Leviticus 11:26-47 The carcasses of every beast which divides the hoof, and is not cloven footed, nor chews the cud, are unclean to you… It is evident, from the concluding verses of this chapter (see verses 43, 44), that these laws were designed to teach the nature of the holiness of God. It therefore follows, unless that holiness consist in not eating the flesh or touching the carcasses of certain creatures, which it would be absurd to suppose, these creatures must in their habits represent evils which men should abominate, and clean creatures, on the contrary, virtues which they should cultivate. Let us therefore seek the spiritual lessons from - I. THE UNCLEAN CHEEPING THINGS THAT CREEP. These are opposed to creeping things that leap, some of which are clean (see verses 21, 22). Their steady attachment to the earth, never rising above it, represents an inveterate worldliness which a holy people must hold in abhorrence. Samples are given under the following groupings (see verse 42), viz.: 1. Those that have no feet, "Whatsoever goeth upon the belly." (1) Serpents, snakes, vipers, and worms of all kinds are included under this description. The serpent has given its name to Satan ever since he enshrined himself in a creature of that kind (see Genesis 3:1; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2). And wicked men are the "children of the devil," and so are described as the "seed of the serpent," and a "generation of vipers" (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 3:7). (2) Serpents are abominable for their unclean habits, lurking in the dust or mire, and eating their meat from the dust (Genesis 3:14; Isaiah 65:25; Micah 7:17). Worms are bred in corruption and feast upon carrion (Exodus 16:20; Job 7:5; Job 19:24; Acts 12:23). What a picture of those who wallow in sin! Serpents are double-tongued (Psalm 140:3), teaching us to abhor deception. They nourish poison, which is deadly (Numbers 21:9), teaching us to detest malignity (see Isaiah 41:24, margin; Romans 3:13). The worm of the damned dieth not (Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:44). 2. Those that have four feet, "Whatsoever goeth upon all four." (1) The weasel and the ferret are remarkable for their stealthy sliding motion in closing upon their prey. They teach us that slyness and treachery arc an aggravation of violence, which should be held in abomination. The" mouse" (verse 29) is to be taken as the representative of everything of the mus kind; but it is difficult to say what animal is meant by the word (יזח) rendered" tortoise." By some it is thought to be the crocodile; by others the toad. Its name indicates some habit of swelling, and may teach us to abominate all impudence, ostentation, and vanity. (2) The animal called "chameleon" (verse 30) is by some thought to be the mongoose, a creature which eats snakes, rats, mice, and other vermin; while Bochart concludes that the chameleon is intended by the word we translate "mole." Creatures of the lizard kind, excepting the aquatic sort, such as the crocodile, live on flies. God makes some unclean creatures useful in exterminating others; so he deals amongst wicked nations, punishing them by one another in their turn. 3. Those that have more feet. (1) Under this description we have centipedes, caterpillars, perhaps, and innumerable creatures, with legs more in number than four. Amongst these there is scope for naturalists to describe qualities all which will convey moral lessons. (2) The one thing we mark in creatures that "multiply feet," as the Hebrew expresses it, is the slowness yet steadiness and stillness of their progress. The stealthy, insinuating false teachers who troubled the early Churches, and who have their representatives ha modern times, are compared to these creeping things (see 2 Timothy 3:6; Jude 1:4). II. THE LAWS OF CONTAMINATION. These are ranged under two heads: 1. The polluting of persons. (1) This is done by their touching the carcass of an unclean creature. Whatsoever is unfit for food must not be touched (see Genesis 3:3). Whom we cannot commune with we must avoid. (2) It may be done by their touching the carcass of a creature originally clean that has died of itself. Because in this case it could not be a type of Christ, who died voluntarily, for he had no sin of his own to doom him to die. All intercourse of Christians should be in Christ, who is our life. 2. The polluting of things. (1) Vessels of any sort are rendered unclean by contact with the carcass of an unclean thing. These represent human beings in the capacity of servants, whether to God or man (Romans 9:21; 2 Timothy 2:20, 21). Some being polluted are to be broken, to show that sin leads to destruction (Romans 9:22). Others may be purified by water, to show that sin may be removed by the sanctifying grace of the Spirit of God. There is a happy time coming (see Zechariah 14:20, 21). (2) Clean meat may become polluted by contact with anything unclean. This law teaches that "evil communications corrupt good manners." (3) If an unclean thing fall into a fountain or well in which there is plenty of water, it does not render the water unclean (verse 36). The living water is an emblem of the Holy Spirit, who cannot be rendered unholy by anything that sinners may do. For a like reason, perhaps, seed that is to be sown, which is a figure of Christ, cannot be rendered impure (verse 37). But if water be put upon the seed for any other purpose, the figure is changed and the case is altered (verse 38). - J.A.M. Parallel Verses KJV: The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. |
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