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<aside> 📅 This page was originally posted on my Blogger version of the blog on January 27, 2018 The content below has a few minor tweaks for clarity, and additional references, and some updated information.
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3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man;
he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck;
he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood;
he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol.
Yea, they have chosen their own ways,
and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
17 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 66:3,17 KJV
Before you jump into Isaiah 66, take a minute to read Isaiah 65 and remember that someone divided to the book into chapters thousands of years after Isaiah wrote these words. Starting in Isaiah 65:17, God is detailing to Isaiah what it will be like when His creation is made new, re: after the end of this world. In Isaiah 66, God is basically telling us why He had to create a new Heaven and a new Earth. We get further evidence that this is talking about the end times in Isaiah 66:15-16—"[He] will come with fire" (Daniel 7:9).
In the third verse, God tells us about people who are going through the motions. These are the people who say they are His but have no relationship with Him. They do things that they think will please God, such as give offerings, but because their heart is in the wrong place, the acts are still an abomination. To show this, God juxtaposes the actions He previously commanded with actions He has condemned. In this He reiterates the uncleanness of swine, otherwise known as pigs (or pork).
In Isaiah 66:17, God makes His stance on the offense of eating unclean animals more clear by telling us that those eating unclean food will be consumed in the coming fire. These people are the ones who appear to be holy (sanctifying themselves) but are doing unholy things (eating unclean meat). In short, God is referencing hypocrites, but the manner in which He calls them out, is to specify the particular sin of consuming unclean flesh.
As I've been saying throughout the series, the Bible cannot contradict itself. It is the same Spirit from God inspiring both Isaiah and Paul to write, therefore their teachings must exist in harmony. Isaiah makes it very clear that in the end, God still sees the things He called unclean in Leviticus as unclean. Isaiah could have easily used lustfulness or covetousness to make the point of disobeying God or allowing sin to fester in the shadows while outwardly portraying godliness. However, he specifically uses unclean meats. If eating pork was an abomination and will be an abomination, doesn't it make sense that it is an abomination?
Ok, now that I've inserted this tidbit about Isaiah 66 so it makes sense when I say the Bible can't contradict itself, we can keep moving through verses. The next verse I think we should talk about is Romans 14 (You Are What You Eat: Romans 14).
<aside> 🙏🏽 PSALMS to God is a blog, podcast, and YouTube channel that discusses many topics and issues, always keeping YHWH as the anchor. Hosea 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”—here, the aim is to always ask questions and study to find the answers. You can keep up with new content by signing up for the weekly newsletter.
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