Why in the old testament God separated the animals into clean and unclean?

Question

In the old testament, the are clean animals and unclean animals. We were not supposed to eat unclean animals. Why? Why we don't have this restriction for Christians today?

Answer 1

it was a jewish law, we're not under jewish law, unless youre orthodox jew in which case you don't eat unclean animals.

Answer 2

Now that there have been many comments I think it is time for a little understanding.

So called unclean animals such as pigs and other animals similar. is not a decree from god.

These are fairly large animals and with no refrigeration or a way of preserving the meat for later without it becoming contaminated it was very common for people to get food poisoning. When the leaders and at that time it would have been the religious leaders figured out what was causing the problem it became a law that these animals were not to be eaten.

Small animals such as chicken and other birds as well as what we call small game now were eaten very soon after they were killed and posed no real problem if cooked properly.

If you take a real good look at all the things man is not suposed to eat or do you will find a definite reason for this at the time it was made a rule.

So you see that most of what we are and are not suposed to do are not from god but from ourselves to help us survive as a species.

Answer 3

If you look at the animals he made unclean, you can see a pattern of sorts. At that particular time refrigeration was not in existence and there were not any methods of preparing and storing of food to keep it healthy. It was only later when we learned how to smoke the animals or cure them to allow them to be stored long enough to eat them in a reasonable time frame. When Jesus came he made all things clean and told the pharisees that it is not what goes into your mouth and passes through the body that is unclean. Rather it is what is on the inside that is unclean. That is why we no longer fall under the dietary restrictions of the Old Testament. Jesus came to make the covenant better, and to allow all people equal access to God.

Answer 4

If Christians, first of all, would read what the Apostle Paul said to Timothy about the scriptures, then they would recognize the value of the Old Testament teaching's about clean/unclean. If, furthermore, you look to scientific evidence, you will find that there are certain animals (pork, seafood) which aren't good for you, and in the case of pork I'm not talking about trichinosis. You will find that the eating of these animals utilize more of our bodily antigens to fight toxins prevalent in the unclean species. There is a diet called "Eating Right For Your Blood Type" which demonstrated that the eating of pork and shellfish was not right for any blood type. The rub is of course, and Christians will stand behind the fact that Peter was remonstrated in a dream regarding the eating of something which was unclean. They sometimes neglect to understand that G-d doesn't go against His own word and that the unclean in Peter's dream was mere symbolism for something which Peter was about to experience. In Jewish culture of that day, it was entirely proper to be discriminatory for this was also a part of G-d's laws. This was due to the fact that certain cultures had religious practices which were essentially satanic in their nature. So it is safe to say that the dietary restrictions which were applicable to the Jews will also carry over to all races and genders of people. Christians or non-Christians may eat what they wish, however, just as if you ignored your car's owner's manual, ignore G-d's laws for your body and you'll suffer physical consequences.

Answer 5

Some of this was dietary laws. Most of those dietary laws have found be a "healthly" choice. For instance, pork is full of fat. Researchers today have found that pork is one of the worst meat you can eat due to the high level of fat.

God was setting in place a "thought" of Clean and Unclean. Much to the effect of Good and Evil. Good and Bad. Jew and Gentile. Gentile being someone who is not a Jew.

When Jesus came into this world, he fulfilled the dietary law. Jesus told us that it is not what is what we eat that make us "unclean." Instead, it is what we fill our minds with that makes us unclean. Watching voliances, listen to objection music. etc

The best part of all this is there are no more animal sarcifices. God provide a sarcifice once and for all....Jesus, the "lamb" of God. The lamb was an animal for atonement. There are many foreshadows of this in the Old testament. Abraham and his son, the Passover Lamb, the Day of Atonement.

