9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

Yesterday we considered the symbolism of clean and unclean land animals, and how the clean animals represented qualities of righteous and faithful followers of God. But it was not only land animals that had rules of cleanliness. Today we hear the rules for which animals of the sea could be eaten, and which could not.

As with the land animals, there are two important criteria. To be a clean sea creature, it must have scales and fins. This obviously matches up with what typically comes to mind when we say “fish.” Salmon, trout, swordfish, carp, these would all be included. It would not include things like clams, octopuses, or lobsters.

Part of the symbolism of clean sea creatures has to do with the context that they live in. The water is not where man lives, it is not fit for him to dwell there, only to make brief visits to it. It is mysterious and its depths are hidden. The sea could be seen as an analogy for the world, something distinct and different from the heavenly spirit that lives in all of us. Something that we all interact with, but only on a temporary basis, until we return to our eternal home up above.

Given that context, the presence of fins would suggest purposeful, directed, and constant movement. Be in the world to achieve what you need to achieve and then move on, not stopping and becoming attached to it. Not crawling along its darker depths. The scales can represent a boundary or a protection. A wall that keeps the foreign world out. A wall that keeps us shaped the way God made us, not amorphous or filled with the surrounding atmosphere like a jelly fish.

Thus, even with the sea creatures, the rules of cleanliness and uncleanliness once again serve as a symbolic reminder of the qualities that we must strive for to maintain a healthy separation from the world and consecrated to the Lord.