The Book of
Leviticus 11
47 verses≈ 7 minBSB
Images are artistic interpretations.
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Where we are
- 1–7The offeringsHow sinners draw near
- 8–10The priestsOrdained, and a warning
- 11–15Clean and uncleanLife before a holy GodChapter 11
- 16The Day of AtonementSins carried away
- 17–27A holy peopleBe holy, for I am holy
Clean and Unclean Animals
The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them, “Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat:
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You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales.
But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales. They shall be an abomination to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses. Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.
0:28
Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain
Detestable
Eagle and vultures
Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable:
the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,
Kite and falcons
the kite, any kind of falcon,
Ravens
any kind of raven,
Ostrich, screech owl, gull, hawks
the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,
Owls and the cormorant
the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
White owl, desert owl, osprey
the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,
Stork, heron, hoopoe, bat
the stork, any kind of heron,
the hoopoe, and the bat.
All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. However, you may eat the following kinds of flying insects that walk on all fours: those having jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket, or grasshopper. All other flying insects that have four legs are detestable to you.
Reflect
Holy at the table
Every time an Israelite sat down to eat, God’s word came too: “these ones you may eat.” Faith was not kept for the tent of meeting. It reached the cooking pot, the market and the evening meal. Where does your faith touch the ordinary parts of your day? Think of one plain, everyday moment this week, a meal, a commute, a chore, and write down how you might honor God in it.
The law
Touching what has died
Until evening
Touching their carcasses
These creatures will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,
Picking one up: wash your clothes
and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.
Unclean
Hooves not fully divided
Every animal with hooves not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. Whoever touches any of them will be unclean.
Until evening
Animals that walk on paws
All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,
Carrying a carcass: wash your clothes
and anyone who picks up a carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.
Unclean
Mole, mouse, great lizard
The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard,
Gecko and the other lizards
the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.
Until evening
Touched when dead
These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening.
Things
Wood, cloth, leather: rinse it
When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean.
A clay pot: break it
If any of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean; you must break the pot.
Food and drink inside it
Any food coming into contact with water from that pot will be unclean, and any drink in such a container will be unclean.
Oven or cooking pot: smash it
Anything upon which one of their carcasses falls will be unclean. If it is an oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you.
Water
A spring or cistern stays clean
Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean.
Seed
Dry seed stays clean
If a carcass falls on any seed for sowing, the seed is clean;
Wet seed is unclean
but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.
If an animal that you may eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening. Whoever eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.
Pray
Washed for good
An Israelite who touched death washed his clothes and waited, and he was “unclean until evening.” The next day it might happen again. Hebrews says the old washings made the body clean, but the blood of Christ cleanses the conscience itself, once for all. Thank Jesus today that He has washed what water never could. Bring Him anything that still makes you feel unclean before God, and rest in His cleansing.
Every creature that moves along the ground is detestable; it must not be eaten. Do not eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it crawls on its belly or walks on four or more feet; for such creatures are detestable.
Do not defile yourselves by any crawling creature; do not become unclean or defiled by them.
For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44
You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground.
For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:45
This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that crawl along the ground. You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’”
Question
Quick question
God sorted the creatures of land, water and air for Israel’s table.
Which creatures in the water could Israel eat?
Holy, clean, unclean
Whiteboard
Leviticus sorts life into three states. Most people and things were clean, the everyday state. Some were holy, set apart for God. Contact with death made a person unclean, kept from the sanctuary until he had washed and waited: “then it will be clean.” None of this was sin in itself, but it taught Israel that the living God and death do not belong together. “You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean.” Paul tells believers they have been washed and made holy in the name of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:11).
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Leviticus 11
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A verse to carry with you
For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44
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