Gail Landgraf posted: " Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com When we come to verse 3 of Deuteronomy 25 the words sound a bit familiar: "Do not muzzle an ox as it treads out the grain." It sounds slightly familiar because we studied the fact that you should not unequally"
When we come to verse 3 of Deuteronomy 25 the words sound a bit familiar: "Do not muzzle an ox as it treads out the grain."
It sounds slightly familiar because we studied the fact that you should not unequally yoke an ox with a donkey in a previous lesson. Scriptures seem to be so full of examples concerning farming and taking care of the land that God created. The two issues with the oxen are not the same though; so today we will look at yet another example and picturesque scene in the life of an ox who lived in ancient Israel.
An ox was a very important animal, and useful in many ways and phases of life. Young oxen were excellent sacrifices. They were useful in breeding and good for food. The strong ox was excellent for plowing the fields and when it was older it was again useful in treading out the grain at the threshing floor. Therefore; the mighty ox is often used in multiple biblical examples.
WELCOME
Welcome to our every Thursday bible study called COME AS A CHILD.
If this is your first time to notice our lessons; we publish this bible study every Thursday on The IN SEASON Lifestyle blog. Over one hundred of us have been patiently walking through the bible together in a page-by-page and word-by-word fashion while trying to use and focus with the eyes of a child just learning how wondrously their Father lives out life.
So far, we have not been disappointed at all; and every lesson has been a new discovery in wonder. We tend to go slow and take our time. This child is not in a hurry. He or She wants to stop and experience all the newness that surrounds in His/Her Father's kingdom.
Thank you for joining in with us and we hope you become a regular to the study. Your questions and comments are always warmly welcomed.
THE SIMPLICITY OF BEING HUMANE
This law about not muzzling your ox is mostly about being humane in your choices and actions.
I've always heard if a man treats his animals well; he will do the same for the people that he loves; but if you see a man kicking his dog; better beware!
This old wife's tale seems to line-up pretty straight with today's scriptures.
In the ancient days grain would be broken away from its husk by having an ox to walk on it repeatedly. Usually the ox would be harnessed to a center hub of wheel-like spoke on an elevated piece of hard ground and the ox had no way to move forward except to walk in a circle.
The corn or grain would be thrown down on the hard packed earth and it would lay there until it became good and dry. Then the old ox would be attached to the grinding wheel and he would have just enough slack on his harness to bend over to nibble on the corn and husk all day as he walked in a circle crushing the grain as he went.
MOST OF LIFE IS ABOUT THRESHING
Being placed in an elevated field, the wind would come and blow away the chaff and the grain that was good would be left for further harvesting.
The next process was one where the corn and chaff were tossed into the air so that the wind carried away even more of the chaff while the grain fell back on to the threshing floor. Threshing floors were often large spaces in roughly constructed barns. The best designed barns were constructed with large doors opening in the direction of the prevailing winds so that the wind could blow right through the barn and across the threshing floor for the purpose of the final winnowing of the corn.
That was at the very end of the threshing process though; the whole process started first with the ox turning the wheel as he walked in circles and stepping on and grinding out the grain below his feet. All the while, that ox would be eating some of the grain on the threshing floor as he trudged along.
If tasty food lay within the ox's reach, he was always motivated to keep moving forward and keep treading out the rest of the grain beneath his feet.
As long as that ox kept moving; the grain would get processed.
CRUEL AND GREEDY FARMERS WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL
It would be cruel to force the ox to walk on all of that grain, all day long, with a muzzle on his mouth so that he was not able to eat any of the grain he was working so hard to crush.
Part of that corn rightfully belonged to that ox who worked so hard to provide food for the whole farm.
This word/picture-story carries the same meaning as that old familiar saying that "a man is worth his wages."
To us today who think logically; this picture translates to define the fact that any man who is willing to work and earn his way should be rewarded with food and substance for his own well-being.
FARMING SEEMS TO BE A LOST ART IN OUR CURRENT CULTURE
Though they are always speaking of improving the environment and are loudly and publicly carrying this ideology out to totally ridiculous measures sometimes; I fear this concept of good farming might be a trait that has been lost to many of our current generation.
