Bible Study Part 5: Moses and the Law (Exodus through Deuteronomy)

Certainly the books Exodus through Deuteronomy are full of discussions pertaining to animals and even their consumption, and the majority has to do with animal sacrifices back to God. What animals are to be used for what particular kind of sacrifice, how they are to be slain, what is to be done with their bodies, etc. all are discussed in great detail.

There are four other events that I found especially interesting:

1. The Passover. This event from Exodus 12 includes the first recorded instance of God commanding the consumption of an animal, which I found to be interesting since it had been many years since the post-flood announcement that animals could be used for food. Yet sure enough Ex. 12:8-10 states, “And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.” I suppose I could say that there isn’t necessarily a command here. One could have technically left the entire animal until morning and then burned it total, but that feels like a stretch. The great detail in the kind of animal they were to choose (“without blemish, a male of the first year”), the use of the blood on the doorposts, the manner of cooking (“roast with fire; his head with his legs”), and the manner of eating (“And thus ye shall eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet” and “and unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs they shall eat it”) serves to make the slaughter and eating of the Passover lamb much more like a sacrifice, an offering, than a meal.

2. Manna and Quail. In Exodus 16 the children of Israel begin to complain about provisions and claim that they ate better in captivity than they are in freedom. God then announces that he will provide manna (a wafer or bread-like food) for them in the morning and quail comes into the camp in the evening. However, it doesn’t appear that quail was provided every day or even regularly, because in Numbers 11 the multitude again complains about food, but now they are tired of manna. “There is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes” (Numbers 11:6). The Lord tells Moses, “And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh and ye shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; but even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?” (Numbers 11:18-20). And while the people were still eating the quail God struck them with a plague. God was providing for them nutritionally without the need for meat. They complained because they were bored.

3. Clean and Unclean Animals. Leviticus 11 describes in detail the kinds of animals the children of Israel were allowed to eat. Certain animals were “clean” and some were “unclean.” Israel could eat the clean animals, but not the unclean. Unclean animals included pork, fish without scales (such as shark), and shellfish. Interestingly, since this time we have learned a lot of these animals and their living and dietary habits and their dietary detriments to humans.

4. Balaam’s Donkey. Numbers 22 includes the first recorded instance of animal abuse in Scripture. The prophet Balaam’s donkey turns aside from the road when she sees the angel of Lord standing in the way. Balaam, angry with his “stubborn” donkey, strikes her three times. Then the Lord opens Balaam’s eyes so that he can see the angel of the Lord blocking his path. The angel asks Balaam why he struck his donkey, saying, “unless she had turned from me surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.” (Numbers 22:33). Balaam’s response? “I have sinned.” (Num. 22:34).