4 February | EVERYONE
«Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying, These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth’» Leviticus 11: 1,2
Pure ways of the soul. Humble paths traced with the footsteps of others who followed divine instructions in history. Our feet walk in the footsteps of our ancestors and set the path for those who are to come. We follow a God who never fails and knows everything. He created us one day and knows every detail of our being, including how our body works.
As the people of Israel walked through the wilderness, God instructed them to enjoy full health. He even educated them about the food they should eat. No unclean animal was to be part of their diet. Holiness and purity, for them, were to go hand in hand. “The distinction between articles of food as clean and unclean was not a merely ceremonial and arbitrary regulation, but was based upon sanitary principles” (Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 562). It was not a matter of being holy only during worship hour, in the tabernacle, but of following divine instructions twenty-four hours a day. Impurity was not to stain the path of righteousness.
However, the difference between clean and unclean animals was not given only for Israel. In Noah’s day that difference already existed. It was determined by God, who knows the bodies of animals and human beings. It was not a ceremonial law that would end when Jesus came into the world. It was wise advice for the care of our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
The person who desires to enjoy a healthy life today will have a better chance of achieving it by taking God’s recommendations seriously. The Israelites respected God’s advice on food and did well. We will lose absolutely nothing by following their example and the guidance of the One who created us and knows how our body works.
Take Action
Pray today for wisdom to take care of your body and keep it pure as a temple that is of the Holy Spirit. You will not enjoy life any less because of it, quite the opposite!