There are generations of people out there who have lived a charmed life; one in which everything has been magically given to them by wealthy well-meaning parents who forgot to think the matter through. These now grown citizens never once had to earn anything by providing for themselves. They have existed on their parents wealth and the wealth of a rich nation who has been very generous in providing for all; even those who could have looked after themselves.
Hence; we now have a generation who stands with their hands held out and asks Big Brother to take care of them. The environment they evolved from has taught them nothing else. They are highly educated; yet they know nothing about surviving life on their own. Their reasoning is as they have been taught; that the world exists to cater to their every whim. When this doesn't always happen; they get angry and rebel against society claiming social injustice has been committed against them.
Maybe these little ones will have to learn a few lessons about farming. That is a great place to start. I've noticed that Jesus often used examples about farming when He spoke.
TRUTH IS HEALTHIER IN THE LONG-TERM
Poor deceived babies.
They were never taught the truth.
Our goal here is to help people discover that God is an awesome Father who will always be around, even when everyone else disappears into the past.
God cares deeply about all of these little babies; but He is holy; and He can only exist in truth.
In the end; God's truth is the only real way to a happier and healthier life; but these little babies have yet to discover this fact. Their idea of utopia would be a world where they never had one ounce of responsibility. God's world works completely different from that; but it is fair and it is good.
Just ask any of the oxen that threshed the grain on Israel's threshing floors.
But these haven't discovered this untaught theory about life yet. They cry and they clamor and they thrash around like little birds who have been left in the nest unfed. Everything is so unfair from their perspective. All they know so far is to yell and be rebellious.
PRODUCTIVE WORK IS A GOOD THING FOR EVERYONE
Work is the last thing on their minds; and God did not intend for people to live that way.
There is the commandment that we rest on the Sabbath; then the rest of our week (the other six days) is to be consumed by meaningful, purposeful work of various degrees and levels. God gave balance, and He advocated that all people who work be given times of rest and that they are provided food and whatever else they deem necessary for life as they work.
Thus; the ancients were told to treat their oxen well and to feed them as they tread out the grain that would go upon their tables and make them wealthy; or at least give them a very sustainable living.
Without a healthy ox; the provisions of food would not be as easy and plentiful. Feeding the ox is a way of saying; "I'm grateful for your hard work – you are a great animal and you make a contribution to this family."
GOD LOVES ORDER AND BALANCE
The real irony of this lesson is that many of the people nodding their heads in agreement with these words will be those who have acquired very spoiled little pets who are totally useless (except for company); who are treated even better than their toddlers or teenagers.
Not muzzling the ox is about bringing balance and having responsibility toward others. To do this one must focus on the proper priorities.
Any adult should have higher priorities placed over raising their children than taking care of their dogs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a pet. Of course all pets should be loved and taken care of; but if it comes to the point that you are spending more toward the care of your pet than the care of your children; it is time to reevaluate how much you truly need a pet.
Life in God's Kingdom is a balancing act with many priorities; fortunately; there is enough love to go around to every place that it is truly needed if we are careful to pray and listen to what God truly desires of us.
GOD INVENTED COMMON SENSE
A lot of this lesson about not muzzling the ox is really about using common sense and balance. Life requires both things if we are to be responsible citizens of this earth and God's Kingdom.
This author is of the opinion that the total neglect of common sense has probably ruined a whole generation of over-educated idiots. These people have very high IQ's and they are very educated in the ways of the world. However; they cannot make it on their own without rearranging a government system that has been working soundly for hundreds of years. They do not know the meaning of that other old saying "if it isn't broke; don't fix it."
There is still hope for change though; and all of that hope is sort of like feeding the ox as it treads out the grain; we all could actually begin to teach our children while they are still at home with us. It is a given these days that this new thought might involve teaching a 35 year old as well as a two year old. It has to be done at some point; so I suggest we start right away; the sooner the better.
