Barbecue…it’s a sign

I remember tasting barbecue at the age of 4 and thinking “this stuff is fantastic!” It is still one of my favorite foods. As a pastor, that raises a question about the food laws in the Old Testament.

The nation of Israel was not to eat pork for about 1500 years. They were to be different than the rest of all nations. Their holy diet was one aspect that set them apart from the world. From Moses to Jesus Christ, they were not even to think of being near swine. Maybe one of God’s motives was health, but most likely the pig was idolized and readily available in other cultures. That meant that for the Jewish people to refrain from baby back ribs for God’s sake was a loyalty issue and marker of the distinction between them and all other people groups.

That period is often known as the Old Testament or Old Covenant. When Jesus Christ came to earth, He introduced a New Covenant that nullified the old dietary rules. This is not because bacon all of a sudden changed molecular structure and is now healthy because it had been vile before. The New Testament is more about how the people of Christ are supposed to be set apart by their love for others and proclamation of Him. It is not necessarily about their diet.

That means that in moderation God is fine with us having barbecue. It is a sign that a new day has dawned, a new era has begun. For a little over 2000 years ago, it would have been spiritually (and in some places literally) illegal to partake of that boar as the people of God. I would have never been able to try it at the age of 4. Aren’t you grateful there is a New Covenant? Next time you consume that heavenly hog be thankful for the Savior of the world absorbing our guilt. Boston Butt…it signals freedom, life, and good times forevermore.