Clean and Unclean Meats, and Tithes Eaten Before the Lord

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 14:1) “You are the children of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead."

In the last chapter and post, Moses gave the people dire warnings against idolatry.  Now he began describing some of the customs of the pagans that would be around them.  There was a practice among them of cutting themselves or shaving the front of their heads in lamentations for their dead.  These same practices were performed for their deities, consecrating their hair for them, or making incisions in their flesh to honor their gods.  The children of Israel were children of the one true God of the universe, and He was not to be disparaged by the common and grotesque practices the heathens performed for their worthless idols.

(2) “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a treasured people to Himself, above all the nations that are on the earth."

The children of Israel were a holy people, set apart by the Lord from all other people, chosen by Him to be His special treasure, to be His special servants and worshipers, above all the other nations on the earth.

(3) "You shall not eat any abominable thing."

The children of Israel were not to eat anything unclean and forbidden by the Lord, which would therefore be abominable to Him, so should be likewise to His people.

(4) "These are the beasts which you shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, (5) The hart, the roebuck, the fallow deer, the wild goat, the pygarg, the wild ox, and the chamois."

Moses then gave the people a list of the animals whose flesh they were allowed to eat per their Lord.  I did not try to translate or alter the names of these animals as given in the King James Version.  The first three are obvious, then there are any of a number of deer varieties, wild goats and wild oxen, and there are various opinions on what is meant by the pygarg and the chamois.  I don't see that it really matters; we know they were clean animals.  Additionally, the next verse tells us how to distinguish a clean animal from an unclean one.

(6) "And every beast that parts the hoof, and cleaves the cleft into two claws, and chews the cud among the beasts, that you shall eat."

Every animal with cloven hooves and that chewed the cud were allowed to be eaten.  It must be stressed that it had to be both.  Camels apparently chewed the cud, but did not have cloven hooves, and therefore could not be eaten.  Swine have cloven hooves, but do not chew the cud, so they were considered unclean and not to be eaten.

(7) "Nevertheless, these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof:  the camel, the hare, and the coney, for they chew the cud, but do not divide the hoof, they are unclean to you.  (8) And the swine, because it divides the hoof, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you; you shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcasses."

Indeed, Moses did go on to explain that the animals had to have both cloven hooves and the practice of chewing the cud.  Those that had just one or the other trait were considered unclean.  The people were not to eat of their flesh, nor even touch their dead carcasses.  As always, God's laws are not arbitrary and tyrannical, but are made for our good.  Animals that chew the cud, ruminants, have multiple stomachs and digest their food in stages.  The more fibrous portion of their food, the cud, is regurgitated and chewed again.  This mixes the cud with saliva and continues to break it down into more easily absorbed nutrients.  This method of nutrient absorption extracts the ultimate benefit from nutrient-poor vegetation like grass and leaves.  Animals that chew the cud have better nutrition!  Additionally, the unclean animals include all scavengers that eat decaying flesh.  Even the animals that are predatory generally prey on the weakest animals, which can often be because they are diseased.  Likewise, the sea creatures that do not have fins and scales, described as the unclean of the species, such as lobsters and crabs and shellfish, scavenge for dead animals and decaying matter (including waste) on the sea floor.  These unclean animals routinely eat what would sicken or even kill humans.

(9) “These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you shall eat all that have fins and scales. (10) And whatever does not have fins and scales you may not eat; it is unclean to you."

Indeed, Moses went on to describe what fishes could be eaten, only those with fins and scales.

(11) “All clean birds you shall eat."

Moses then went to the subject of fowl.  The people were allowed to eat all clean birds.

(12) “But these you shall not eat: the eagle, the ossifrage, and the ospray, (13) And the glede, the kite, and the vulture after its kind, (14) And every raven after its kind, (15) And the owl, the night hawk, the cuckow, and the hawk after its kind, (16) The little owl, the great owl, and the swan, (17) And the pelican, the gier eagle, and the cormorant, (18) And the stork, the heron after its kind, the lapwing, and the bat."

Once again we have a list of animals with the meaning of many names in dispute.  I listed them just as the KJV did.  Since there was no general rule given as with the cud-chewing cloven hoofed animals and the fish with fins and scales, one would assume that all birds could be eaten that were not on the list of forbidden ones.  That makes that list and its correct translation more important.  The original word for "ossifrage" was "peres" from a word meaning "claw", so it appears to be a bird of prey.  The meaning of "ospray" is unknown.  "Glede" means "sharp sight" so is thought to be a bird of prey.  I believe the same rule about animals could be applied to birds; scavengers like vultures eat dead flesh; birds of prey like hawks and eagles could prey on slower diseased animals; and some of the birds that appear to just eat fish like the pelican, the cormorant, the heron, the lapwing, and I believe would include the seagull, are sea birds of prey.

(19) "And every creeping thing that flies is unclean to you; they shall not be eaten. (20) All clean fowls you may eat."

The original word translated as "creeping things", "sherets", comes from a word meaning "wriggle" or "swarm", indicating insects.  The point in verse 19 is that even though some insects fly as birds do, they are considered unclean.  However, clean birds that fly may be eaten.

(21) “You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you shall give it to the stranger who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to an alien, for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk."

