Troublesome Topic: LESSONS FROM THE INSECTS THAT JUMP AND FLY

Insects that fly were off limits. Insects that crawl on the ground were off limits.

The one kind of flying insect they could eat was the kind that “walks” on four legs, and has two additional legs specifically designed for jumping. We would say it has six legs, but God divided them in to two types of legs based on their purpose. But it can also fly at least to some degree. Of the four examples given, three are probably locusts and the fourth appears to be a grasshopper. The emphasis seems to be on the presence of legs specially designed for jumping.

The grasshopper often crawls in the dust, but it can leave the dust by jumping and taking flight for a short distance. However, the word at the end of verse 21 is not “dust,” but “earth,” which is neutral. The use of the word “earth” may hint at the concept of “dust” for everyone knows that when a grasshopper crawls around on the earth, he is crawling in the dust. The ability to quickly leave one’s setting seems to be the emphasis for these animals, and dust is what the grasshopper leaves when he jumps and flies.

If you live in a negative, unwholesome environment, don’t let yourself get stuck there all the time; take flight and get away for a reprieve on a regular basis. Even if you must land back in that negative setting again, such as a negative work environment, a reprieve will help you be ready to face it with a godly perspective. Find refuge in God’s word, in prayer and in fellowship with other believers who can encourage you and hold you accountable.

One does not see locust in the dust but rather on plants. The people despised them because they were so destructive to crops. But here the emphasis is not on how much they consume but rather on their ability to jump and fly. They can avoid danger by jumping and then flying. They were considered clean because they taught the lesson that God has equipped us with the ability to get out of a situation that does not glorify Him. He did not equip us with this ability so we could avoid uncomfortable situations or get away from something we don’t like, rather He gave it to us so we could get away from situations which would compromise us spiritually. Paul told Timothy to “Flee youthful lusts”, (II Timothy 2:22). A good example is how Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife even though he ended up in jail because of it.

Once they had depleted the supply of food in one area, locusts moved on to other areas.

Likewise, as we feed the “inner man” with spiritual food, we need to be willing to try different methods of feeding our souls according to God’s prompting. While a daily time with God is a must, what that looks like can change. For instance, you may read through the Bible in a year, you may read just one or two verses and study/ponder them for quite some time, or you may read until something grabs you and then you stop and give that special consideration. None of these are wrong and none of them are the only right way to do it. The best way to study God’s word is the way that feeds your soul the most. For many of us, that best way has changed over the years. From various stories we read in the Bible, we get the idea that God recognizes that our lives are composed of various seasons; we should recognize it too.

The locust has the ability to move on to other sources of nourishment, do you?

This has been the last lesson on the food laws. The next section is about sexual sins and its first lesson is WHAT MADE SEXUAL DEVIATIONS WRONG?