A HEALTHFUL
SPIRITUAL DIET

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2 For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a special people for Himself, above all the nations that are on the earth.
3 You shall not eat any abominable thing.
4 These are the animals which you shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,
5 The deer, the gazelle and the the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the antelope, and the wild ox, and the mountain sheep.
6 And every animal that has cloven hooves, having them divided in two, and that chews the cud among animals, that you shall eat.
7 Yet these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that have cloven hooves: the camel, and the hare, and the rock badger; for they chew the cud, but do not have cloven hooves; therefore they are unclean to you.
8 And the pig, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, it is unclean to you; you shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead bodies.
9 These you shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall you eat;
10 And whatever has not fins and scales you may not eat; it is unclean to you.
11 Of all clean birds you shall eat.
12 But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey,
13 And the buzzard, and the falcon, and the kite in all its species,
14 And every raven in all its species,
15 And the ostrich, and the night hawk, and the sea gull, and the hawk in all its species,
16 The screech owl, and the great owl, and the swan,
17 And the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture, and the pelican,
18 And the stork, and the heron in all its species, and the hoopie, and the bat.
19 And every creeping thing that flies is unclean to you; they shall not be eaten.
20 But of all clean fowls you may eat.

-- Deuteronomy 14:2-20

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Since these dietary laws for the Old-Testament Jews are included in God's eternal Word, we are fully convinced that they have value for New-Testament saints as well. Doubtless, part of the reason for them was the physical health of God's Old-Testament people. In fact, the Orthodox Jews, who still adhere firmly to these laws today, have the best health record in the world. However, their value to Christians is in the spiritual meaning they have. Most of the mosaic law has typological meaning for us, and these laws are no exception. They teach us what it is healthful to feed our souls on.
We dare not approach this typology with mere guess work. Rather, for every meaning we will derive from them, we will have found that same meaning taught elsewhere in the mosaic law, and in most cases by typology. An account once told me that the best safe-guard against error in accounting is to make all entries twice, in two different ways. That way, if one makes a mistake in making an entry one way, it will show up through the other way that that entry is made. We will be using a similar safe-guard in our search for meaning in these laws.
If we eat a healthful spiritual diet, OUR WHOLE LIFE IS AFFECTED by it.This is shown by the mammals that the Jews were permitted to eat (verses 2-8), since these animals walk on earth, where our life must be lived. It is common biblical imagery to compare the course of life with a walk. These animals also show the two sides of a spiritual life-- showing again that the effect extends to the whole life.
A life affected by a healthful spiritual diet is marked by a separated walk, as is represented by the cloven hooves of clean animals. God's people must be a separated people, set apart from the world by a distinguished life-style. They must follow different moral values, be oriented by living with eternity's values in view, and show different character and tastes. Even their external life will be affected so as to be a good testimony in their language and dress; and they will abstain from unwholesome pleasures, which are worldly.
Such separation is represented elsewhere in typology; it is illustrated three ways in Deuteronomy 22:9-11. The Jews were forbidden to plant a field with mixed seed. Today, for example, farmers often plant fields with a mixture of oats and timothy hay. There's nothing wrong with that today, as we aren't under the mosaic law; but in Old-Testament times, the Jews wouldn't have been allowed to do that.
In verse 10, the Jews were forbidden to have animals of different species pull a plow together. Since different species would have different character, they would likely have different styles of pulling, and would thus irritate each other. That's a picture of any kind of association that the New Testament calls an "unequal yoke" (II Corinthians 6:14); that expression is based on this law.
Verse 11 gives the third illustration of separation-- that the Jews were forbidden to make clothes of mixed fabrics. Many of our clothes today, as well as materials for other uses, are made of mixed fabrics, as I learned when I used to work in the sample-card business, and most of our customers were in the textile industry. As I printed labels for the sample cards, I learned of materials that were, say, 60 % cotton and 40 % polyester; or 80 % wool and 20 % acrylic. There's nothing wrong with that today, since we aren't under the mosaic law; but that wouldn't have been allowed to Old-Testament Jews. The use of only one fabric in their clothes represented the separated and unmixed life-style that God requires of His saints.
Since we have found this three-fold representation of a separated walk elsewhere in the typology of the mosaic law, we are assured that this is a valid meaning of the cloven hooves of clean animals.
A second requirement, in order for an animal to be considered clean, was that it be a cud-chewer; and we believe this to represent depth, since cud-chewing allows the animal to thoroughly assimilate what it eats. Health-food experts used to tell us, "you are what you eat." They have now revised that claim, and are telling us, "you are what you assimilate;" for they have realized how possible it is to fail to assimilate what one eats. Thorough assimilation of spiritual food will produce a depth in one's spiritual life.
