Leviticus 11:1-8

C. THE LAWS OF PURITY 11:1-15:30
1. LAWS OF CLEAN AND UNCLEAN FOOD 11.1-47
a. FROM THE STANDPOINT OF DIET 11:1-23
(1) QUADRUPEDS 11:1-8
TEXT 11:1-8

1

And Jehovah spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

2

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the living things which ye may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

3

Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that may ye eat.

4

Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that part the hoof: the camel, because he cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you.

5

And the coney, because he cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you.

6

And the hare, because she cheweth the cud but parteth not the hoof, she is unclean unto you.

7

And the swine, because he parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, but cheweth not the cud, he is unclean unto you.

8

Of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 11:1-8

195.

Is there any significance in the fact that God addresses Himself to both Moses and Aaron?

196.

Why is God concerned with the diet of His people?

197.

The beasts of the earth are contrasted with other animals upon the earth. What is the contrast?

198.

Are we to understand that parts the hoof is one characteristic and cloven-footed is another? Explain.

199.

Just what happens when an animal chews the cud?

200.

Is there something wrong with the meat obtained from a camel?

201.

Do we have rock badgers today? Where?

202.

Is the hare of Leviticus 11:6 the same as our rabbit?

203.

Show some similar characteristics of all these unclean beasts.

204.

Was a person unclean if he touched the unclean beast while it was still alive? Why unclean after death?

PARAPHRASE 11:1-8

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Tell the people of Israel that the animals which may be used for food include any animal with cloven hooves which chews its cud. This means that the following may not be eaten: The camel (it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves); the coney, or rock badger (because although it chews the cud, it does not have cloven hooves); the swine (because although it has cloven hooves, it does not chew the cud). You may not eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies; they are forbidden foods for you.

COMMENT 11:1-8

Leviticus 11:1-2 No one will be saved until he first discovers he is lost. Forgiveness is not appreciated by one who has no sense of guilt. Atonement means nothing until a deep sense of personal sin has been established. There is a two-fold purpose in the distinctions here established: (1) to become aware of the plain fact that there are those (of animals, fish and fowl) which God accepts and those which He rejects. It is right because God said it wasit was wrong because God said it was. Holy or unholyclean or unclean by God's definitionnot man'S. Essentially this establishes in the mind of the sons of Israel the sovereignty of God. (2) These beasts were unclean from a dietary point of view, i. e. with the circumstances of food preparation the flesh of such animals would not be nutritious. There is always a practical side to God's prohibitions if we look deeply enough. Even if we cannot find itour ignorance, not His choice, we need to call into question. There was nothing morally wrong in the beasts, but when man has developed his moral sensitivity in the choice of food he will be able to use the same sense in the choices that do have intrinsic moral distinctions. As example: there are clean and unclean women, i. e. your wife or a prostitute. There is clean or unclean money: that which is earned and that which is stolen. It will be much easier to keep your hands off the unclean if you exercise your moral sense in the choice of food. We ought to add that second and third helpings of food is unclean in the sense that it leads to gluttony. Gluttons are often immoral in more than eating.

Leviticus 11:3-4 Deuteronomy 14:1 ff gives us another list of the clean and unclean. A few more specific examples are included in Deuteronomy not listed here. Leviticus gives us the principle by which we should be able to make our own choices of clean and unclean among the larger animals of the earth.

The separation of the hoof must be complete, i.e. with no membrane or walking pod, such as is found on the dog or lion. Chewing the cud involves the use of more than one stomach and the regurgitation of the grass or greenery eaten. Chewing the cud eliminates all carnivorous or flesh-eating animals. If there is any spiritual lesson in this for us it is that God makes a judgment on the mouth and the feet. Both must be under His control before we can be pleasing to Him. We might also say that we are reckoned holy out of His grace and decisionour words and walk only demonstrates our cleanness, it does not produce it.

