Why did God allow clean and unclean animals into the ark?

The story of Noah's Ark is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. According to the story, God instructed Noah to build an ark and to bring two of every kind of animal into the ark to save them from a great flood. But why did God allow clean and unclean animals into the ark?

The answer lies in the concept of purification. In the Bible, certain animals are considered clean and others are considered unclean. Clean animals are those that are considered pure and suitable for sacrifice, while unclean animals are those that are considered impure and unsuitable for sacrifice.

By bringing both clean and unclean animals into the ark, God was purifying the world. The flood was a means of cleansing the world of its impurities, and by bringing both clean and unclean animals into the ark, God was ensuring that the world would be purified.

Moreover, God was showing that all creatures, regardless of their status as clean or unclean, were worthy of salvation. God loves all creatures, and by bringing them into the ark, He was showing that He values them all equally.

Another possible reason for allowing both clean and unclean animals into the ark is that God was preparing the world for the coming of Jesus. In the New Testament, Jesus is often referred to as the Lamb of God, a reference to the sacrificial lambs that were offered in the temple.

By allowing both clean and unclean animals into the ark, God was preparing the world for the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus came to be the ultimate sacrifice for all sinners, and by allowing both clean and unclean animals into the ark, God was foreshadowing this ultimate sacrifice.