And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,
Leviticus 11:18 names the swan, the pelican, and the gier eagle among the birds declared unclean and forbidden to be eaten. It belongs to the Mosaic law distinguishing clean from unclean animals and forbidding the eating of any unclean thing. The restriction was part of the dietary limits given to Israel in Canaan, where animal food was permitted only under regulation as part of God's provision, while a non-flesh diet remained the better plan.
The prohibition, like that of swine's flesh and certain other animals, was given for health rather than as an arbitrary command. Such foods were not the best articles of food, were hurtful to health, filled or made impure the blood, injured health, and shortened life. The laws taught health principles and required obedience to sanitary laws to preserve the life and health of God's people. If Israel had submitted to the prohibition, God would have removed everything injurious from them and allowed no sickness among them.
The law was distorted into unwarranted extremes and burdensome rules and ceremonies. All drinking water was required to be strained lest the smallest insect in it be classed with the unclean animals. That trivial exaction contrasts with committing great actual sins, as in straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.
Daniel and his companions refused the king of Babylon's meats, which included swine's flesh and other foods the law pronounced unclean. To eat them would defile themselves and disregard God's commandment, and they sought to keep mind and body fit for God's service. Faithfulness to the command put Daniel to a severe test between his fathers' teaching on meats and drinks and retaining the king's favor, position, life, intellectual advantages, and flattering worldly prospects, and he decided to stand firm in integrity whatever the result. When appetite is left to control reason, sacred things are not discerned and are placed on a level with common things.
Leviticus 11:18 names the swan, the pelican, and the gier eagle among the birds declared unclean and forbidden to be eaten. It belongs to the Mosaic law distinguishing clean from unclean animals and forbidding the eating of any unclean thing. The restriction was part of the dietary limits given to Israel in Canaan, where animal food was permitted only under regulation as part of God's provision, while a non-flesh diet remained the better plan.
The prohibition, like that of swine's flesh and certain other animals, was given for health rather than as an arbitrary command. Such foods were not the best articles of food, were hurtful to health, filled or made impure the blood, injured health, and shortened life. The laws taught health principles and required obedience to sanitary laws to preserve the life and health of God's people. If Israel had submitted to the prohibition, God would have removed everything injurious from them and allowed no sickness among them.
The law was distorted into unwarranted extremes and burdensome rules and ceremonies. All drinking water was required to be strained lest the smallest insect in it be classed with the unclean animals. That trivial exaction contrasts with committing great actual sins, as in straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.
Daniel and his companions refused the king of Babylon's meats, which included swine's flesh and other foods the law pronounced unclean. To eat them would defile themselves and disregard God's commandment, and they sought to keep mind and body fit for God's service. Faithfulness to the command put Daniel to a severe test between his fathers' teaching on meats and drinks and retaining the king's favor, position, life, intellectual advantages, and flattering worldly prospects, and he decided to stand firm in integrity whatever the result. When appetite is left to control reason, sacred things are not discerned and are placed on a level with common things.