Animals, religious role of

Central to the OT sacrificial system, they were governed by strict laws within the Mosaic code.

Animals as defined by the Law of Moses

Animals for food

Leviticus 20:25–26 See also Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 22:8; Deuteronomy 12:15–16, Deuteronomy 12:21, Deuteronomy 14:3–8; Ezekiel 4:14, Ezekiel 44:31; Acts 10:9–14, Acts 11:6, Acts 15:19–20

You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.

Animals dedicated to the LORD

Exodus 13:1–2 See also Leviticus 27:9–13, Leviticus 27:26–28, Leviticus 27:32–33; Numbers 18:15

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

Domestic animals

Exodus 21:33–36, Exodus 22:10–15; Leviticus 24:18–21

Relationships with animals forbidden

Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 19:19

Animal carcasses

Leviticus 11:39

Animals in the context of Israel's sacrificial system

Used in various sacrifices

Leviticus 1:1–2; Psalm 66:15 See also Genesis 8:20; Leviticus 3:1; Numbers 7:87–88; Deuteronomy 16:2; 2 Chronicles 29:32–33, 2 Chronicles 35:10–13

Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, you may bring as your offering an animal from the herd or the flock.

I will offer You fatlings as burnt offerings, with the fragrant smoke of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Selah

Animals forbidden as sacrifices

Malachi 1:8 See also Leviticus 22:24–25; Deuteronomy 15:21; Malachi 1:13–14

When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts.

Animals in the context of judgment

Involved in judgment

Zephaniah 1:3 See also Genesis 6:7, Genesis 7:20–23 the floodExodus 9:22–25, Exodus 13:15; Psalm 135:8 Jeremiah 9:10, Jeremiah 12:4, Jeremiah 50:3; Ezekiel 25:12–13; Joel 1:19–20; Habakkuk 2:17; Zechariah 14:15

“I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

As agents of judgment

Leviticus 26:21–22 See also Ezekiel 33:27, Ezekiel 39:4, Ezekiel 39:17–18; Daniel 4:31–32; Hosea 2:12

If you walk in hostility toward Me and refuse to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times, according to your sins. I will send wild animals against you to rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and reduce your numbers, until your roads lie desolate.