DEUTERONOMY 14:1-21 Holiness in mourning practices (1-2), holiness in diet (3-21). “1 You are children of the LORD your God. You shall not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads because of the dead. 2 For you are a people consecrated to the LORD your God: the LORD your God chose you from among all other peoples on earth to be His treasured people. 3 You shall not eat anything abhorrent. 4 These are the animals that you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat; 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, the mountain sheep, 6 and any other animal that has true hoofs which are cleft in two and brings up the cud — such you may eat. 7 But the following, which do bring up the cud or have true hoofs which are cleft through, you may not eat: the camel, the hare, and the daman — for although they bring up the cud, they have no true hoofs — they are unclean for you; 8 also the swine — for although it has true hoofs, it does not bring up the cud — is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their carcasses. 9 These you may eat of all that live in water: you may eat anything that has fins and scales. 10 But you may not eat anything that has no fins and scales: it is unclean for you. 11 You may eat any clean bird. 12 The following you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, and the black vulture; 13 the kite, the falcon, and the buzzard of any variety; 14 every variety of raven; 15 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, and the hawk of any variety; 16 the little owl, the great owl, and the white owl; 17 the pelican, the bustard, and the cormorant; 18 the stork, any variety of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. 19 All winged swarming things are unclean for you: they may not be eaten. 20 You may eat only clean winged creatures. 21 You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death; give it to the stranger in your community to eat, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people consecrated to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” (Deuteronomy 14:1–21 JPS) NOTES: In keeping with the teaching that Israel should be different from the Canaanites (see last section, 12:29 - 13:19) and reflecting the second commandment (no sculptured images in worship), this section details practices in Israel which must differ from the Canaanites. Canaanite and similar cultures engaged in fearful practices of mourning. Death was feared as a portal for demonic powers which stopped up wombs, made crops die in the field, and wrought havoc in the life of the people. But Israel was to believe that God is in control of life and death. Mourning should be restrained, not featuring excessive rituals of self-mutilation. The people, a priestly people (the text says children of the Lord, chosen, a treasured people) must show by their practice that they trust in God’s power over death. The other nations will see Israel’s calm and know that God is real. The dietary restrictions of Israel are part of the clean/unclean laws (Lev 11-15, Num 19). The purpose of all these laws is to show that God is about life and not death. Restricting Israel’s diet to a small number of species limits the killing of animals in the land (see Jacob Milgrom’s commentary on Leviticus for more). There is no hygienic reason for the laws (pig-eating gentiles do not live shorter lives). God’s commands do not have to come from reason, but are revelation (though they are not counter to reason). 14:21 is important for understanding the authority of Torah over Israelites and non-Israelites. The command not to eat nevelah and trefah (meat found dead, animals found torn by other beasts) only applies to Israelites. The resident alien (stranger, sojourner, ger) may eat this form of unclean meat, but the Israelite cannot sell it to him/her (because the resident alien must be looked out for and cared for). To a foreigner, however, such meat may even be sold. This verse is a good clarification helping clear up confusion found in some modern theologies, which insist the Torah laws were the same for all people and not given specifically to the Israelites. ACTS 9:1-9 Paul (Saul) as emissary of the Sanhedrin to persecute the Way (1-2), a light and a bat kol (heavenly voice, 3-4), Paul discovers the voice is Yeshua’s and there is a commission for him (5-6), Paul’s traveling companions are dumbfounded and Paul is blind (7-9). “1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (Acts 9:1–9 ESV) NOTES: There could hardly be a more ironic story. Paul (Saul, many people and especially Jews had multiple names in the Greco-Roman world) is acting on a commission from the council which had Yeshua executed. The supposedly dead Yeshua appeared as the Glory, shechinah, bright light, to Paul, blinding him and sent him on a new commission. Paul will no longer serve the Sanhedrin, but Yeshua. His commission is turned around completely. Further, the voice reveals itself to be Yeshua, the very one Paul is persecuting. Realizing that Yeshua was alive must have changed Paul’s theology in a flash. The messianic age really had dawned and the resurrection of the dead truly had begun, but why for only the Messiah at first and not for everyone? No doubt Paul’s keen mind was turning with the possibilities. This event was a radical reshaping of Paul’s identity and mission in life and in great power he would devote his life to this vision and all it entailed.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 07:21:37 +0000
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