*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*
*WHOSE OX IS GORED?*
*Scripture Treasure.*
Exodus 21:28 *If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.*
*Insight and Highlight.*
A person who suffers or loses in a given situation may not be the concern of the other person or anyone whom the injury does not interest personally.
*Scripture Commentaries.*
God made some laws serving as a warning to the Israelites to do no wrong. Some of these laws covered wrongs that are either intentional or unintentional.
By these laws, God desired that the people do good and ensure nobody loses by their action or inaction.
'Whose ox is gored?': teaches us that we are very uncaring about things that do not interest us. It is a statement similar to ''who cares?''
Particular to God's laws are those relating to animals in Exd 21:28.
This law relates to the evil committed by an animal. Its evil act, how it affects innocent people and how its owner is absolved of guilt.
It is important to know that God cares, and His law absolving the owner of the misbehaved ox that gores or stabs a man or woman with its horn was not one-sided nor injustice
We can, however, learn the following:
First, in Exd 21:28, an ox that killed a human being was stoned. It was stoned to make sure it did not kill again.
This shows the ultimate, sacred, and supreme value placed and attached to human life.
By this law, God wants us to place value on human lives and that God holds whosoever, whatsoever is responsible for any indecent act accountable.
Whosoever ox's gores, whosoever the ox belongs, though the law here says the owner goes quit, the continued existence of the ox or its importance to the owner must never be placed over the life of any human. The ox must face the ultimate penalty.
Today, this still guides safety laws that enforce euthanasia on dangerous animals.
The owner walks away as if nothing had happened, but a man or woman gored by his animal is dead!
The law is a reflection of how people would behave or wish to behave when such an incident happens rather than God encouraging the owner to be absolved from his animal's crime.
As long as an owner is free, it does not matter if his animal or someone dies as a result of his animal's misbehavior. Who cares?!
Furthermore, it teaches that nothing should be valued more than human lives.
This serves as a warning to people who often value what they have over human lives.
The law will take whatever you have, no matter how valuable it is to you, if it crosses humane boundaries. You may not care, but the law cares!
You will be surprised at times to hear how a fellow human being will mourn over property losses than he would on human losses.
You will be surprised how more attention is paid to the cost of landscapes, topography, or how much taxpayers' money is lost on a national disaster than how many lives are lost.
We must know that we can only talk about replacing lost infrastructures, but lives can not be replaced.
Moses's law recognizes the importance of the ox as a burden beast. It is one of the most useful utilitarian animals. It is used for agriculture, moving of equipment etc and people spend hugely on them either to breed or provide services.
If, however, it is considered homicidal and enough to cause death, it is also considered to be victory to humanity to stone the goring ox. No matter how expensive it was or how much value it added to the business, its value
is not to be reckoned with human value.
When your ox is gored (that is, is punished) for goring (that is, for killing) an innocent person, which of these attracts your interest more?
Is it your ox or the person it gored or killed?
Is it your ox or the innocent life lost?
Would you rather keep your ox alive over the innocent person killed?
Or simplified, when your child hurts someone, would you protect your child's misbehavior over the injury sustained by an innocent person?
Remember, the interest you have on a misbehaved animal or child you own must never override the value of a person your misbehaved animal or child hurts.
If you think your attitude should depend on 'whose ox is gored?', (in other words, you are saying: "Who cares?"), remember it could be yours, and you will be answerable!
*Remorse corner.*
Though God's law here protects the owner but his misbehaved ox must not go unpunished, and you may eventually be punished too.
*Call to Word action.*
It is not whose ox was gored (killed) for the offense committed you should be interested in. It should be the sorrow your ox caused to the innocent soul that should be of great concern to you!
*The Christian clarion duty.*
Show that you care. Do not live as if you do not!
*Prayer.*
Lord, give me a caring heart.
Help me to tame my animal and/or train my child so that they will not endanger people's lives, in Jesus name.
Good morning all, and be blessed as you come into His presence today.
God bless you.
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