When Scripture repeats something, we should pay careful attention. In Deuteronomy 25, there is a law that we might be tempted to gloss over except for the fact that it gets repeated in the New Testament not just once but twice!

The law is found in verse 4: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” I don’t know about you, but I do not own an ox. If I did, I would not use it to tread out grain— there are machines that do that much more effectively. So, why should modern readers pay attention to this obscure law?

There is a principle here that gets unpacked later in the Old Testament. First, we are not to be cruel to animals. Making an ox labor treading on the grain while not allowing it to eat any of it would be tantalizing and unkind to the animal. “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” (Prov. 12:10).

But there is a second, deeper principle here. The apostle Paul quoted this law on two occasions in the context of compensation for those who lead and teach in the church (1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 5:18). Read in context, Paul’s reasoning is a “how much more” type of argument. If an ox should benefit from the produce of its labor, how much more should a minister of the gospel be supported by their labor? Paul shows us how the Law is relevant in the life of a believer today. We are not under the Mosaic covenant, but those laws reveal deeper theological principles that help us understand the character of God and provide us with wisdom for how to live in ways that please Him. Care for animals and concern for just wages are still issues we face today.

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