A New Culture
"Israel was on the verge of a momentous occasion. Not only were they preparing to enter the Promised Land and conquer its inhabitants, they were also preparing to establish a brand new culture. The primary focus of this new culture would be on the living God. Every part of it would reflect His nature.
God's commandments gave the Israelites a concrete expression of how God wanted the people to live in. In short, He wanted a people that love and worshiped Him alone. By keeping a number of purity laws, the Israelites were to demonstrate their commitment to Him by keeping ritually clean. Ideally, this outward purity would reflect inward purity. Since God was perfect, He wanted His people to resist the immoral practices of the neighboring nations. But He not only wanted them to resist evil, He also wanted them to reflect His loving and compassionate nature by helping strangers, widows, orphans, and the poor. By following God's extensive instructions, the Israelites could establish their society on the just laws of the living God.
Many parts of the Israelites culture were distinctive in the ancient world - such as prohibitions against eating pork. These outward distinctive were a sign that Israelites were set apart to God's holy purposes. However, the most prominent distinctive was Israel's absolute allegiance to one God. Israel's entire society - its legal system, economic structure, family life and individual and communal ethics - reflected this allegiance. While the nations that surrounded Israel worshiped a variety of gods at numerous shrines located all over the landscape, the Israelites (ideally) worshiped one God in one place - the place He would choose.
In the Promised Land, God planned to bless the Israelites abundantly. In turn, He expected the Israelisties to live responsibly, in a culture unlike any that had preceded it."
Thomas Nelson, New King James Version Study Bible (p. 297).
14:1 God, through Moses, is leading the children of Israel out of the corrupt and pagan traditions of the people around them. The Israelites (children of Israel) do not need to practice rituals of death for their (our) God is a God of life. For even though we are temporarily separated from our loved ones when they (or we) pass, we unite with them in Spirit. Moreover, many of the rituals were harmful or corrupt at worst and useless at best.
14:2-3 God has set the children of Israel aside for a purpose. The word holy in Hebrew means "to be distinct." Through this philosophy of life, God's intention is for there to be a clear and firm distinction between good and evil. Yes, to be a child of God is to inherit great responsibility -- we are meant to continually distinguish good and evil through our behavior. With that great responsibility comes the blessing of being treasured by God.
14:4-21 Moses gives the (food) health laws again, which we read about in Leviticus 11 and Exodus 23. Moses lists animals which are healthy and therefore acceptable to consume...and also the unhealthy and unacceptable. Humans have eaten meat for a long time, though the portion relative to fruits, vegetables and grains has increased exponentially. In the Book of Daniel 1:1-18, Daniel requests water and vegetables rather than the delicacies and wine of the king. Daniel is found to be much healthier than the others. It's important to remember that God sustains our health spiritually... and also physically because He leads us to the foods which work best for our bodies.
Literal or metaphor, in Spirit, the wolf lays with the lamb, Isaiah 11:6. This suggests that the predator-prey relationships will be a thing of the past, a thing of the world. We are allowed to eat meat but do so consciously and remember the importance of the vegetables and fruits God tailored to support your body (vitamins and minerals and more)! When we do eat meat, we should eat clean meat that works best for our bodies.
Moses says we should not eat: pig, camel, hare, badger. The reason is because these animals are scavengers, eating things which are not good for the human body.
Moses says we can eat (if we choose to live as omnivores): cattle, buffalo, sheep goat, deer, gazelle, antelope. And when consumed, we must do so as humanely as possible.
14:22 The practice of tithing is not only a great way to live generously but is also an opportunity to live humbly and gratefully. In creating a system of constant charity, God prods us all to live generously, humbly and gratefully.
14:23 We should keep God at the center of our tithing (and at the center of everything else). For He is our ultimate source. He has given us this planet, these bodies and minds. We cannot make matter, only God can create something from nothing. Therefore, whatever we have, we have received.
14:24-26 Our tithing is our celebration for what God has given. It is to rejoice from underneath His protective wing. If an Israelite was unable to make the journey to the established holy place, they were permitted to carry out this practice in another place... as long as they were present with God in that place.
14:27 Moses reminds the children of Israel to share with the Levites, who serve as the teachers of the faith. They do not receive a land inheritance because their home is God. Their work is the work of this philosophy, and the good fruits of faith sustain their lifestyle.
14:28-29 The stored tithes are meant to support the people (mothers and children, mainly) who were left as widows and orphans and need to be cared for by society. God passionately urges us to remember those who need assistance: In this particular time frame, widows and orphans had almost no chance in the patriarchal society, James 1:27.
14:23 We should keep God at the center of our tithing (and at the center of everything else). For He is our ultimate source. He has given us this planet, these bodies and minds. We cannot make matter, only God can create something from nothing. Therefore, whatever we have, we have received.
14:24-26 Our tithing is our celebration for what God has given. It is to rejoice from underneath His protective wing. If an Israelite was unable to make the journey to the established holy place, they were permitted to carry out this practice in another place... as long as they were present with God in that place.
14:27 Moses reminds the children of Israel to share with the Levites, who serve as the teachers of the faith. They do not receive a land inheritance because their home is God. Their work is the work of this philosophy, and the good fruits of faith sustain their lifestyle.
14:28-29 The stored tithes are meant to support the people (mothers and children, mainly) who were left as widows and orphans and need to be cared for by society. God passionately urges us to remember those who need assistance: In this particular time frame, widows and orphans had almost no chance in the patriarchal society, James 1:27.
