Leviticus 11 SHOULD I, SHOULD I NOT The book of Leviticus is the priest's guidebook. The sacrifices, rites and ceremonies were not left to men to design or originate on their own. The word of Lord was the basis that settled every issue and man's responsibility was to obey and not to take away or add anything to what God had said. Anything left to man's wisdom that is contrary to what God's Word says is an insult to His divine will. The authority of the Word of God endures through all ages, generations and cultures.
The descriptions are given in detail of the clean and unclean animals to make clear the difference between what is able to be used for food and what is not to be eaten. There are things we are able to do and things the people of God should never be involved in for any reason. Even though something may be attractive to us and we don't see any wrong with it, we are not at liberty to do what we want when it goes against God's will. Clean animals that chew the cud and have cloven hoofs eat food from those things that are not contaminated by the unclean things of the world. The teaching we get from this is that when we read and meditate on the Word of God, we are partaking of spiritual food that is not contaminated by the already digested diseased food of the world. Meditation on the word and will of God will affect our outward walk in a way that pleases God. When we read the Bible, it is important that we digest what we read.
Before we teach others, we need to have studied the scriptures ourselves. When we practice what we study and preach, we must be careful that our daily walk with the Lord is consistent with God's stated word. The cloven hoofed animals indicate a careful walk that is stable, and is expected of us if we are going to represent the Lord.
A knowledge of the word of God produces love for God and others. Righteousness by itself in life can be stern and harsh when one is seeking to establish a good reputation. Love by itself is easy and vacillating, and can tolerate error and laxness. The value of each depends on its connection with the other. Righteousness and love belong together in the lives of God's people. When they are together, that leads to holiness of mind and life that God wants from His people. God was protecting the children of Israel from diseases that are transmitted by unclean animals that feed on unclean food.
Fish that have fins and scales were considered clean and have a special fitness for food. They are not bottom feeders that eat debris and rotten garbage on the floor of the oceans, ponds or streams. They are fitted for the special element of the water in which they live. The fins make it possible for them to avoid the dangers around them and gives them power against the tides and currents. Scales are to prevent penetration of the skin . In order for us to move through this world safely we need the ability to "flee youthful lusts" that seek to capture us, and to "abstain from all appearance of evil." The scales would remind us of our ability to resist those things that come against us and "war against the soul." The Holy Spirit gives us power to go forward in the things of God, and also to resist the world, the flesh and the devil.
The birds that feed on the flesh were all unclean. Even though they may fly high, if they feed on unclean things they are not to be eaten by humans. Any birds that walked about and ate from the dirt were unclean and forbidden as food to the children of Israel. The same is true of reptiles and insects except for those that hop. The limitations in the camp of the Israelites was to be strictly kept. Then the divine grace of God came into its fullness when the law was fulfilled through the new covenant. Now because of the blessings of God's grace, those things that were once common and unclean have been cleansed by God Himself.