The idea of depth is found in the prescription of five standard offerings (Leviticus chapters 1 to 7), of which the first three were voluntary, at least in one's personal life. God assumed that His people would want to bring Him offerings, and not just do bring what they had to. The people showed a similar sign of depth when they brought more than enough material to build the Tabernacle with, and it was even necessary to tell them to stop bringing it. And yet another sign of depth would be in talking about God's Word constantly, "when they sat in their houses, or walked along the road, or lay down, or rose up" (Deuteronomy 6:7). Similarly, God told Joshua that the book of the law must not depart from his mouth, but he must meditate in it day and night (Joshua 1:8); and the first psalm says that the happy man delights in God's Word and meditates in it day and night.
To be considered clean, an animal had to have both these characteristics, cloven hooves and cud-chewing; one of the two wouldn't be enough. Likewise, a healthy spiritual life must have both qualities-- the separated walk, and depth. To have only one of the two, produces a lopsided spiritual life.
The pig, having cloven hooves but not chewing a cud, is a picture of a person whose external walk is thoroughly separated and distinguished from that of a worldling, just as a pig's footprint is hardly distinguishable from a sheep's. However, that's all there is to such a person's spiritual life. He has no depth, no reality. That was true of the Pharisees in Christ's day. He reproached them for being scrupulous about giving tithes of various herbs, while the neglected the more important issues like justice, mercy, and faith.
The camel, on the other hand, with its cud-chewing but no cloven hooves, is a picture of a believer whose external, visible life includes many questionable practices, but yet who has a genuine inner life of spiritual reality. In most cases, this is because the person is in need of teaching regarding the outer life.
Just as a pig is loathsome whereas a camel hardly is, so a person with only an outer shell of spirituality is much more loathsome to God than one who has the inner reality without the outer separation. However, let us remember that the pig and the camel were both unclean animals! For a saint to have a truly healthy spiritual life, he needs to have BOTH the inner reality and the corresponding external separation-- as is represented by the sheep, which is both cloven-hooved and cud-chewing. Christ made that plain when, having denounced the Pharisees for neglecting the more important issues, He said, "These you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone." We would do well, therefore, to take Spurgeon's advice: "When choosing between two evils, choose neither!"
A healthful spiritual diet also requires that we GIVE OUR BEST TO GOD in order to see His wonders. This is seen in the laws regarding sea creatures (verses 9, 10). The seas were commonly taken to be a place where one could be particularly impressed with God's wonders, which were fear-inspiring, and led to worship Him.
They who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters, these see the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep (Psalm 107:23, 24).
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also. The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker (Psalm 95:3-6).
His voice [is] as the sound of many waters (Revelation 1:15).
Yet in order to properly appreciate the greatness of God's wonders, and, above all, to be able to worship Him acceptably, we need to give Him the best we have. This is shown by which sea creatures the Israelites were allowed to eat, and which not. They were allowed to eat bona fide fish-- that is, all aquatic creatures that had fins and scales. Any other "sea foods" were forbidden them. A major difference we can find between fish, and "sea foods," is that, on the whole, "sea foods" are rather greasy. That is certainly true of eels, oysters, catfish, sharks, and squibs. Doubtless part of the reason for this prohibition was for their health's sake, since eating these greasy creatures can cause enteritis (an inflamation of the intestines). The oil found in fish does not have that effect, nor any other adverse effect. That was not, however, the only reason for this law.
In the dietary laws about meat from mammals, the Jews were forbidden to eat any fat, even from clean animals. The fat was, instead, to be burned as a sacrifice to the Lord.
The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD's (Leviticus 3:16).
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, You shall eat no kind of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. And the fat of the animal that dies of itself, and the fat of that which is torn by animals, may be used for any other purpose: but you shall not eat it under any circumstances. For whoever eats the fat of an animal of which men offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, that soul shall be cut off from his people (Leviticus 7:23-25).
Again, doubtless part of the reason for this law was for health's sake; but that was not all. In Hebrew, the word for "fat" (cheleb) is the same as the word for "best." It is translated "best" five times, and "finest" four times in the King James Version. It seems that translators were sometimes uncertain whether to translate it "fat" or "best." God therefore used this word play in Hebrew to teach the Jews to give their best to Him, by telling them to offer the fat of animals to Him as sacrifices.
God taught the Jews that same lesson by requiring them to offer Him their firstfruits-- that is, the first part of their crop to ripen.
You shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which you shall bring of your land that the LORD you God gives you, and shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which the LORD your God shall choose to place His Name there (Deuteronomy 26:2).

