Friday, February 27, 2009
Spiritual Diet
27 Feb 2009
For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holyLeviticus 11:44
Leviticus 11 relates to us the law concerning the food we eat. While the ceremonial law of the old covenant has been abolished through Christ, there are still spiritual principles we can glean through a careful study of its symbolism.
There are four categories of food in the Jewish dietary laws. The first category has to do with animals on land. The Jews are allowed to eat animals that chew cud and have cloven hooves. Cud is food that is eaten by animals with more than one stomach, like the cow. It is partly digested food that is regurgitated to be chewed again. The English idiom, “chew the cud,” means to ponder and meditate.
Cloven hooves are feet that are divided or separated. Spiritually, all these speak of a believer choosing a lifestyle of meditation on God’s Word coupled with a holy walk that is separated unto the Lord.
The second category has to do with fish in the water. The people of Israel are permitted to eat fish with fins and scales. Fins give a fish the ability to go in a purposeful direction without being influenced by the currents and tides of the sea. Scales are the bony plates on the body of a fish that protect it from anything unclean in the sea.
Jesus says that while we are in the world, we are not of the world (John 15:19). We must develop the ability to live a life of purpose without being negatively influenced by the world.
The third category has to do with birds in the air. A prohibitive list consisting of the vulture, buzzard, falcon, raven, owl, bat and others is given. They are all fowls given to the feeding on dead flesh. Paul says that if you are given to the flesh, you will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).
The fourth category has to do with flying insects that feed on garbage and feces. Being unclean insects, the Jews are not allowed to eat them. God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness (1 Thess. 4:7).
The Bible has much to say about our spiritual nourishment. For Jesus, “curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good” (Is. 7:15). Curd is the oil of milk.
It speaks of the Holy Spirit. Honey speaks of the sweetness of God’s Word.
When we give ourselves to the Word and the Spirit, we will grow strong in holiness and discernment. Like Christ, we will then know how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
OH MY GOSH!!!
This is a recomfirmation of what I learnt in my first FT1 lesson!!!
Holy Spirit + Word of God = Growing in the Lord
I MUST HAVE CONVICTION!!!
