Animals
1. Care for animals. Animals may be used as beasts of burden. However, they are not be mistreated.
a. Do not work with two different species of animals yoked together. (Deuteronomy 22:10) Due to their different sizes, strides and strengths, they cannot pull evenly and they will suffer. A righteous man cares about his animal’s health. (Proverbs 12:10)
b. Do not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. (Deuteronomy 25:4 cp 1 Corinthians 9:9-12; 1 Timothy 5:17-18) The animal should not starve all day while surrounded by food due to its master’s greed. The animal should partake of some of the benefits of its labor.
c. Beasts of burden are to be allowed to rest on the Sabbath. (Exodus 23:12)
d. Beasts of the field are to be allowed some food too. (Exodus 23:11) We are used to trying to keep every single bit of our gardens for ourselves. We spray them with all kinds of pesticides and fence them in. The Bible, on the other hand, advocates that we make allowances for a certain amount of “loss” to wild life, thus ensuring their continued existence. An excellent example of the type of problem that arises when these laws are disregarded is the rapid demise of the monarch butterfly due to herbicides being applied to road-side milk thistle. Because the state of California decided it didn’t like the looks of milk-thistle, it killed millions of these butterflies. The loss is not limited to their beauty. Monarch butterflies are important pollinators.
e. Mother and young (Leviticus 22:28; Deuteronomy 22:6-7). We are not to slaughter both the mother and the young of a domesticated animal on the same day. The same is applied to wild animals, notably a bird and its eggs. The goal is to ensure the maintenance of the genetic line.
2. Other’s animals. (Deuteronomy 22:4; Exodus 23:4-5) Our care and consideration for the lives and welfare of animals must not be curbed by the fact that the animal in question belongs to an enemy. We may choose to deny the animal to the enemy, but we may not cause the animal to suffer.
There is a notable exception (Exodus 17:14-16; Deuteronomy 25:19; 1 Samuel 15:2-3, 20-23). Due to Amalek’s hunting of the slow and weak among the congregation, their willingness to kidnap children for profit (1 Samuel 30:1-3) God made Moses permanently record His pronouncement of permanent hatred for Amalek. He said that he would be at war with Amalek from generation to generation. He told the people to blot the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Contrary to the usual practice of sparing the animals, this edict included animals. (1 Samuel 15:3 cp v. 14)
Their false religion included child sacrifice, prostitution, bestiality and homosexuality. So, perhaps the culture was so diseased that even the animals were unsafe to have, much like the “Mad Cow” slaughters in England.
On the other hand, the Amalekites had a nasty habit of using their animals as weapons in a war of attrition (Judges 6:3-6). Perhaps this made the vital difference and set the animals outside the usual prohibition.
a. Do not work with two different species of animals yoked together. (Deuteronomy 22:10) Due to their different sizes, strides and strengths, they cannot pull evenly and they will suffer. A righteous man cares about his animal’s health. (Proverbs 12:10)
b. Do not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. (Deuteronomy 25:4 cp 1 Corinthians 9:9-12; 1 Timothy 5:17-18) The animal should not starve all day while surrounded by food due to its master’s greed. The animal should partake of some of the benefits of its labor.
c. Beasts of burden are to be allowed to rest on the Sabbath. (Exodus 23:12)
d. Beasts of the field are to be allowed some food too. (Exodus 23:11) We are used to trying to keep every single bit of our gardens for ourselves. We spray them with all kinds of pesticides and fence them in. The Bible, on the other hand, advocates that we make allowances for a certain amount of “loss” to wild life, thus ensuring their continued existence. An excellent example of the type of problem that arises when these laws are disregarded is the rapid demise of the monarch butterfly due to herbicides being applied to road-side milk thistle. Because the state of California decided it didn’t like the looks of milk-thistle, it killed millions of these butterflies. The loss is not limited to their beauty. Monarch butterflies are important pollinators.
e. Mother and young (Leviticus 22:28; Deuteronomy 22:6-7). We are not to slaughter both the mother and the young of a domesticated animal on the same day. The same is applied to wild animals, notably a bird and its eggs. The goal is to ensure the maintenance of the genetic line.
2. Other’s animals. (Deuteronomy 22:4; Exodus 23:4-5) Our care and consideration for the lives and welfare of animals must not be curbed by the fact that the animal in question belongs to an enemy. We may choose to deny the animal to the enemy, but we may not cause the animal to suffer.
There is a notable exception (Exodus 17:14-16; Deuteronomy 25:19; 1 Samuel 15:2-3, 20-23). Due to Amalek’s hunting of the slow and weak among the congregation, their willingness to kidnap children for profit (1 Samuel 30:1-3) God made Moses permanently record His pronouncement of permanent hatred for Amalek. He said that he would be at war with Amalek from generation to generation. He told the people to blot the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Contrary to the usual practice of sparing the animals, this edict included animals. (1 Samuel 15:3 cp v. 14)
Their false religion included child sacrifice, prostitution, bestiality and homosexuality. So, perhaps the culture was so diseased that even the animals were unsafe to have, much like the “Mad Cow” slaughters in England.
On the other hand, the Amalekites had a nasty habit of using their animals as weapons in a war of attrition (Judges 6:3-6). Perhaps this made the vital difference and set the animals outside the usual prohibition.
