Moving through our summer series on Deuteronomy, we continue to see GOD guide and lead His chosen people, the Israelites, teaching them what they can and can’t eat, what He considers clean verses unclean.

These verses, this story, as with every story in the bible, is a foreshadowing of the greatest story ever told, the story of our rescue and redemption made possible by Jesus, GOD’s one and only son.

Based off the sacrifice of Jesus, whom we believe died for us, GOD paves the way for our redemption. Through the shed blood of Jesus, we are made clean, made new.

[Deuteronomy 14.1-21]

1 "You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. 2 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 3 "You shall not eat any detestable thing. 4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the mountain goat, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. 6 And you may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into two parts, and that chews the cud, among the animals.

7 Nevertheless, of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat, such as these: the camel, the hare, and the rock hyrax; for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves; they are unclean for you. 8 Also the swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.

9 "These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat all that have fins and scales.

10 And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you. 11 "All clean birds you may eat. 12 But these you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,

13 the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds; 14 every raven after its kind;

15 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the seagull, and the hawk after their kinds; 16 the little owl, the screech owl, the white owl, 17 the jackdaw, the carrion vulture, the fisher owl, 18 the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat. 19 Also every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. 20 You may eat all clean birds. 21 "You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ How does GOD demonstrate his love for the Israelites through these passages of scripture?

+ How might GOD be calling us to come clean today?

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ Are there any areas of sin I have not submitted to the Lord?

+ How may the Lord be calling me to obey him today?

+ Who is the Lord calling be to stand in the gap for through prayer today?

+ What sins may I need to confess after reading todays scriptures?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?

+ Who can I love like Jesus loved today?