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
( I John 2:4.) We must understand brothers and sisters there is no degree of sin. If we break one of the laws, we break them all, and the sentence for transgressing the Lord's laws is death. What we must do is keep ourselves from willful sin. Let's take a look at Noah for a moment. Take a look at this verse in Genesis the 9th chapter and the 3rd verse.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. (Genesis 9:3)
Some one might say, "see we can eat anything that our heart's desire." Let's reason together brothers and sisters. Who wrote the book of Genesis? Moses, when he was moved by the Holy Spirit, correct? Who wrote Leviticus the 11th chapter? Moses! So, everything that was created to be received shall be eaten. Let's back up to the 7th chapter of Genesis. When I first laid eyes on these two verses I was amazed how even the simplest thing in the word of God is hidden to those that don't read His book. Take a look at this.
And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. (Genesis 7:1-2)
Here we see the dietary law being instituted. Here we see the difference in clean and unclean being shown seven chapters from the beginning of the book. So, this let's us know that the dietary law was brought into being along side the Royal law (commandments) even before Abraham came on the scene.
Now that we have seen when the dietary law was instituted and also looked at the dietary law itself. Let's return to the new book take note to what the Lord say to the scribes and Pharisees.
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. (John 5:45)
Well, modern day church people think Moses' laws are nailed to the cross. So, they don't trust in Moses, they trust in rev. X Y or Z. But, notice this;
For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:46-47) So, if you call yourself a New Testament Christian, and don't read and believe Moses' writings, how can you believe in Jesus? In conclusion sisters and brothers.
(This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten. Leviticus 11:46-47)( For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Leviticus 11:44)