Parting The Hoof And Chewing The Cud

But I have seen, in these same scriptures that there is a deeper; more subtle meaning, that directly effects you and I in a very spiritual sense as we walk this life.

Take a moment with me to consider what I believe that God has shown to me concerning the parted, cloven hooves and the chewing of the cud.

First of all, God says that we are to partake only of those beasts that meet the right criteria. They had to have a parted, or divided hoof, and it had to be totally separated, not just open on one end and connected at the other end.

Secondly, we could partake of those beasts who not only had the cloven, parted hooves, but that they must also chew a cud.

In order to be considered as useful in the building up and strengthening of the Body of Christ we have to be like those clean beasts of Leviticus; we must be cloven footed, with parted hooves.

Those cloven, or divided, hooves stand for two things in the life of a Christian.

Firstly I am reminded that God says that we are to be a separated people, holy and acceptable unto him, and that is our reasonable service. It’s what is expected of us. Just as the hooves are separated down the middle there must be a division that separates God’s people from people of the world.

Secondly, those cloven hooves represent the lifelong walk of a Christian in dedicated and committed service to the Lord and to the Body of Christ, and indeed, to all of our fellowmen.

That walk includes all of the good works that we do but just walking morally and uprightly isn’t enough because there was another qualification to be considered as “clean” for use in God’s economy.

So, if we are going to be cloven footed that means that we are going to have a different walk in life than that of the world around us. The footsteps of a Christian should not go into the ways of sin, but they should go where the Spirit of the Lord leads.

Some animals have a divided foot but the hoof is still connected on one end. Those types of animals were still considered unclean for Israel to consume.

How can God accept our lives as a sacrifice unto Him if there is no full division between us and the world? We can’t hang out on the fence of hell and expect God to use us for his glory. That just doesn’t work.

Another qualification that God placed upon those animals who could be useful was that they also had to “chew the cud”. Chewing the cud represents those who profess and speak of Christ and the ways of Righteousness. It isn’t enough just to speak it; we have to live it too. It isn’t enough to walk morally and uprightly; we have to profess and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as well.

Either way, if we don’t walk the walk, and talk the talk, we are no more than hypocrites. God wouldn’t accept any animal for food or sacrifice that didn’t meet both criteria. Neither will he accept those people who aren’t real in their walk and in their talk.

What does it take to “chew the cud” in a spiritual sense? What does that mean to you and I in the modern day church, who live under grace and not under Law?