God's people were forbidden to eat the flesh of any animal that had died on its own.  However, they were allowed to give it to the stranger within their gates, which would have been someone not of their Jewish religion, or they might even sell it to a foreigner.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, gave a good explanation for this, and pointed out something I had not before realized.  Although this law was repeated from Leviticus, the permissions now granted were only at this time being granted.  To have forbidden the people to allow to be eaten what had died among their herds would have involved loss of property.  In the wilderness, they had had little opportunity to sell any animal that had died on its own.  Now there was opportunity, so the people could remain a holy people to the Lord and not eat an animal that had died on its own or had been killed by wild beasts (Leviticus 22:8), but could give it to a guest or sell it to a foreigner. 

This is the third time that the prohibition against boiling a kid in its mother's milk had been given.  The reasons for the prohibition have been unclear.  It could have been seen as cruel to take a baby before its time when it was supposed to be left with its mother and then boil it in its own mother's milk which was designed for its life and nourishment.  Apparently, there was also a heathen custom at the time of boiling a kid in its mother's milk at the end of harvest and sprinkling that milk on the fields to make them more fruitful the next year.  For the first time, I saw a simple reason given in the 1599 Geneva Bible Translation Notes, "Because their blood was not shed, but remains in them."  Whatever the reason, it had been given three times, surely indicating how important it was, if only for the reason that God said.

(22) “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field brings forth year by year."

All the commentaries I study say this is speaking of a second tithe.  The first tenth or tithe was given wholly to the Levites who had no inheritance in the land.  However, as this tithe was eaten by the owners themselves, as we'll see in the following verses, it must be a second tithe.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, pointed out that although the people's produce was tithed twice, meaning 20% instead of only 10%, the second could hardly be seen as a hardship, since they themselves would receive the benefit of it.  It surely would have been a reminder that all belonged to the Lord, as they brought their tithe as recognition of God's blessings and in thanksgiving to Him.  The people were instructed to separate the tithes themselves and were to do so truly and honestly, taking care that God's part might not be diminished either by design or by oversight.

(23) “And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of your corn, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks; that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always."

The people would be allowed to eat of those tithes before the Lord in the place where He would later choose to place His name, the tithe of their grains, of their wine, of their oil, and of the firstborn of their herds and flocks.  This was said to be done so that they might learn to fear their Lord God always.  As was stated before, the people learned to be mindful that everything they had was given them by their Lord God, and without Him, they might have nothing.

(24) "And if the way be too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, if the place is too far from you, where the LORD your God shall choose to put His name, when the LORD your God has blessed you, (25) Then shall you turn it into money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God shall choose."

If the place where the Lord was going to choose to be His place where He would have His name, was too far that the people were not able to carry their tithes of all with which the Lord had blessed them, then they were allowed to turn it into money, the value of their tithes, and take that to the Lord's place of His choosing.

(26) “And you shall bestow that money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen or sheep, for wine or strong drink, for whatever your heart desires; and you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household."

Just as the people who brought their tithes would be allowed to feast upon them before the Lord, so would the people who brought money be allowed to buy whatever they desired with regard to food or drink to feast before the Lord.  And yes, it does appear that strong drink was allowed.  I get amused at all the commentators who go to great links to suggest this passage does not mean what it says.  "Strong drink" would have meant any fermented beverage, as wine was fermented grape juice.  It is very clear that the Bible condemns drunkenness, but it is equally clear that wine and other fermented drinks were allowed.  Psalm 104:15 considers wine a gift from God that gladdens the heart.  There is a huge difference in having a glass of wine or even beer with a meal that lightened the heart and allowed more rejoicing before the Lord, or going into a bar and getting drunk, or even getting drunk at home, although done privately, is certainly not healthy or edifying before the Lord.  I believe we all know in our hearts, and isn't that what God judges, when we are rejoicing in God's gifts, or indulging to excess.  That would include all manner of activities, including the eating of food.  God's gifts that He wished people to enjoy in His presence included all manner of food which when taken to the extreme of gluttony is certainly condemned (Proverbs 23:20-21).

(27) "And the Levite who is within your gates, you shall not forsake him, for he has no part nor inheritance with you."

Once again is the reminder to never forget the Levites, and always include them in their feasts before the Lord, as they did not have their own part in the inheritance of the other tribes.

(28) "At the end of three years you shall bring forth the tithe of your increase the same year, and shall lay it up within your gates."

Every third year the tithe of the increase from that same year was to be stored up for the poor.

(29) “And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do."

Once again, the Levites who had no other portion in the inheritance of God's people, could come, eat, and be satisfied, as well as the poor and needy (strangers, orphans, widows, etc.).  Their Lord God would bless them in all the work of their hands, when His commands, including this one respecting the tithes were obeyed.

Once again, we can marvel at the wise laws of God that provide for all.  If we would only adhere to these laws!  It's not for government to provide all the needs of the poor (unless it would be a Godly government), for government requires we taxpayers pay for many ungodly things.  If the churches and ministries for the poor and needy were their only providers, the poor would receive a much more Godly message than the one given by the government.  Unfortunately, government gives the message that it is the only provider of needs and makes people dependent on it, and believe that only by more government, can they survive.  Our current laws encourage laziness and broken families.  They are completely antithetical to God's word, which says that an idle hand becomes poor, but a diligent hand gets rich (Proverbs 10:4).  For those who cannot work, God provides for them through the promises of blessings to those who generously support them.  He even encourages that His very tithes be given to their support.  Oh, that we would totally trust God for our needs!  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." and His grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9)!