When the proper groundwork is laid in a child's spiritual life, and they know God's ways first, then they grow up and begin to go out into the universities and begin to seek professional careers; they will at that tender time begin to hear the garbage and nonsense of our country's current society, and they will discover the opposite ways of our culture's higher institutes of learning and thinking; but they will understand what is true and what is false and act accordingly; simply because we took the time to teach the ways of God before we sent them out into the world.
The answer is that simple; and yet it is always very difficult to happen. Now, some people are having to conduct this process in reverse and that isn't always as fruitful; as many have already chosen to take the wrong road from being fed the wrong logic.
THE MISSING LINK TO TRUE SOCIAL JUSTICE
This is what many godly parents have missed. We should have paid attention to all of the changes in education and corporate America instead of living that idolatrous lifestyle of "if it feels good do it" then teaching our children to do as we say and not as we do.
We; the parents of the Americans who are left, need to take control of our God-given responsibilities and TRY to turn things around for what is left to our children and grandchildren. It will take MUCH prayer and fasting and turning and turning and teaching and teaching. You cannot remain silent and accomplish this. Take the risk and step out in courage and SPEAK UP for what God says is right.
If we do not get them on track soon; there will be nothing left for anyone.
When nations turn their backs on God; He lets them fall apart. God lets us make our own choices; He will never force Himself upon us.
FINDING THE TRUTH UNDERNEATH THE LIES
It is time to turn back around and face whatever it will take for our nation to return to living under God's truth and not the world's lies.
Let's not let another generation suffer from this degenerative disease. The only TRUE utopia is The Kingdom of God, and because we haven't taught this; the youth of our country are grasping for false securities that are nothing but lies on top of lies.
It all starts with the basics and the basics can be found within the study of the Holy Scriptures, even the simple ones; like "don't muzzle your ox while it is treading out the grain."
CONSIDERING THE NEW TESTAMENT FACTS
Paul brings up this concept in the New Testament. He speaks in 1 Corinthians 9:9 about how a minister is worth his keep: "For it is written in the Law of Moses; 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.' Is it about oxen that God is concerned?"
Paul is asking the same questions that I bring up here.
The wise old Apostle Paul is defending the right to partake of a portion of the offerings for his own welfare. It is a basic provision in the scriptures, in both Old and New Testament teachings; that God's servants who give their earthly lives over to Him are provided for through those who believe in God and promote His ways.
Paul was a missionary of the Gospel and he depended on the generosity of others for his well-being (just like the ox in our earlier example.)
Some who aren't fond of the promotion of the Gospel through God's missionaries look at this example and try to reverse our argument and say that a man is worth his wages and then claiming that Paul did not work a real job so no one should give him payment so that he can have what he needs to live.
If you believe that you might want to go back and re-read about those days he spent in prison for the sake of the gospel, and then also think about those three shipwrecks where he almost died for the cause.
That point proves to be very untrue, and the fact remains that God has commanded we help such people willingly. This story about the ox is treated just the same as this story of the New Testament missionary; the ox is a missionary seeking to help the family at the farm to eat. Therefore; the farmer should treat the ox with dignity and let him have his food as he makes more food for all those who live in the abundance that he is providing.
SPELLING OUT WHAT IS FAIR
It is only fair.
Whoever works should be paid a fair wage for his work. This is a universal principle that always works out to the best interest of all parties involved. The concept came straight from the mouth of God to Moses ear and Moses repeated it to those Israelites learning how to live their lives in the best ways.
Fairness is a Christian virtue that we all should be using in our daily lives.
We should be treating all people in a way that is fair and equitable.
This is a TRUE definition of fairness and equality; not a skewed WOKE definition. That means that a man is worth his wages, and an ox (or a man) who works deserves to eat. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the color of one's skin or the social or political group that a person belongs to.
All people must be treated the same.
WHEN THE OX DOESN'T WORK - HE DOESN'T EAT
The opposite is also true; if a man does not work; he does not deserve to eat. This isn't to say that only able-bodied individuals deserve to eat; of course not.