It would seem that man has such perversity in accepting the distinctions of God and creates a question where there is none. We can almost hear someone say, What about the camel? God is very patient with man's questionsThe camel is unclean! There are other animals where no ambiguity exists. In doubtful cases it is always safe to consider the animal unclean. Of course all such distinctions have long since disappeared when He cleansed the common and asked us to call nothing unclean (Cf. Acts 10:1 ff and 2 Timothy 3:1-9).

Leviticus 11:5-8 The hare here described is not our rabbit; it resembles it but is of a different specie. As the writer prepared his research for this writing project he had a choice of distilling into his own vernacular the material read. Most of the time this was the procedure, but ever and anon he came upon a passage that spoke so well he felt constrained to share it; such is the case herea quote from Andrew Bonar:

In Noah's day, the distinction between clean and unclean was known; but only in its rudiments. That general rule is now branched out into particulars. By this new constitution, sin was much oftener brought before the eyes and into the thoughts of the godly men of Israel. For suppose an Israelite of quick discernment in the fear of the Lord going forth to his labour. As he goes forth, he meets one leading a camel along. The sight of this animal, marked as unclean in the law, stirs up his soul to reflect upon God's having His eye on His people to see if they avoid sin and remember His revealed will; and just because this animal was one of those that it would have been difficult to determine whether it belonged to the clean or unclean, had not express authority decided, he is reminded that it will be safe for himself to observe the Lord's positive decision in things that have a doubtful aspect. He walks onward. As he crosses the field, a hare starts from its form, and speeds past him. Here he is reminded that there are things which God has expressly forbidden, and which he must avoid with as much fear as this timid hare hastens its escape from him. As he passes near some rocky part of his farm, the coney, or wuber, attracts his eye, and deepens the remembrance that God has made a difference between good and evil; while it teaches him to hide from the approach of the least appearance of evil, even as that coney, at the sight of a foe, betakes itself to its rocks. In the more woody and wild scenes, he sees the swine and the wild boar enjoying their retreats in savage filthiness. There he again is reminded of the law of his God; and there he reads at the same time the filth of iniquityits impure, loathsome aspectthe swine wallowing in the mire, and the wild boar stretching his carcass at ease, or sharpening his tusks for some effort of destruction.

We have, in Deuteronomy 14:1-29, an enumeration of the principal clean animals. These would, in like manner, remind the Israelite of what was holy. One went forth to his flocks, and there the sheep, feeding in their pastures, spoke to him of the clean and holy ones whom the Lord watches over as their Shepherd. Another, who beheld the wild goat, amid solitary rocks where scarcely any foot ever trod, feels himself taught that the Lord has kept up the difference between holy and unholy even in the deepest solitude; while, at the same time, he reads the doctrine of a sustaining providence in the safety of the wild goat on its precipices. The hart, leaping in its joy, or hastening to quench its thirst in water-brooks leads his thoughts to holiness. It is a clean animal; it may guide his thoughts; it may remind him of the saint's panting after God. Again; the roebuck, or gazelle, amid the fragrant shrubs, spoke of holy distinctions, and might lead up his soul to the beauty of holiness amid the enchanting beauty of earth's rich scenery. It may have been thus that it was first seen by Solomon, in the hills of Bethlehem; and often, in after days, it would tell an Israelite of Him who was to come as a roe on the mountains of spices. They could not gaze on the beautiful antlers of the fallow-deer, nor on the pygarg (or lidmee), with its double-sized horns and double strength, on the buffalo'S wild might, or the chamois, sent out by God to people the very cliffs of the rockthey could never gaze on these merely with the feelings of one admiring a creating God; they were led to think of them as connecting them with a holy God, who discerned between the clean and the unclean, and sought the redemption of His fallen creatures. And thus there was a check in Israel upon the mere sentimental admirers of nature; their God superadded the idea of sin and holiness to all the objects they beheld.

FACT QUESTIONS 11:1-8

253.

Give and explain the two-fold purpose God had in the distinctions He used among the animals. What application to us can we find here?

254.

Define carefully the two characteristics of the clean animal.

255.

What spiritual lesson is in this for us?

256.

What shall we do in doubtful cases?

257.

Discuss Bonar's description.