Strong Tower
A daily scripture exposition.
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Leviticus 11:16 NLT
“the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the seagull, hawks of all kinds,”
A word is enough for the wise
There are two observations in today’s referenced scripture. On the one hand, the Lord did not list the types of hawks that the people of Israel were prohibited from eating. On the other hand, the Lord did list the types of owls that the people of Israel were not permitted to consume. However, the list of owls mentioned in the scripture was not exhaustive, given that there are currently 228 owl species worldwide.
This raises the question of why God did not mention all the owl species in the list. Some may wonder if the omission meant that any owl not listed in the scripture is safe for consumption. However, it is essential to note that the lack of an exhaustive list of owls in the scripture implies no deficiency in God’s understanding. Instead, it could be that the Lord limited the list to the owls commonly found in the area where the Israelites lived and currently reside.
Furthermore, it is vital to understand that the exclusion of some owl species from the list should not be misconstrued as permission to consume them. All the owl species, whether listed or not, belong to the same family and have the same attributes. Therefore, it is crucial to abide by the Lord’s directive and avoid consuming owl meat, regardless of the species.
Another question is why God prohibited the Israelites from consuming owl and hawk meat. The answer is that God is a loving father who desires the best for his children. Just as no earthly father would deprive his children of what is good for them, our heavenly Father would not withhold from us what is beneficial. In fact, God’s instructions regarding what we should eat and what we should avoid are for our well-being. As such, He provides us with real-time information and guidance to keep us healthy and whole physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Deuteronomy 5:29).
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to internalize and better appropriate Your instructions in all facets of my life. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Enquiries
The Chapel of Glory Ministries -aka-
Cherubim and Seraphim Church of Calgary
Acadia Recreation Complex
240-90 Ave SE Calgary
AB, T2J 6P6, Canada
info@thechapelofglory.org
Mission statement
Reaching out through love, teaching the truth, and humbly leading all nations to God through Jesus Christ.
Vision statement
To be a ministry where people from all walks of life can fellowship with one another and worship God through Jesus Christ without any denominational hangover.
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