19. “Why Will Ye Die?” (Leviticus 11:1-8)

• Jun, 23 2025

In Leviticus 11:1–8, Rushdoony opens the discussion on the dietary laws with a focus on the relationship between cleanness, holiness, and total obedience to God. He emphasizes that these laws are not trivial or outdated rituals but are deeply theological and moral. They reflect the totality of God’s claim over our lives—spirit, body, and daily habits. Key Themes & Insights 1. Uncleanness Is Total, Not Merely PhysicalRushdoony opposes the Greek dualism (mind vs. body) often smuggled into biblical interpretation. He reminds us that for Scripture, what is religiously or morally unclean affects the whole person, not just spiritually but physically and socially.“Any interpretation which does not stress the total nature of uncleanness will misinterpret this chapter.”So when God calls an animal “unclean,” it’s not merely about dietary hygiene. It reflects God’s categories of order and separation, which are moral, ceremonial, and spiritual. 2. Common Misreadings of the New TestamentRushdoony critiques those who use NT passages to dismiss Leviticus 11:Mark 7: Jesus’ point was against Pharisaical tradition, not God's dietary laws. Christ upheld God’s law but condemned adding man-made rules.Acts 10: Peter’s vision was not about food but the inclusion of Gentiles into the covenant people.1 Corinthians 10: Paul addresses meat offered to idols, not forbidden animals.Titus 1 & 1 Timothy 4: Paul critiques asceticism and Gnostic heresies, not God's clean/unclean categories.“To use such a text means straining for excuses to set aside God’s dietary laws.”The issue isn’t dietary restrictions for their own sake, but submission to God’s revealed order—a reflection of holiness and separation. 3. Holiness Begins in the Heart—but Manifests in All of LifeRushdoony warns that divorcing the internal from the external is a form of antinomianism. Jesus made clear in Mark 7 that defilement proceeds from the heart, but this does not cancel God’s external requirements. Instead, it deepens their significance.“There is no holiness without cleanness.”Holiness is not just internal “spirituality,” but a whole-life consecration—including food, hygiene, sexuality, and social conduct. To treat holiness as a mere feeling or inward purity ignores God’s concern for the whole person. 4. God’s Law Covers the Private and the PublicEating is one of the most personal acts, yet God legislates it. Why?Because even the most private activities must be lived to the glory of God. Hence the connection to the communion meal—God takes the ordinary (eating) and makes it holy. As Pfeiffer (quoted by Rushdoony) puts it:“To the Israelite, every detail of life must be governed by the law of God, and lived to the glory of God.”Rushdoony challenges the notion that this principle was only for ancient Israel. For Christians—a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)—this applies all the more. 5. God’s Separation Has a Purpose: LifeRushdoony ends with a powerful quote from Parker, tying Leviticus 11 to Ezekiel 33:11:“Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?”These laws are not burdens, but boundaries that preserve life and holiness. To disregard them, Rushdoony says, is not liberty but rebellion and presumption. Summary PointsThe dietary laws are about more than health—they express God’s order, moral clarity, and total sovereignty over life.Jesus and Paul never revoked these laws; they criticized man-made additions, nationalism, and ascetic heresies.Holiness involves both cleanness and separation—internal faith must manifest in external obedience.The Christian life is no less bound to God’s law than Israel’s—it is more so, because of the fullness of revelation in Christ.Final Thought:The modern church’s neglect of Leviticus 11 is not because the law has been fulfilled, but because the church has embraced autonomy—the old lie of Eden. Rushdoony reminds us that God’s law, including what we eat, still asks:“Why will ye die?” (Ezek. 33:11) It is a call not to legalism, but to life-giving obedience—from the heart outward, and in all things.

Author

R.J. Rushdoony

Chalcedon Founder

Narrated by

Nathan F. Conkey

Narrator, teacher, missionary