Deuteronomy 25:4 "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn."
It has been a while since I studied the book of Deuteronomy verse by
verse. As I read the verses, I am made to see myself as the vile sinner
that I am. I am made to be more and more thankful for the finished work of
redemption which was accomplished by my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I
am thankful for His shed blood which paid the debt that was exacted by the law
for guilty transgressors.
Also there are times when I am reading and a verse seems disjointed. Today's
passage is one such verse. I know the Apostle Paul used this passage of
Scripture when speaking of the churches taking care of their pastors.
"For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of
the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
(10) Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no
doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he
that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope." (1 Corinthians
9:9-10)
"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour,
especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. (18) For the
scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And,
The labourer is worthy of his reward." (1 Timothy 5:17-18)
So, I again look back at Deuteronomy 25:4 and think to myself, "Why did
God place this portion of the law in this particular place?" The
verses prior to this dealt with the punishment of a wicked man. If he was
judged guilty, he was to be beaten with no more than forty stripes. This number
was determined because more than forty stripes would render the man unable to
do his work and provide for his family. The verses following today's passage
dealt with men who would not fulfil their duty and the manner in which they
were to be treated.
God said in the middle of all this, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he
treadeth out the corn." Now you can understand why I wondered about
this passage concerning an ox that seemed to be so out of place in the verses
prior to and those following. Here is my assessment. There were
transgressions against the law where the individual was to be put to death,
whether by hanging on a tree or being stoned to death. There were other
transgressions when the individual was to be beaten, but by no more than forty
stripes. There were other transgressions where the person who was transgressed
against was to come before the accused, remove her shoe, and spit in the face
of the man. (See Deuteronomy 25:9.) It seems God used the principle that
the punishment was to equal the crime. And if the person administering the
punishment exceeded the limit of the law, then that person would become guilty
of transgression. For instance, if forty-one stripes were issued, then the
administrator of punishment would then become guilty of transgressing the law.
Going back to the passages written by the Apostle Paul, both of these passages
seem to deal with the care of the pastors. But then when you look at 1 Timothy
5:19, there seems to be an added thought which fits the thought of Deuteronomy
25. After Paul quoted the Deuteronomy passage in his letter to
Timothy, he then added, "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but
before two or three witnesses." (1 Timothy 5:19) In our dealing with
other people, whether they be the wicked, the man who would not honor his
brother's name, or people using false weights and measurements in their marketplace,
we must be careful in the manner we deal with them. They were not to
render them useless by their own judgments.
I admit to you that I will be glad to get beyond the chapters dealing with the
law. I see the law to be a harsh schoolmaster, teaching lessons that show
my own inabilities and cause me to cry out for mercy and grace from our Lord.
"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like
ME!"