Law for eating animals and Tithing

Deuteronomy Chapter 14

Moses reminded the Israelites to never cut or shave their hair above their foreheads, for the sake of the dead, and because they were God's chosen people.

He also gave them many new rules for the new land: never eat animals that are ceremonially unclean, but may eat Ox, sheep, goat, deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep. Any animal with split hooves and chews cud can be eaten, but if the animal doesn't have both, it may not be eaten. So do not eat the camel, the hare, or rock badger, nor pig. Do not even touch the bodies of such animals, as they are ceremonially unclean.

Marine animals may be eaten if they have fins and scales, but do not eat marine animals that do not have them. Birds may be eaten, but not the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, buzzard, kites, ravens, ostrich, nighthawk, seagull, little owl, great owl, white owl, pelican, carrion vulture, cormorant, stork and herons.

All flying insets are ceremonially unclean and may not be eaten, but they may eat any winged creature that is ceremonially clean. And do not eat anything that has died a natural death. You may give it to a foreigner who lives among you, or sell it to them, but do not eat it yourselves, for you are set apart as holy to the Lord. And do not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

You must, said Moses, set aside a tithe of your crops - one tenth that you harvest each year. Bring it to the place God chose for his name to be honored and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, wine, olive oil and firstborn males of your flocks and herds. The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always fear the Lord. Now if the place the Lord chooses for his name to be honored is far from your home, then you may sell the tithe portion of your crops and herds and take money to the place of the Lord. And when you arrive, use the money to buy anything you want for a feast in the presence of the Lord and celebrate with your family. Do not forget the Levites in the community, for they have no inheritance as you do.

At the end of every third year, bring the tithe to the nearest town and store it. Give it to the Levites, as well as foreigners among you, the orphans and widows so they can eat. Then the Lord will bless you in all your work.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW:the cutting of hair or shaving the hair above the forehead refers to a cult of the dead, which many religions today have, but Christianity and Judaism are different because they focus on serving God in this life.

Why was Israel forbidden to eat certain foods? Predatory animals ate the blood of other animals and scavengers ate dead animals. People could not eat blood or animals that they found dead. Also some animals had bad associations with the Israelite culture, such as bats, snakes, and spiders. Some restrictions were given to the people just to remind them that they were a different and separate people committed to God.

Tithing makes it clear that we are to put God first in our lives. We are to give God the first and best of what we earn. It also reminds us that all we have belongs to him.

Caring for the poor is what God had in mind when he asked for tithes every third year to be given to the poor, hungry and helpless. It was everybody's responsibility to help those less fortunate.

How does this chapter relate to us today? God gave us ways to help those less fortunate. He counts on us to be providers and look for ways to help the needy. It helps show our regard for God when we share our earnings, our time, our help. If you haven't served at a soup kitchen or food pantry or something like that, then please help in other ways. Give money, give food etc. We all need to pull together to show compassion in our society, today more than ever God needs us.

Yours in Christ,
Mary