God took such an interest in these people who had promised to obey Him in everything, that He decided for them the food they should eat. Unquestionably, it was the best suited to them, the healthiest food, but there was a deeper reason than that.
In the creatures (verses 3-8) we can see that God was thinking of this, that His children must not only lead blameless lives—that which is seen by others—but the heart and conscience, the inner life which we do not see in one another, must be suitable to God. Inwardly and outwardly, seen by God, and seen by man, our lives, if we are saved, must be right.
With regard to these animals, two things were necessary to make them clean. “Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that shall ye eat.” (Verse 3).
All other animals that were not like this, that the people were not to eat. A cow was called a clean animal, because the hoof of its foot has a division in it, which enables it to walk firmly on the ground; and because it chews the cud—that is, chews its food a second time. When a cow gets a good breakfast, it calmly lies down to chew the cud, as it is called.
And what is it for us to “chew the cud”? We should read the Word of God, carefully and prayerfully, meditate upon it—feed our souls upon it, and, as it were, digest it. Thus it will have its effect upon our hearts and consciences, by the Spirit of God, and we shall manifest in our ways and walk that which is pleasing to the Lord.
Next come the creatures of the sea, the rivers, and the lakes (verses 9-12). They must have both fins and scales, if to be eaten as food. Here. two other principals are told of—the power to go on through what stands in the way of the Christian—the world— and to resist the world. to keep it out of his life.
Verses 13-23 name the birds and flying creeping things that could not, or could be, eaten. Those that ate flesh, or ate anything and everything, were forbidden. In verses 29-31, 41 and 42, are the creeping things that could not be eaten. In all these details we can see the wisdom and goodness of God; that which was good for food He permitted; that which was not, He rejected.
Then we learn from verses 24-28 that what was unfit for food, was not even to be touched—the Christian must not even associate with those whose lives are not pleasing to God. Death did not even alter the case, so earnestly would God impress upon His people, that they must be clean of everything that had to do with sin. There were two exceptions (verses 36-37), both of .which tell us, in type, of the Holy Spirit; He could not be overcome with evil as we may.
If these children of Israel who were God’s people. were so carefully taught about their ways, their food, their lives. how much should not we, my reader, if we are really God’s children, through faith in Christ. take all this to heart, and seek strength from Him to make our lives pleasing to Him.