detest the detestable

I don't particularly like Leviticus, because it seems to be so strict & legalistic... but I learned something from Leviticus 11 today that I wanted to share with you guys!

context: God is giving Israelites instruction on which animals they can and can't eat

---

verse 10 "All creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales... you are to detest"

verse 13 "These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable"

verse 20 "All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you"

---

i thought it was strange, because "Detest" just seems like such a harsh verb. in a sense, he's not only commanding them to keep away and not eat them, but to want to have nothing to do with those things in general.

But since he made all the animals and insects and birds and fish, aren't they good? why would he want his people to detest his creation?

-but i think whether or not something is "good" depends on its use in relation to God's original plan for it... things can be so easily twisted (just look at us people!)

anyway, like usual, God has a reason behind his instructions;

"you will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening" (verse 24)

-So this is what stood out to me:

1. the unclean things make people unclean, merely by association.

God's solution: stay away, have nothing to do with them

2. in contrast, God is holy, and He makes people holy by association

"I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy" (verse 44)

What does this passage reveal about people?

-we are easily influenced by the things we surround ourselves with

-BUT we also have the capacity to choose things for ourselves

What does this passage reveal about God's character?

-He wants us to choose Him, all the time, every day (for the Israelites, food was a constant choice, needed to be made 3x a day)

-Our lifestyle choices matter to him, even the ones that seem unimportant