This week, Shannan Wham, a member of our Pelham Road Campus, answered an anonymous question.
Will God exact justice and/or vengeance against those who are cruel and abusive to animals? Does God's jealous concern for His Creation extend to the animals as well?
When I sat down to respond to
this question – once my eyes dried up from all the dust that had gotten into
them mysteriously – I thought about the story an elderly preacher told of a boy
about nine years old dying of cancer in the hospital. The child's parents,
grandparents and other loved ones were still alive and he was afraid of being in
Heaven alone without anyone familiar.
The preacher said,
Earlier
in that year, the family's beloved and cherished bulldog had died and the young
lad had helped his father bury that dear pet. Now, facing Eternity himself, the
child looked at me and asked sincerely, "Preacher, when I get to Heaven, will
Buster be there to meet me?" I knew this was no time for spouting any lofty
theological suppositions, so I answered totally from my heart, "Son, Heaven
wouldn't be Heaven if our furry friends aren't there to meet us. Don't worry,
Buster will be waiting."
I
believe as the preacher did that God does have a great concern for His animal
creations and will not look lightly upon those who abuse them. That God is
solicitous of the animals is well attested to by Scripture. In the first
chapter of Genesis, God created the animals of the world on the fifth and sixth
days and when He looked at the fruits of His labor, He “Saw that it was good.”
Later on in Genesis as God prepares to punish the Earth with the Flood, He
instructs Noah to build the Ark, not just to save Noah's family and not only to
save animals meant for food, but to save representatives of ALL the animals God
had created. If God did not care for the animals He created, why would He
require such a mighty labor from Noah in order to save them?
The Law
of Moses is also laden with provisions to prevent cruelty to animals. Men are
not allowed to cover or muzzle the mouth of an ox used to turn the millstones
to grind corn but must allow the animal to eat the grain that falls into the
animal's path. The Law even permits “work” on the Sabbath day to rescue an
animal that has fallen into a hole. In the Midrash, which is the rabbinic
commentary on the Mosaic law, even the slaughter of animals for food is addressed
with procedures meant to ensure as little distress and pain to the animal as
possible. It says in part, “in Kosher slaughtering, the Sochet (Jewish
slaughterman) must perform the slaughter in a single, swift, uninterrupted
sweep.”
Perhaps
the most famous incident of God's concern for an animal in the Old Testament is
in the story of Balaam the prophet in Numbers 22. Balaam was hired by the King
of Moab, one of Israel's enemies, to put a curse upon the Children of Israel as
they journeyed towards the Promised Land. As Balaam was on his way to meet with
the king, God sent an angel to oppose Balaam. His faithful donkey saw the angel
though Balaam could not and refused to carry his master within range of the
angel's sword. After Balaam had beaten the loyal animal three times, God gave
the donkey power to speak and at the same time opened Balaam's eyes to the
angel in the way. The donkey explained why he had stopped and would not go on
and when that did not satisfy Balaam, the angel spoke to Balaam and said, “Why
did you beat your donkey those three times? I have come to block your way
because you are stubbornly resisting me. Three times
the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”
The New
Testament also has references to God's love and concern for His animal
creations. In Matthew 10, Jesus is sending out His Twelve for their first
missions and He warns them of the opposition and danger they will be facing. To
ease their fears, however, He tells them how God His Father is so concerned
with all His creatures that “not a single sparrow can fall to the ground
without your Father knowing it.” Imagine, the One who created the universe is
so in touch and shows such concern for His Creation that He personally
acknowledges the passing of the least of His creatures!
Finally,
we have to realize God despises cruelty in any form to any creature, man or
animal. Mankind was given rule over the animal kingdom, but right of rulership
does not give rights to treat a ruler's subjects cruelly. As rulers over the
animals, we are tasked with tending God's literal flocks properly just as we
must strive to reach His spiritual flocks as well. I feel the last word on how
we should treat our animal charges – and everyone and everything everywhere –
can be found in the little Old Testament book of Micah when the prophet tells
the people
O
people, the Lord has told you what
is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
If we
do what is right and we love mercy, it goes without saying that we will not be
cruel to animals and if we are cruel to animals, we are breaking one of God's
commands and God, though slow to anger, will not allow His commands to be broken
without punishment.