by Rehema Jonathan | 20 July 2022 08:46 pm07
Praise be to Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever. All glory and honor belong to Him alone.
The Bible tells us that everything written in the Old Testament was a shadow of the new covenant, which is spiritual. Many of the physical laws you read about in the Old Testament were actually summaries pointing to a better, spiritual covenant.
It’s like teaching a young child math. If you want to teach addition and subtraction, you can’t just write “5 – 3 = 2” and expect them to understand immediately. Even though it’s simple for you because you already know it, a child needs practical, hands-on examples first.
You might give them sticks or stones to count: start with five sticks, take away three, and see the two left. In their mind, math is sticks and stones, even though it really isn’t. When they grow up, they no longer need physical objects to do math.
Similarly, the Old Testament laws were early steps to help us understand the better, spiritual covenant (Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:16-17).
Now, returning to our main question: What should we do to appear clean before God?
Remember, in the Torah, God divided animals into two main groups:
Clean animals
Unclean animals
For an animal to be considered clean, it had to meet three specific conditions God set:
It must chew the cud.
It must have split hooves.
Its hooves must be completely split.
If an animal didn’t meet all three, it was unclean, even if it had one or two of these features. Such animals were not allowed to be eaten, raised, or touched after death.
Leviticus 11:2-8 (ESV) says:
“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.
Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat.
Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven, you shall not eat these: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof; it is unclean for you.
And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof; it is unclean for you.
And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof; it is unclean for you.
And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, it is unclean for you.
Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.”
You might wonder, why did God consider them unclean? It’s not because they were poisonous or harmful to eat — many are still eaten today without any harm. No, God was teaching us a spiritual lesson so that when we enter the new covenant, we understand clearly what “uncleanness” means.
For example, “chewing the cud” refers to an animal’s ability to re-chew its food, like cows or camels. They have a special stomach to help digest their food fully.
What does this mean spiritually in the new covenant? If you are not someone who meditates on and applies God’s Word (the “food” for your soul), but just hear it without action, you are like an unclean animal — unable to “chew the cud.” You won’t produce spiritual fruit, and you cannot enter God’s holy presence after death. God wants us to work with His Word and remember His kindness, not be forgetful. Forgetfulness is a form of spiritual uncleanness.
So, look inside yourself: Are you someone who applies God’s Word? Since you started hearing it, how much have you put into practice? If you haven’t, you are not yet clean before God.
2) The Animal Must Have Split Hooves
Chewing the cud alone isn’t enough. Some animals, like camels, chew the cud but don’t have split hooves, making them unclean.
Having split hooves means an animal is physically equipped to walk well and endure rough terrain, like horses or deer. This represents spiritual readiness.
Ephesians 6:14-15 (NIV) says:
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes
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