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Read the Verse of the Day – Deuteronomy 14:10 To Strengthen Your Spiritual Journey.
Deuteronomy 14:10 is a verse found in the Law of Moses. It gives a command about which sea creatures the people of Israel could eat and which ones they should avoid. While the verse may seem like a simple dietary rule, it holds spiritual meaning for believers today.
The Context of Deuteronomy 14:10 KJV
The Purpose of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible. The word “Deuteronomy” means “second law.” In this book, Moses reviews the laws God gave to Israel before they enter the Promised Land. He reminds the people of their identity as God’s chosen nation. He urges them to obey God and to remain separate from the sinful nations around them.
The goal was not just to create a healthy diet. These laws were meant to teach Israel how to live as a holy people before God.
The Laws of Clean and Unclean Animals
Deuteronomy 14 talks about clean and unclean animals. These food laws helped the Israelites maintain purity and set them apart from other nations. The people were not to eat anything that God considered unclean. This included animals on land, birds in the sky, and creatures in the water.
Verses 9 and 10 talk specifically about sea creatures. In verse 9, God tells the people which kinds of sea animals they may eat. Then, in verse 10, He tells them which ones they must not eat.
Let us now read the verse.
Deuteronomy 14:10 (KJV)
“And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.” — Deuteronomy 14:10, KJV
This verse gives a clear command about sea creatures. It tells the people of Israel which water animals are unclean. The rule is simple: If the animal does not have both fins and scales, it is not allowed as food.
Deuteronomy 14:10 Meaning
The Clean and the Unclean
God gave the Israelites a simple test to know if a sea creature was clean:
- It must have fins.
- It must have scales.
Only if the creature had both could it be eaten.
Examples of clean sea creatures:
- Salmon
- Trout
- Cod
- Sardines
- Tuna (in some cases)
Examples of unclean sea creatures:
- Catfish (has fins, but no scales)
- Eel (no fins, no scales)
- Shrimp
- Lobster
- Crab
- Clams
- Oysters
- Squid
So according to this verse, shellfish and other animals like them were forbidden. They were called unclean.
Why These Rules?
Some people think these laws were only about health. It is true that some unclean animals may carry diseases, especially if eaten raw. But the main reason for these food laws was spiritual.
God gave these commands to:
- Teach His people obedience
- Make them different from other nations
- Help them understand holiness
- Remind them to seek purity
These rules also reminded the Israelites every day that they belonged to God. Even what they ate had to honor the Lord.
The Word “Unclean”
In this verse, God says these animals are unclean. This word means they were not pure in God’s eyes. Touching or eating them made a person ceremonially unclean. This did not mean they were sinful. But it did mean they had to avoid worship at the temple until they were clean again.
This helped the people understand how serious it was to stay pure and close to God.
Deuteronomy 14:10 Application in Life
Even though Christians today are not under the Old Testament food laws, there are still powerful lessons we can learn from this verse. Let us look at several ways this verse can apply to our spiritual lives.
1. God Cares About All Areas of Life
God gave rules about food because He cared about every part of His people’s lives. That is still true today.
God is not just concerned with Sunday morning worship. He cares about:
- What we say
- What we watch
- What we eat and drink
- How we treat others
- How we live when no one is watching
We should ask ourselves: “Does my whole life honor God?” Even the small things matter.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” — 1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV)
2. God Wants Us to Be Holy
The clean and unclean food laws reminded Israel to be holy. As Christians, we are called to the same thing.
“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” — 1 Peter 1:16 (KJV)
Being holy means we are set apart for God. We avoid sin. We do what pleases Him. While we no longer follow the food laws, we must still pursue purity.
What does this look like today?
- Avoiding sinful entertainment
- Speaking with kindness and truth
- Treating our bodies with respect
- Keeping our hearts clean from bitterness and lust
Holiness is not about rules. It is about being close to God.
3. Obedience Is More Important Than Understanding
The people of Israel may not have fully understood why they could eat some animals but not others. But God did not ask for their understanding — He asked for their obedience.
We do not always understand why God gives certain commands. But we obey because we trust Him. He is wise, loving, and perfect in all He does.
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)
Obedience shows faith. When we follow God’s Word — even when it’s hard — we show that we trust Him more than ourselves.
4. Jesus Fulfilled the Law
As Christians, we are not under the Old Testament food laws anymore. Jesus declared all foods clean.
“There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” — Mark 7:15 (KJV)
Peter had a vision in Acts 10. In it, God showed him all kinds of animals and told him to eat. At first, Peter said no, because he had never eaten anything unclean. But God said:
“What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” — Acts 10:15 (KJV)
This vision was not just about food — it was also about people. God was opening the way of salvation to the Gentiles. But it also showed that the old dietary laws were fulfilled in Christ.
We are free to eat shellfish and other food that was once unclean. But we are still called to spiritual purity.
5. Avoid What Is Spiritually Unclean
Even though we can now eat all kinds of food, we must still avoid things that make us spiritually unclean.
What kinds of things are spiritually unclean?
- Pornography
- Gossip
- Greed
- Hate
- Bitterness
- Drunkenness
- False teaching
We must protect our hearts and minds from these things. Just like Israel avoided unclean food, we must avoid spiritual poison.
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV)
Let us not be careless about what we take in — whether by mouth, eyes, or ears. Everything we consume affects our soul.
6. The Heart Matters More Than the Plate
Deuteronomy 14:10 shows how much God wanted His people to be clean. But Jesus came to show us that real cleanliness starts in the heart.
It is not what we eat that defiles us — it’s what we say, think, and do.
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” — Matthew 12:34 (KJV)
Our words and actions show what is inside. A pure heart leads to a pure life. A dirty heart leads to sin.
Let us pray like David did:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10 (KJV)
7. Learn to Discern
The Israelites had to learn how to tell clean from unclean animals. This trained them to be careful and discerning.
As Christians, we must also learn to discern between right and wrong. We must grow in wisdom and be led by the Holy Spirit.
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” — Hebrews 5:14 (KJV)
Ask God to help you grow in discernment. The world is full of things that seem good but are not. We must test everything by God’s Word.
Conclusion
Deuteronomy 14:10 was part of God’s law to keep His people holy and separate. It gave the Israelites a clear rule: if a sea creature did not have both fins and scales, they were not to eat it. It was unclean.
While Christians today are not bound by these food laws, the spiritual lessons remain powerful and relevant. God still calls His people to:
- Be holy
- Be obedient
- Be discerning
- Be spiritually clean
Our hearts should be more important than our plates. We must focus on purity, not just in what we eat, but in how we live. As followers of Christ, we are called to live lives that honor God in every way.
Let us remember the deeper truth behind Deuteronomy 14:10. It teaches us that God cares about every part of our lives, and He desires us to live in a way that shows we belong to Him.
“Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” — Isaiah 52:11 (KJV)
May we walk in holiness, guided by His Word, and filled with His Spirit.
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