Oxen and  Wild Donkeys

Several weeks ago, our chaplain reminded me that I  seemed to be spending a lot of time  talking about frogs, elephants, zebras, and lizards.  He asked me if  I had given any thought to what the bible was talking about when it talked about yoking an ox and an ass together.  (Deut. 22:10)

Believe it or not, our chaplain sounded like he didn’t want to get into the subject and decided to use me as the scape goat to get the message across.  You know me, give me an idea and no telling where I might go with it. 

Sometimes it is difficult to understand what the message is, especially in the Old Testament.  We know that all the Bible is given for inspiration, doctrine, and  instruction in  righteousness.  As God attempts to speak to us He has to break through this flesh to get his message across. As hardheaded as I am, that is sometimes difficult.

Back to the oxen and the  ass. Research shows that the ass the Bible was referring to was the wild donkey that is found in the land of Israel.  The wild donkey has the reputation of being difficult to be broken.  It is so hardheaded in fact, that it must be lead, or  driven.  The wild donkey is difficult to control.  He is head strong and  has to have his own way.

In Israel, the ox was bred to be a beast of burden.  It’s purpose in life was to be of service.  The ox could be yoked to a plow, or hitched to a wagon and without complaint, it worked all the day long.  The ox was one of the most important animals in the country.  The family who had oxen had a source of food, a method of making their farm work easier, and income if they wanted to sell.

The donkey, on the other hand,  was used to carry a load.  It could not be ridden like the horse because it could not be fitted with a bridle in order to direct it.  Because it had a mind of it’s own,  it had to lead, or be driven with a stick to make it go in the right direction. 

Okay, you ask, what does that have to do with how you yoke a donkey and ox together in the field?  Remember that in the Old Testament,  the Jews were given the law to help them  live according to God’s plan for mankind.  Every part of the law, all it’s rules and regulations, had a real life meaning.   All the sacrifices were fulfilled in Jesus,  the other rituals related to living the spiritual life.

Yoking the ox and donkey together could have  represented the war that we face each day between the flesh and the spirit.  Perhaps the ox represents the spirit, and the donkey represents  the rebellious flesh.  Romans eight tells us that there is enmity, or warfare between the flesh and the spirit.  This is because the flesh, like the wild donkey,  is not under the control of the Spirit of God.  The flesh is not  subject to the will of God, and like the wild donkey, has to be driven in order to make it do what the Spirit wants.  The flesh is headstrong and wants it’s own way. It is difficult to break the will of the flesh. 

The spirit,  on the other hand, is breathed by God into man and is designed to be obedient to the will of God.  The spirit is born to be obedient to a life of service to God.  The spirit has been trained to follow the leading of the Lord, and is disciplined to the things of God. 

Paul tells us to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  We understand this to refer to our not having business relationships with the world.  I wonder however, if he wasn’t trying to tell us to not be yoked together with the flesh in our service to God.  Just  as the law forbid the yoking of the flesh and the spirit, we are to strive for the obedience of the spirit in our walk with God.  We are not  to allow the wild, undisciplined, donkey of the  flesh to lead our lives.

As we examine our walk with God each day, let us strive to be the obedient, dependable ox in our service to God.  Let’s avoid being the wild donkey that must be driven, beaten with the stick, in order to do what it’s told.

In the Wind

Double D