by Steve Hale
"A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel" ( Proverbs 12:10, NKJV).
It is amazing to watch many animal rights activists fight against the cruel treatment of animals, but in the same breath be pro-abortion. For such people, the National Right-To-Life Organization has this slogan. A baby seal, pictured on a bumper sticker, says: "Save the baby humans."
However, we should not let extremists push us to extremes. Solomon said that "a righteous man regards the life of his animal." King David was told Nathan's famous parable of the poor man with one little ewe lamb. A nearby rich man would not feed a wayfaring stranger from his herds with many sheep, but took the poor man's little ewe lamb:
"So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, 'As the LORD lives, the man who had done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity'" (2 Sam. 12:5-6, NKJV).
While it was right for the rich man to entertain the wayfaring man with some of his own herd, it was wrong for him to do so with a little ewe lamb which was the same as the poor man's pet. His sin was his greed, selfishness, and lack of compassion on the poor man.
Further, it is perfectly right to use animals for food. Paul warned Timothy about false teachers who would be: "forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth: ( I Timothy 4:3, NKJV). The only prohibitions are to abstain "...from blood, from things strangled..." ( Acts 15:29).
The Old Law had strict food prohibitions ( Leviticus 11). For example, rabbits "...because it chews the cud, but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you" (Lev. 11:6). In like manner, the pig "...though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you" (Lev. 11:7). Under the New Law, Paul said: "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon, or sabbaths" ( Colossians 2:16). So, the former prohibitions were lifted.
What does the Bible say about the treatment of a dangerous animal, like a dog that bites or a bull that gores? In Exodus 21, Moses addresses the ox that gores. If the ox gores someone to death, it is to be stoned and its flesh not eaten (Ex. 21:28). The owner, in this case, will be acquitted.
If, though, the ox tended to thrust in the past, and its owner did not keep it confined, then not only is the ox to be put to death, but also its owner (Ex. 21:29)! Therefore, the Bible gives tremendous responsibility and accountability to the owner of a dangerous animal. In cases of neglect and harm, the owner is held responsible (Ex. 21:30-36).