Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy Chapter 14

• Deuteronomy 14:1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. 

This was one practice from heathens and idolaters. Either during worship or during funerals, they would cut themselves, harm their own bodies and other weird things to make a show of worship or mourning. The practice of torture, mutilation of the body, and human sacrifices are from Satanic origins trying to copy or counterfeit true worship toward God. God has provided the right sacrifice and the only sacrifice for eternity. While there are people who risk bodily harm for the gospel's sake, God Himself does not ordain harming one's self in the worship of Him or harming others. 

• Deuteronomy 14:2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. 

Whether we are Christian or orthodox Jew, we are to be a holy called out people. We are to be different than the world around. We are to be set apart, called to walk in holiness which is the way God chose for us. This is an unpopular subject but God has not called us to uncleanliness but holiness.

• 1Thessalonians 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 

This should be to us a joyful thing. In return for all that God did for us. The giving of Jesus to die for our sins so if we trust in Him we inherit life eternal, is so great. His commandments are never grievous. We don't even have to wait for eternity to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit to abide with us so that we are never alone until the physical return of Christ. The Holy Spirit equips us to share the gospel and teach the word of God to others who need to hear. 

• Deuteronomy 14:3 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. 

Not only for health reasons but they represent uncleanliness. It was an outward symbolic sign for what was to be within them. In the New Testament after the blood of Jesus was shed for sins, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and are cleansed from within. We have the living water flowing within our souls. Now eating the wrong foods cannot harm our souls and no longer represent cleanliness as far as our spiritual walk but I believe certain animals were forbidden for a reason, perhaps representtive of the future cleansing from sin through our faith in Jesus. It could also have to do with physical heath.  It was representative of the future cleansing by the spirit. 

• Deuteronomy 14:4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, 
• 5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois. 
• 6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat. 

These animals eat the best vegetables and have several stomachs. Their food is digested and makes is safer to humans to eat. God has a reason for everything He does. 

• Deuteronomy 14:7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you. 
• 8 And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase. 

We know that swine eats garbage. Maybe that is why God made them, to get rid of garbage and such. Spiritually speaking they represent those that take holy things of God and trample over them. Jesus said not to give that which is holy to dogs neither cast pearls before swine. They represent those that not only reject the truth but trample over them, hating it and polluting it similar to what pigs and hogs do. They stink and they would trample over a fine jewel like it was nothing. 

We are commanded to take the gospel into all the world but sometimes the Holy Spirit will witness to us that its time to stop speaking. We can't go to a person filled with thoughts of pornography for instance and start speaking to them of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit just like that. Learning to listen to the prompting of the spirit is part of bringing the gospel at the right time and right place. 

Swine represent people who will mock at the truth and treat it as unclean and unholy. 

• Deuteronomy 14:9 These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat: 
• 10 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you. 

The sea represents nations. Jesus told His disciples that He would make them fishers of men. Jesus told them at times to cast their nets to gather in fish. We evangelize and bring souls to Christ only by the direction of the Holy Spirit. Without that power present, our words are a waste of time. 

Shell fish for instance is a forbidden food to eat. They live on the seabed. They represent fish that are buried too far into the world to be caught. Some people will not hear the gospel. However, we can't use this as an excuse to leave some groups of people out and assume it means, Muslims, Jews, Indians etc. God will bring people from every kindred, tribe and nation into the light of Jesus Christ.

All tribes can be born again by the Spirit of God. This is not a teaching that some are saved and other tribes are lost. Salvation is an individual thing. We are not saved by groups and nationalities. A couple of Jews over here may be saved, a Muslim here and an Indian there. It is whosoever responses to the preaching of the gospel that are the ones that hear. Sometimes it is only God that knows who will respond and who will not. 

There are times though when we would try to talk to someone about God and feel like it is being trampled on and despised. The Holy Spirit can let us know when to draw back in that case but we can never assume any group of people are past redemption. "Go ye into all the world" means exactly that. 

• Deuteronomy 14:11 Of all clean birds ye shall eat. 
• 12 But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, 
• 13 And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind, 

Its not easy to guess why vultures would be forbidden. They eat dead bodies. God knows what He is doing and why He makes certain commandments. If we studied the habits and diet of every single animal, we might be able to figure out why some where forbidden and some were not. However, I still believe there is a spiritual meaning in some of those forbidden foods. 

• Deuteronomy 14:14 And every raven after his kind, 
• 15 And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, 
• 16 The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan, 
• 17 And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant, 
• 18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. 
• 19 And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten. 
• 20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat. 
• 21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk. 

If a young animal was nursing its young, the young was not to be taken and killed as long as it was still in the nursing stage of its life. Most of us would feel it was wrong to take a baby from its mother so it is easy to understand this commandment. Another explanation is they were not to kill a calf still nursing and cook it in milk that came from the mother. I know someone that originally thought that it meant a woman who was nursing her baby was not to do it in front of anyone. Of course someone would have to take it completely out of context to really believe that one.

• Deuteronomy 14:22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 
• 23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. 

Looks like this tithe was something set aside from their increase to have a big feast with to share the feast with the poor, strangers and those in need. God has always desired His people both in the Old Testament and the New Testament to take care of the poor and those that labor in the word of God. We are never to allow widows, orphans and disabled people to suffer. 

• Deuteronomy 14:24 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 
• 25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: 
• 26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, 
• 27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee. 

They were to care for the Levites that gave up their inheritance to serve the temple and the holy things of God. This show the importance of being concerned about spiritual matters. We need God in our lives. They had set apart the Levites from the other tribes to deal is spiritual matters. They lost this later through corruption but as long as the priesthood was in place, they were to support them and care for them with tithes and offerings. The priests then were to share with the poor and needy. 

• Deuteronomy 14:28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: 
• 29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. 

This is good in the sight of God to take care of those that work for the spiritual welfare of the people. They are servants of the Lord and not necessarily people that were supposed to be lords over everyone else with titles and high authority. They were not to live like kings and become rulers over common people, they were supposed to lead people to God and teach them God's word. Those that are faithful to serve God in this manner were to be taken care of with food and substance by those that work and have land that produces food and cattle. 

Providing an income for those that serve the Lord, is scriptural but it is to be provided by those that own land and have income that produces increase, not poor widows who have very little. Devouring widow's houses is not scriptural. 

This modern day milking of the poor so that rich TV evangelists can have more gold watches, is not what the scriptures teach. If we are going to teach tithing, we need to research and study further than Malachi and Hebrews. They use Abraham as an example of one who tithed but Abraham was a rich man that had much increase. He was not a poor widow. Tithing in the Old Testament sense supported the Levites and also the poor. The poor did not pay tithes they benefitted from them. The early church did not tithe until much later in church history. About 777 AD. 

Again as with all commandments, we live and walk by love. We love our pastors, our poor and our neighbors, then we will see that they are not in want of anything they need by love not constraint. 

God is good and we can search and discover why He makes commandments and what He desires for us. They represent something and they stand for something. We can search and find out but meanwhile live and walk in love that comes through us through faith in Jesus Christ, the one God sent to save us from sin and give us of His Holy Spirit. DC

Deuteronomy 15