Answer 6

All things are created by God with a purpose. At the time Lord God was speaking to Moses, he told Moses to tell the people (descendents of Abraham) whom he had just freed from bondage how to live, eat and behave as he God wanted his people to be so that they would be the 'light' unto the world. They failed in this but that is not the point. God had to take a people who have been slaves for 400 years and give them a blueprint of conduct, without explaining all the knowing of why for that conduct. Remember and meditate on what conditions a former slave would be in. He would only know what his master has taught him to know. That knowledge would be based on only what the master knew and what the master taught. God would also say do not act or be like those who held you in bondage. About clean and unclean. Some creatures are created to clean and purify, some are created to decompose all forms of matter. Some creatures are created to be the food, companion, entertainment and pleasure of other creatures. Only man(woman), were created to be like God - "I am holy, you to must be holy." Now we come to the present, after years of growth in knowledge and practice of science(all knowledge is from God, tho some people denies this) we know more of the why there are unclean and clean creatures. We know that every second our bodies must replace dead cells with new. The material that new cells are made from is the foods that we consume - thought our mouth, breathing and touching. On a molecular level, atoms and molecules. So, what you eat is just as important then as now. You must meditate on this to except it.

Answer 7

God states that cud-chewing animals with split hooves can be eaten (Leviticus 11:3; Deuteronomy 14:6). He later lists such "creeping things" as moles, mice and lizards as unfit to eat (verses 29-31), as well as four-footed animals with paws (cats, dogs, bears, lions, tigers, etc.) as unclean (verse 27).

He tells us that salt- and freshwater fish with fins and scales may be eaten (verses 9-12), but water creatures without those characteristics (catfish, lobsters, oysters, shrimp, crabs, clams, mussels, squid, frogs, octopi, etc.) should not be eaten.

God also lists birds and other flying creatures that are unclean for consumption

Most of them seem to be because they eat off other animals' dead flesh and if you eat them you are also eating carrion.

Christians don't follow these because in the New Testament Acts 10 Peter has a vision that an angel Cornelius lays out a spread for him that includes shellfish, hoofed animals and even reptiles. The voice of the Lord speaks to Peter and says, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

Peter says, "Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

The Lord's voice speaks again, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

Peter says that he has never eaten anything unclean. And the Lord comes down and says, "

Answer 8

There's more than just that rule that isn't upheld in this day and age. We mix woolens and linens, we grow different types of crops in the same field and we have sexual relations before marriage.

The reason we can eat these supposedly unclean animals (shellfish, pigs, etc) is because we have higher standards of cleanliness now and also because we have more hygienic methods of preparing them.

Back then you could pick up parasites and diseases from eating improperly prepared pork and shellfish. Today the same is true but we have standards in place to avoid this. Remember they didn't have refrigerators back then either.

Answer 9

Genesis 8:20 - "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."

Every animal sacrifice unto the Lord by His people was a representation prefiguring the sacrifice of Christ. So the distinction that God appointed was that the clean animals were to be used to "foreshadow" Christ in their sacrifice.

They represented the Holiness of the atonement, contrasting the unclean animals that represented unholiness. One group of animals appointed sanctified unto service for God, and the other group separated from them and deemed unholy or unclean. In the Lord making these distinctions in Noah's day, we get an better-illustrated picture of the true purpose of this separation.

It was never for dietary reasons, it was for instituted for holiness reasons.

Answer 10

Judaism is about self-responsibility and moderation. Many of God's laws teach us those concepts. Judaism is about living the Life God gave us in the manner He has prescribed. You can read His 613 laws in the Tenach (Old Testament), but the interpretation of His law has been forbidden to Christians for centuries. The Roman Catholic Church banned the Talmud at the same time they were burning Jews and other heretics. Jews were burned in synagogues along with every Talmud to be found. Fortunately the Talmud has survived in spite of all efforts of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Answer 11

Special dietary restrictions are common to all world religions. They were invented by people to help them feel more special and important. And they also help to create a sense of belonging in community by creating a shared sacrifice. At their root, many go back to the days when certain foods might spoil and make you ill, so there is a thread of ancient common sense in them. If you want to actually believe that God really cares about such trivialities is up to you, of course, as a believer.