God Never Changed the Menu: Why Biblical Food Laws Still Matter Today

“Because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”
1 Peter 1:16 (NKJV)

For many believers, the dietary instructions in Leviticus are seen as obsolete—just ancient Hebrew tradition, nailed to the cross. But is that really what Scripture teaches? And could these “old” food laws still carry profound wisdom for our health and holiness today?

Let’s unpack why the biblical dietary laws are still relevant—not as legalism, but as loving instruction from a holy and all-wise God. After all, no one should ignore the fact the “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8)

What Did God Actually Command?

In Leviticus 11, God clearly laid out what His people were permitted and forbidden to eat. He called certain animals “clean” and others “unclean.” He gave specific lists of:

• Clean animals (like cows, sheep, fish with fins and scales)
• Unclean animals (like pigs, shellfish, scavengers, and predators)

Leviticus 11:7-8 (NKJV)
“And the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you.”

Leviticus 11:10-11 (NKJV)
“But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water… they are an abomination to you. They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh…”

These commands were not random. God labeled these animals “unclean” because they were not designed for human consumption. Many are scavengers or bottom feeders—nature’s cleanup crew.

Didn’t Jesus Declare All Foods Clean?

This is where many get confused.

The verse often cited is:

Mark 7:18-19 (NKJV)
“Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated… thus purifying all foods?”

But read it carefully: Jesus was addressing ritual handwashing traditions, not a discussion on pork and shellfish. He was saying that sin starts in the heart, not on your dinner plate. The Greek in verse 19 is also often mistranslated. Many versions add the phrase “thus He declared all foods clean,” but it’s not present in the Greek.

Matthew 5:17-18 (NKJV)
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

Has heaven and earth passed away? Then the moral and healthful instructions of God still stand.

🛑 The Health Reasons Are Real

God didn’t ban pork and shellfish to make life difficult—He did it to protect us.

Pigs:

• Don’t sweat toxins out; they store them in fat
• Eat garbage, feces, and dead animals
• Are host to parasites like trichinella, tapeworms, and viruses

Shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab):

• Are bottom feeders—consuming dead material and toxins
• Often found in polluted waters
• Are highly allergenic and inflammatory

Leviticus 11 is full of God’s food safety manual—centuries ahead of its time.

Leviticus 11:44 (NKJV)
“For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Modern science now confirms what God said from the beginning: some animals are not meant to be food.

Obedience Is an Act of Worship

We don’t follow the dietary laws to earn salvation—we obey because we love God and honor His design.

John 14:15 (NKJV)
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Caring for your body includes what you put into it. We are God’s temple. Would you pour toxic sludge into a sacred temple?

Why This Still Matters Today

1. God’s character doesn’t change. If He called something unclean then, it’s still unfit now.
2. The world’s food system is broken. Processed meats, GMOs, and chemically treated seafood are destroying health.
3. Obedience still brings blessing. God’s ways lead to life, healing, and wholeness.

Deuteronomy 7:15 (NKJV)
“And the Lord will take away from you all sickness…”

Proverbs 3:7-8 (NKJV)
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

Thoughts

God never gave His people meaningless rules. His dietary laws weren’t about culture—they were about covenant, cleanliness, holiness, and care.

We don’t obey the food laws to be saved—we obey because we are saved, and we trust that our Creator knows best how to nourish His creation.

You can choose to eat what the world offers—or you can choose to eat what God designed to bless your body. It’s not about legalism—it’s about living a divinely inspired life with the blessings of health. This is the main reason I do this blog. So, I recommend choosing health instead of disease from eating unclean foods.

Prayer for Health and Holiness

Abba Father, thank You for loving us enough to give us Your wisdom in every area of life—including what we eat. Help us not to conform to the world’s idea of food but to return to Your original design. Cleanse our hearts, our bodies, and our habits. May we glorify You in our bodies and be a light to others who are sick and searching for truth and health. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.