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Hooves and Holiness - FBC West
First Baptist Church · West, TX
Old Testament Laws & New Covenant Life

Hooves and Holiness

April 27, 2025 ✝ Leviticus 11:1-12
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This Week's Passage

Leviticus 11:1-12 (CSB)

"The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 'Tell the Israelites: You may eat all these land animals. You may eat any animal that has divided hooves and chews the cud... But among the ones that chew the cud or have divided hooves, you are not to eat these: the camel... the rock badger... the hare... the pig... Do not eat any of their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. You may eat everything in the water that has fins and scales... But these are to be detestable to you — everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales... They are to remain detestable to you.'"

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

Psalm 119:97 (ESV)

"Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day."

Matthew 5:29-30 (ESV)

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away... And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."

Three Types of Old Testament Law

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Civil Law

Governed Israelite society. Specific to that time and context.

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Moral Law

Still applies today. Don't murder, steal, commit adultery, etc.

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Ceremonial Law

Food laws, cleanliness laws. Set Israel apart from pagan neighbors.

Why Does This Passage Exist?

God had just delivered Israel out of centuries of slavery in Egypt through a series of miracles — the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea. Leviticus comes immediately after Exodus, and represents God establishing how his rescued people should live.

The food laws were part of the ceremonial law — designed to set Israel apart from the pagan cultures around them and prevent them from drifting into idol worship. They also happened to be remarkably healthy. Nutritionists today recognize the biblical diet as one of the healthiest in the world.

Jesus fulfilled the law — so we are not bound by the ceremonial laws today. But the principles they teach about obedience, holiness, and following God still speak directly to us.

Three Things This Passage Teaches Us

1
God's Commands Don't Always Come With Explanations — and That's Okay
The food laws don't come with a logical explanation attached. God simply says "eat this, not that." He doesn't always tell us why. But this isn't blind obedience — it is trust rooted in what God has already demonstrated. He had proven his power, his goodness, and his faithfulness to Israel. He has done the same for us through Jesus. When we know the character of the one giving the command, we don't need to understand every reason.
Illustration On cooking competition shows, the contestants rarely argue with the judges — even when the critique stings. Why? Because the judge is an acclaimed chef with Michelin stars and cookbooks. They have earned their authority. They know what they're talking about. When God commands, he has infinitely more authority than any chef — and he has earned our trust through what he has done for us.
2 Timothy 3:16 — "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."
2
God's Commands Are Always Good — and Always for Our Benefit
The law was a blessing, not a burden. Around 600 laws governed Israelite life, showing them how to build a cohesive society, live morally, and grow to look more like God. The food laws in particular turned out to be remarkably healthy and protected Israel from being drawn into pagan idol worship. God is good — and a good God does not command things that are not ultimately good for his people, even when we can't see why in the moment.
Key Thought We always go to good sources for important things — a nurse for health advice, an accountant for taxes, an experienced builder for construction. The law is coming from God himself, the source of all goodness, wisdom, and truth. Of course it is good. Of course it benefits us. The source guarantees it.
Psalm 119:97 — "Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day."
3
The Difficulty of the Law Points Us to the Holiness of God
There were around 600 laws in the Old Testament. It was literally impossible for any human to keep them all perfectly. That's the point. Part of being human in a fallen world is falling short. But then we look at God — who doesn't have to try to be holy, who is holy by very nature — and we see how great he truly is. Our inability to keep the law shows us how far above us God stands, and why we desperately need Jesus to fulfill what we never could.
Illustration Imagine watching someone hit 10 bullseyes in a row at axe throwing. It looks easy — until you try it and can't get the axe to stick in the board once. Their skill becomes obvious the moment you fail. Our struggle with holiness works the same way. The harder we try and fall short, the more clearly we see how extraordinary God's holiness truly is.
Romans 3:23 — "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

"We gain wisdom and knowledge from insight, but we gain character from obedience."

Quoted by the preacher from a commentary this week

Personal Reflection

Question 1
Be honest: when you encounter a command from God that you don't understand or don't like, is your first response "yes, Lord" — or "why, God, why?" What does that response reveal about your trust in God's character?
Question 2
The sermon said God's commands are always good because God is good — even when we can't see why. Is there a command or calling from God in your life right now that you're struggling to trust? What would it look like to obey anyway?
Think about a specific area — a relationship, a habit, a decision, a direction God seems to be pointing you.
Question 3
The law's impossibility is meant to point us to God's holiness. When you reflect on your own inability to live up to God's standards, does it drive you toward gratitude and awe — or toward guilt and shame? What's the difference?
Question 4
Is there something in your life right now that functions like an "unclean" thing — something that keeps pulling you away from God and the life he is calling you to? What practical step could you take to remove it or replace it with something good?

Life Group & Small Group Discussion

Discussion 1
Leviticus is the book that derails most Bible reading plans. Why do you think we tend to skip the hard, unfamiliar parts of Scripture? What do we miss when we do?
Discussion 2
The sermon distinguished three types of Old Testament law: civil, moral, and ceremonial. How does understanding those categories change the way you read the Old Testament? Does it make it feel more accessible?
Discussion 3
The preacher said "we gain wisdom from insight, but we gain character from obedience." Where in your life is God calling you to character-building obedience right now — even without full understanding?
Discussion 4
Jesus fulfilled the law so we don't have to keep the ceremonial laws. How does that change the way you relate to the Old Testament — not as a burden but as a blessing that points you to Christ?

This Week's Commitments

This Week's Focus

"God gives us the things we need to follow him. We should strive for them, love them, and remove what prevents us."

Read Psalm 119:1-32 this week. Notice how the psalmist describes the law — not as a burden but as a delight. Ask God to give you that same heart toward his Word and his commands.
Identify one specific thing in your life that is pulling you away from God — a habit, a relationship, a pattern of thought, a use of time. Pray about it specifically and take one concrete step to remove it or limit it this week.
Don't just remove something — replace it. For every "unclean" thing you clear out, put something good in its place: serving, fellowship, prayer, Bible reading, worship. What will you replace it with?
Find someone this week and say: "I heard a sermon on Leviticus 11." Watch their reaction — then tell them what it actually taught you. It's a great conversation starter about God's Word being alive and relevant even in the unexpected places.
Think of one area where God has been calling you to obedience and you've been asking "why" instead of moving. This week, take one step of obedience — trusting that because God is good, his commands are good.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank you for your Word — even the parts of it that are strange and unfamiliar to us. Thank you that all of it is breathed out by you, and all of it is profitable. Help us not to skip the hard parts.

We confess that we are quick to ask "why" when we don't understand your commands, and slow to simply trust you. Forgive us for acting as if we know better. You have proven your goodness, your power, and your love for us — in the Exodus, and ultimately in the cross. You have earned our trust.

Show us the things in our lives that are pulling us away from you. Give us the courage to remove them — and the wisdom to replace them with what is good. Help us to lean toward you the way a plant leans toward the sun.

And Lord, we are grateful that Jesus fulfilled the law we never could. Help us never to take that grace for granted. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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