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God's Table

Forbidden in the sacrificial context

Fat of sacrifices

Leviticus forbids eating the fat of sacrificial animals — a worship rule often misquoted as a diet rule.

Biblical command← Food Guide

Where it appears in Scripture

Leviticus 3:17; Leviticus 7:23-25.

What Scripture says

  • The fat of the offering belonged to the LORD and was not to be eaten.

What Scripture does NOT say

  • This is not a general command about dietary fat or cooking oils.
  • Scripture makes no claim about saturated fat and the heart.

New Testament context

The New Testament does not extend the sacrificial fat rule into a general ban on dietary fat. Christ's sacrifice fulfils the altar system to which the command belonged.

Common misconceptions

  • "Leviticus forbids all animal fat." The immediate law reserves specified sacrificial fat for the altar.