“Now I know not to call any man common or unclean.”

Once upon a time there were three little pigs. They were traveling the country side selling their wears. “Come and buy my brother, kill and eat him. He is fat and juicy and will make a great sandwich.” Said the oldest of the three pigs. The brother didn’t flitch but seemed to accept his fate. “Today, just moments ago on your rooftop you saw a vision and in that vision, we three pigs came to knock on your door. “‘Rise up kill and eat,’ the voice said. And now here we are your lunch has arrived.” The man who opened the door invited the three visitors in and after exchanging a few shekels, bought the portly brother. He prepared him and the entire household partook in the kingly feast of the fatted pig.

This amazing story is found in Acts 10. Let’s have a look. We find Peter, on the rooftop in prayer. He is seeking wisdom from Adonai, as we all should do. Now as we all do, he became hungry. In that time of prayer and using that urge of hunger Adonai gives Peter a vision. What is the vision, what does it entail? Before we get there we need the back story. We need more information to put into context what is unfolding within the words, and lines, and spaces of the page.

Although the Tanakh (Old Testament) instructed Israel to be a welcoming people, a light to the world. Overtime they cut themselves off from the nations. Rather than obeying the commandment to not assimilate into the cultures around them, adopting their practices and worshiping their gods. They took the extreme approach and had nothing to do with the nations around them. To do so made one unclean and required sacrifices and offerings at the Temple, ritual cleansing. Let’s look at three passages that talk about Israel and the foreigner together.

Leviticus 19:34
You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am Yahweh your Elohim

Exodus 12:49
There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.

Numbers 15:16
One Torah and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.

This is what Israel had lost sight of and this is what Yahoshua (Jesus) is restoring. Not just reconciliation to the Father but of humanity itself and the order designed from the beginning of Israel. Isaiah writes:

Isaiah 42:6
“I am Yahweh, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations.” (Granted these first two passages are about the coming of Messiah Yahoshua but it was through Judah a tribe of Israel in which Elohim would fulfill the promise of Israel being a light to the nations.)

Isaiah 49:6
“He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.'”

Isaiah 60:3
“Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Let’s take it one step further back. In Exodus 19:5-6 Elohim begins to layout the purpose of Israel. “‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.‘” What is the role of priests? One of reconciliation, healing, instructors of the Way. But something went drastically wrong.

Now fast forward, Israel is broken apart the northern tribes are mostly scattered. Some have regathered and are known as the Samaritans of which many lessons were taught by Yahoshua. However, the Southern Kingdom, in part remains. Made up of mostly Judah, Benjamin, and some of the tribe of Levi as they were spread out throughout Israel not having any land of their own.

What a mess. There was a separation that remained as part of the curse pronounced against Israel for not obeying the instructions, the Torah, of Elohim. And at this point although there was an attempt to do so it was lost in man made traditions of which the Pharisees and religious leaders were very proud. This is what Peter knew and he would struggle with it for some time. His awakening however begins or continues, with this vision.

Acts 10:11-16
“And he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat!’ But Peter said, ‘By no means, Adonai, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.’ Again a voice came to him a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.”

As you could imagine Peter is greatly perplexed, he doesn’t know what to do with the vision. Then the Spirit said to him, “Behold three men are looking for you. Get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” Who were these three men? They were gentiles, men sent from Cornelius a centurion and a believing Gentile. He was instructed by an angel of God, “Cornelius!” He responded, “What is it, Adonai?” And the Angel said, “Your prayers and offerings have ascended as a memorial before God. Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter.”

The men explain who they are to Peter in this way. “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” So we have Peter having a dream about unholy things and then three ‘unholy gentiles’ come knocking at the door. Sent by a Centurion named Cornelius, who just so happened to be a God-fearing man, who had a vision to call Peter to his home. Do you see the correlation the reason for unholy and unclean things to be lowered before Peter. Can you see why God chose this visual as a lesson?

Let us hear from Peter his interpretation of the vision. “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for.” (Acts 10:28-29). Later in that same chapter (V34-35) Peter says this: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.”

After these things Peter reports to the Apostles in Jerusalem. In closing the apostles said; “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18). Much more can be said concerning this and all of it reflects the heart of God towards all the nations and tribes and tongues and people coming to know God. It is a calling back to God’s instruction the same instruction that calls Israel a light to the nation, still calls swine unclean and not meant for food. That has not nor will it change, it was unclean in getting on the Ark. It was unclean in Leviticus. It was unclean in Acts. And it is unclean now.

To drive this point home a bit further let’s look at Isaiah 66 a prophetic chapter looking at the second coming of Messiah and the Kingdom that follows. Isaiah records this in verse 16-17; “For Yahweh will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all flesh, and those slain by Yahweh will be many. ‘Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine’s flesh, detestable things and mice, will come to an end altogether,’ declares Yahweh.”

What is my motivation? It is to point to the Word and show anyone who will listen, that God from the fall has been calling mankind back to Himself and His ways. Will you choose to listen and obey the instructions of Elohim? This is the way of the Rabbi.

You are loved,
cj