Thank you for the question on dietary restriction fo the Israelites, “Why were the Israelites forbidden from eating certain types of food in the Old Testament?”
As one reads Leviticus 11 on the declaration by God on clean and unclean food, it appears that the delineation is arbitrary. The text does not st ate the specify the exact reason why the Israelites were not to eat certain animal like the camel, coney, rabbit, pig, the vulture, eagle or fish without scales. The overall reason God gives is that the Israelites are to be holy because he is holy.
Leviticus 11:44 says this, “43 Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. 44 I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. 45 I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy” (A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages). Bible citations are from the New International Version).
Exodus 19 says this, “5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites” (NIV).
Here is what one may observe from the texts:
A. God wanted the Israelites to reflect and demonstrate his holiness by distinguishing between clean and unclean animals and humans.
B. God wanted the Israelites to be his representatives on earth as a kingdom of priest and a holy nation before the neighboring people and the world.
C. God wanted the the neighboring nations to see/inquire about a belief and cultural practices that was different from their own beliefs and practices.
D. God wanted the Israelites to be protected from diseases from eating certain animals that may infect them by their consumption of them.
As one reads the Torah or the Book of Moses, it is more than a restriction of food, but a unique lifestyle that will cause the surrounding people to ask why they don’t have any idols in their houses as they do or why don’t they eat or do certain things. Their answer is to be that God wanted them to be a holy people as he is holy. Nothing unclean can come before him.
SUMMARY: The Israelites were to be an object lesson to the surrounding nations of the holiness of God.
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