This certainly was a more-than-reasonable requirement, since God had given His people His best!--
He caused him to ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; curds from cows, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and you drank the pure blood of the grape (Deuteronomy 32:13, 14).
He would have fed them also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied you (Psalm 81:16).
As New-Testament saints, we can likewise say that God has given us His best--
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift (II Corinthians 9:15).
He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).

Give of your best to the Master;
None less responds to His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom,
Gave up His glory above.

In order, therefore, to appreciate God's wonders adequately, and to worship acceptably, it is imperative that we give Him our very best. It is said that Henry Rolls once heard a worker in his factory say, "Oh, that will do," and then saw him toss the car part into the basket. He answered that worker, "That may be good enough for others, but it's not good enough for Rolls Royce!" Likewise, nothing but our best is good enough for God.
Yet another requirement in a healthful spiritual diet, is to AVOID CORRUPTION, that we may aspire to the very highest in our spiritual lives. That is seen in the laws about flying creatures (verse 11-20). Flying is portrayed in the Scriptures as being a picture of aspiration:--
They who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31).
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything with wings (Proverbs 1:17).
An unknown poet says of the bird, "Even when it walks, we feel that it has wings."
Our spiritual counterpart in aspiration is expressed in Philippians 4:9--
Whatever things are true, whatever things are honourable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things kindly spoken, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy, meditate on it.
As far as we can tell by identifying the flying creatures referred to in this law, those that were considered unclean, and forbidden, were those that ate decaying matter. They're a picture of one who feeds on what corrupts the mind, heart, and soul. Or, in some cases, they were omniverous creatures-- those that eat anything at all. They suggest people who have no discrimination, but who read whatever is in print, look at any kind of picture, and tell anything they hear. In the Mosaic Law, decay and infection are types of spiritual corruption. Conscientious adherence to these laws would make a person squeamish about dirt, which was God's way of teaching them how He wanted them to react to sin.
Some birds pronounced unclean by the Levitical Law, were considered sacred by heathen nations. For example, Egyptians considered the hawk sacred, and certain Arab clans thus considered the crow. This reminds us that that which is highly esteemed by men, is abomination in the sight of God (Luke 16:15). In fact, what God declares unclean may even appear very attractive to the flesh. The bird called the "lapwing" in verse 18, in the King James Version, is actually the hoopoo, given this name in imitation of its cry. It is a very pretty, bright-coloured tropical bird, found in Palestine in summer, and in hotter climates in winter. But it has filthy habits.This shows how Satan can make corruption seem appealing to the natural human heart; and how we need God to keep us from it. To aspire to the heights of spiritual life, one must keep corruption out.
I will set no wicked thing before my eyes (Psalm 101:3).

I am resolved no longer to linger
Charmed by the world's delight;
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.

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I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day,
Still praying as I'm onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray till heaven I've found,
"Lord, lead me on to higher ground."

Why did God want His people to follow these dietary laws? He told them it was because they were a holy people.
For I am the LORD your God; you shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy, for I am holy; neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the LORD who is bringing you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy (Leviticus 11:44, 45).
Likewise, the New-Testament saint is called on to adhere to the antitype of these laws by feeding his soul on a spiritually healthful diet. In fact, according to Revelation 21:27, nothing that defiles shall enter heaven; therefore a person who is genuinely saved will feed his soul on a clean spiritual diet. Let us feed our souls on what is fitting for God's holy people; for the same exhortation is given to New-Testament saints in I Peter 1:15, 16--
As He who has called you is holy, so be you holy in all forms of conduct; because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.