This is just to say that ALL have SOMETHING to bring to the table; even the disabled. They must be responsible with the amount of work that they can handle; which may only be responding kindly to the hand that feeds them; they still have a part to play and must be taught to play it responsibly. Every person who lives and breathes is capable of a kind word or a smile. It will give them dignity; like the ox that is able to eat the grain even though he will feel he suffers because he is harnessed to a spoke on a wheel. He can still be thankful that he is given food to eat.
Muzzling an ox grinding out grain would be to remove the dignity of the ox.
All people have the right to be treated with dignity; no matter their status in life, this is the Christain way; because this is God's way.
This simple example speaks of the ox doing all that he is capable of doing in the situation and the circumstances in which God has placed him for the present time. Tomorrow that same ox may be turned out to a pasture full of green grass and water and able to wonder to his heart's content. Either way; it is his duty to do what is responsible. It is the same with humans; those who are doing all that they are capable of doing should receive their just rewards from society.
IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVE AND HOW TO TREAT YOUR FELLOW MAN
So now you are seeing how this old commandment of God that sounds so ancient and over-simplified isn't so simple at all; but it applies to every situation of citizenship that exists today. This tried and true concept works toward TRUE social justice whenever we stop to consider the deeper illustrations that it teaches us about how to get along in the world.
We ARE our brother's keeper.
You don't have to go to Harvard or Stanford or Yale or Cambridge or any other Ivey league college to figure this out, or to learn how to treat your fellowman.
As a matter of fact; today some of these high institutions of learning seem to be teaching just the opposite of these biblical standards. Shame on them. Someone needs to take a stand and call them out. Why would anyone listen to untrue garbage when there is a so much better choice. Perhaps that is why they try to cancel out Christians and treat us as if we are the dirty ones who need to be punished.
If these things continue to happen; God will come to our defense and things will change.
All a Christian has to do today is to turn the pages of the bible and read the simple ways that God gave to Israel. They will then know the best ways to live out life on planet earth today.
THE GREATEST WAY OF LIFE IS GOD'S FREE GIFT
Guess what?
This way of life is free!
Not only is is free; but it is better!
You need not turn to the government for a special loan that you cannot afford and spend years learning things that you know in your heart are untrue and unworkable toward peace and tranquility in life.
It cost you nothing to take out those scriptures and study your bible. The cost only comes into play when you begin to live it all out; but I think you will find that every second is worth any cost.
Compare all of that with tuition to an Ivy League college of today, or a professional position in a glass tower with a cubical that you can only leave when they tell you to leave.
KNOW THE TRUE SOURCE OF LIFE
Think smarter; be godly! Learn how to educate yourself in a new way; perhaps a way you might never have thought of before. Learn the ways of God and you will never be steered in the wrong direction. Then (if you still feel it is necessary) go ahead and get that college education and that professional position that the world requires; just remember the truth and live it out when you are done.
Know the source of truth; know God and His ways first; and have discernment as you go through the institutions of the world to know the difference in God's ways and man's ways. If you can accomplish that; you can REALLY make a difference in the world.
Then go out into that freedom that only people who think in a godly way can find. It is called "the peace that passes all understanding." Some will never understand those words; but "dogs always return to their vomit." Also; wise men never "throw pearls to swine." When you find that hidden pearl of God's wisdom within the pages of The Holy Scriptures; keep them safe and use them to guard your heart.
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF UTOPIA
There is Kingdom coming that is so much better than a socialistic utopia. The Kingdom of God is built on truth; not lies.
Every single aspect of the teachings of communism, totalitarianism and socialism, is based on lies and every country that falls for those lies eventually lives to regret it.
Yet; every country that puts its trust in God and turns back to His ways to live finds love, hope, peace and a better way of life. There was a time when this was the picture of America.
I hope it isn't too late.
We are not too hopeless to believe that such a time can yet return again; one in which God's ways will be able to unite ALL of God's people once more; either with a changing generation of new American thinkers; or with the Second Coming of Christ who will usher in God's Kingdom on earth for one thousand years.
There is always hope to sustain us until that happens.
When it does; no ox will be muzzled as he grinds out the grain. The Harvest will be beautiful and full, and there will be enough for everyone in abundance.
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