Leviticus 11 - Clean and Unclean

Now we come to various food laws, with definitions of clean and unclean animals. The key distinctions were whether an animal chewed the cud and whether or not it had a divided hoof.

Sometimes people try to explain these rules on the basis of hygiene and food safety. These attempts are really not justified, and while some of the prohibitions had beneficial health effects, others did not. No, the reason for these laws is religious. Wenham says there were three main states: holy, clean and unclean. Being unclean did not necessarily mean sinful either, as one could become unclean through normal bodily functions, and normal, even good, acts. 

The chapter ends with an reminder that the people must be holy and are different from other nations, and an injunction that they must distinguish between clean and unclean.

Among the creatures of the sea the possession of fins and scales was the key point.  They were allowed to eat some kinds of insects such as locusts.

In Mark 7:19 we are told that Jesus declared all foods clean, so what is the point of all this? Maybe it was to show that every aspect of their life had to be lived for God. In Galatians Paul tells us that the Law was given to keep people in check until the fulfilment came. So it was kind of teaching infants what it means to live for God. It was not something one did occasionally and then got on the with the rest of your life, but something that pervaded all of ones life. Now we have true life, and it affects all that we do.