Lev 11:29 | KingComments | STEP | The swarming things are animals that do not rise from the earth, but are identified with it. They are also forms of life that resemble the serpent, which is a picture of satan ( ). It represents feeling at home on earth. The book of Revelation speaks several times of “those who dwell on the earth” ( ), meaning people who see the earth as their home, as their final abode. They feel at home there and do everything they can to keep it that way. For us, eating such animals means being involved in earthly matters in a way that we pursue them, that we seek them. Paul warns: “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” ( ). Of those about whom he grieves that they walk as “enemies of the cross of Christ”, he must say: “Who set their minds on earthly things” ( ). We can become so immersed in our earthly activities that they become our life. Then we become equal to the people of the world. That striving makes us earth-dwellers, while we belong in heaven and confess to be citizens of heaven. Lessons can be learned from each of these animals. Not that it is easy to know of every animal the lesson it teaches us, but they are not mentioned for nothing. The lesson of the mole ( ) is clear. This animal lives underground, closed off from daylight. It teaches us that we should not do secret things that cannot bear the light of the day. That the mole is not on our spiritual menu, Paul says as follows: “But we have renounced the things hidden because of shame” ( ) and elsewhere: “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, … for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret” ( ). An obvious lesson we also see in the chameleon ( ). In our everyday language the animal is sometimes called in a saying and then we all know what kind of person it is to whom this saying applies: to behave like a chameleon. It is someone who can adapt to any situation and talk along with anyone, like the chameleon can change color to adapt to its environment. It is easy to recognize ourselves in it if we behave among believers as we should, while we, when we are in the world, adjust our behavior accordingly because we want to keep it as friend.

‏ Leviticus 11:29

Swarming Thing That Are Unclean

The swarming things are animals that do not rise from the earth, but are identified with it. They are also forms of life that resemble the serpent, which is a picture of satan (Gen 3:14). It represents feeling at home on earth. The book of Revelation speaks several times of “those who dwell on the earth” (Rev 3:10 ; Rev 6:10 ; Rev 8:13 ; Rev 11:10 ; Rev 13:8 ; 14 ; Rev 14:6 ; Rev 17:8), meaning people who see the earth as their home, as their final abode. They feel at home there and do everything they can to keep it that way.

For us, eating such animals means being involved in earthly matters in a way that we pursue them, that we seek them. Paul warns: “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col 3:2). Of those about whom he grieves that they walk as “enemies of the cross of Christ”, he must say: “Who set their minds on earthly things” (Phil 3:18-19). We can become so immersed in our earthly activities that they become our life. Then we become equal to the people of the world. That striving makes us earth-dwellers, while we belong in heaven and confess to be citizens of heaven.

Lessons can be learned from each of these animals. Not that it is easy to know of every animal the lesson it teaches us, but they are not mentioned for nothing. The lesson of the mole (Lev 11:29) is clear. This animal lives underground, closed off from daylight. It teaches us that we should not do secret things that cannot bear the light of the day. That the mole is not on our spiritual menu, Paul says as follows: “But we have renounced the things hidden because of shame” (2Cor 4:2) and elsewhere: “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, … for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret” (Eph 5:11-12).

An obvious lesson we also see in the chameleon (Lev 11:30). In our everyday language the animal is sometimes called in a saying and then we all know what kind of person it is to whom this saying applies: to behave like a chameleon. It is someone who can adapt to any situation and talk along with anyone, like the chameleon can change color to adapt to its environment. It is easy to recognize ourselves in it if we behave among believers as we should, while we, when we are in the world, adjust our behavior accordingly because we want to keep it as friend.