Cloven Hooves

Deuteronomy 14:4-6

4These are the beasts which you shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, 5The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois. 6And every beast that parts the hoof, and separates the cleft into two claws, and chews the cud among the beasts, that you shall eat."

Everything in the New Covenant is hidden somewhere in the Old.  It's like a "pictionary" of the New filled with pictures, stories, types and offices of Jesus.

So why is God so concerned that His people eat animals with cloven hooves and that chew the cud?  For one thing, modern science has discovered that these animals are healthier for us to eat.  God, of course, is concerned for our physical well-being.  But everything in the Old also has a spiritual application.  Let's investigate.  

1 Corinthians 10:1-4

"1Moreover, brothers, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."

You remember that in the wilderness the Children of Israel had two different "Rock encounters:" One in the beginning of their travels where Moses struck the rock and water flowed out; the other where he struck it against God's will and was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.  

(For the complete story of why he was excluded, follow this link:  

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/speak-to-your-rock.html)

After Jesus rose from the dead, He told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem.  

"4And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, you have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

After He ascended to heaven, they gathered together in an upper room for fear of the Jews.  And then.....IT HAPPENED!  

Acts 2:2-4. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat on each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

There's the cloven thing again only this time, it's referring to being baptized in the Holy Spirit.  Huh?!  What's that all about?  As usual, He is drawing pictures for us again.  Cloven hooves speaks of rightly dividing the word of God.  As for chewing the cud, that is a depiction of meditation.  (For more on that topic, follow this link:  

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2016/04/meditate-hagah-tree-series-part-2.html)

The most important truth God is trying to convey here, from the very first day of the birth of His Church is this: 

"Eat from ministries that chew the cud and divide the hoof."  
In other words, the most beneficial spiritual food you can eat is from ministries that make meditating on the word of God and RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE COVENANTS top  priority.

So much heartache and physical sickness has come from those ministries that do not know how to rightly divide, and they are legion.  For an in-depth study on how to rightly dived, follow this link to 
part one of the series:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-1-of-16-introduction-to-rightly.html

There is no more important skill any Christian can cultivate than this one.  Incorrectly dividing  the covenants puts people back under bondage to the Law and subject to the curses of Deuteronomy 28. We don't need any of that in our lives, Church.

This is serious business, folks.  God is not kidding here.  You are either under Law and justified by your works OR you are save BY FAITH through the finished work of Christ.  You cannot have it both ways.  It is JESUS.....PLUS NOTHING.  All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.  On my Jesus' finished work will satisfy the Father.

That's how critically important that your ministry or that of your pastor be one of Cloven Hooves.