Page 104 - Through New Eyes

98 THROUGH NEW EYES
both were to keep the sabbath (Exodus 20:10; Deuteronomy
5:14); both were under the blessing and curse of the covenant
(Leviticus 26:22; Deuteronomy 28:4); and the firstborn of both
belonged to God. Additionally, the entire logic of the sacrificial
system depends upon analogy between men and animals. 5
The Mosaic revelation contains numerous laws concerning
animals, such as that ox and ass are not to be yoked together,
and that the ox is not to be muzzled while it treads. Comment-
ing on such laws, Paul writes, “God is not concerned about
oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for
our sake it was written” (1 Corinthians 9:9-10). In other words,
all the animal laws are really concerned with human life. Not
muzzling the laboring ox (Deuteronomy 25:4), in context
(25:5-10), means that the levir (brother-in-law) is entitled to
benefit from the property of the child he rears for his deceased
brother, during the years of the child’s minority. Paul applies
this to pastors who care for the Church while Christ is in
heaven (1 Corinthians 9:10; 1 Timothy 5:18).
In fact, if we press Paul’s language, these laws did not con-
cern animals at all, but were “altogether”G concerned with
human beings. Does this mean that the Jews never needed to
keep these laws as they pertained to animals, but only as they
pertained to people?7 Or does Paul’s “for our sake” refer to the
New Covenant believers and mean that while the Jews were to
keep the “letter,” Christians only need to be concerned with the
human dimension? Or is Paul’s “altogether for our sake” only a
hyperbole of comparison? It is hard to know. One thing is clear:
The primary focus of the animal laws in the Mosaic revelation is
the symbolic and human dimension. According to Paul, God is
not particularly concerned with whether or not we yoke oxen
with asses, but He is concerned with whether or not Christians
marry unbelievers.
Not all animals symbolize the same things about God and
man. The Scriptures help us in seeing the precise ways in which
certain animals image the life of man, both positively and nega-
tively. This is particularly in evidence in poetry and proverbs.

Poetic allusions often emphasize the close similarities between
humans and animals. When Jacob blesses his sons, he com-