Tiny Little Things

I was reading my morning devotion when I came across the passage in Leviticus 11 about the clean and unclean animals that can and cannot be eaten by God’s people. I didn’t really understand it at first and only focused on the idea that because God is holy, He wants His people to be holy too.

As I went about my day, I kept thinking about why God would designate certain animals as unclean for His people to eat.

“But didn’t God give animals to be eaten by men after the flood?”

After the flood, God gave people eat animals along with greens and fruits (Gen 9:3-4). There were clean and unclean animals too mentioned around that time, though the distinction was not about what could be eaten and what couldn’t, instead the clean animals were those that could be offered as a sacrifice to God (Gen 8:20). So how did certain animals later become “unclean” for people to eat?

“Was it only because it’s not healthy for us?”

This was my first thought, also a classic thinking when we talk about this issue, isn’t it? But wait, the Bible is not all about us; it is about God’s revelation to us. What did the Lord want to reveal through these food regulations?

“Could it be because of the animals?”

My next thoughts went: If it’s not for humans, since the Bible is not all about us and the LORD God is just and He is just to all His creation, it was probably because of the animals. Perhaps the unclean ones take a longer time to cultivate, so eating them may lead to the extinction of their species. Also, some animals have a sense of community while others do not, and some may not have pain receptors in their bodies. There is also a law that prohibits the Israelites from cooking a young goat in its mother’s milk. Whatever the meaning, it indicates the care for the animals. So is it because God is love so He doesn’t want the animals to suffer?

Uhm, maybe the unclean ones are not tasty, so when people eat them after struggling so much with slaughtering and cooking, they curse instead of praising God for the food He provides… Wait a minute, so is it because of God?

It is because of God

I remember the story. Cornelius, a God-fearing man known as the Italian cohort, received a vision from God to invite Peter to his house and share the Good News with his household. Cornelius was not a Jew and most likely did not know or practice the Jewish dietary laws that Peter followed. However, God sent Peter to them, the Gentiles.

It’s most likely to ease Peter’s concern on food so that he could focus on what’s more important: share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. It is for God. Peter, and us all now, the believers are not restricted in order that the Gospel may be shared through us.

Remember the passage about clean and unclean animals to eat mentioned earlier? In the last words of the chapter God said, “You shall therefore be holy, for I AM holy” (Lev 11:45b). The laws of the certain foods that cannot be eaten were given because God is holy, He wants His people to be holy. Now we see the new law of food given to Peter was also because God is holy and He wants us to share His glory to many.

For that reason, let’s not use this freedom of food to stumble, make fun, or laugh at others who do not share the same freedom for that is not what God intended. But to use this freedom to focus on what’s important: sharing the gospel of Christ to all who have not yet heard it. Let’s have food for God! Maranatha!

Thank you for reading this article, I hope you feel blessed as I do! I would be glad to hear your story about God and all His goodness. I am currently getting back on my track to write weekly post (hopefully more in the future). Let’s connect and so I could hear your story too about the goodness of God!