Last year we had a look at the
twelve oxen at the foot of the sea of bronze. The number twelve and
the way the oxen were arranged represented the fact that all of
God's children should represent the likeness of God to all the
corners of the world. All of us should proclaim His Kingdom
throughout the world, no matter what our occupation is.
Today we will look at the meaning
of the oxen themselves. Let us start by looking at the Bible where
specifically twelve oxen are used. In Numbers 7 the tabernacle was
dedicated to the Lord. And in verse 3 we see that each leader of
the tribes of Israel brought an ox to be used in the work of the
Tabernacle. Oxen were thus seen as a sacrifice by the
leaders. In 1 Kings 19:19 Elisha was plowing with the
12th team of oxen when Elijah called him to be his
follower. Thus 12 oxen seem to indicate to me, leaders dedicated to
service to God, giving what they had and their lives to Him.
Oxen are also traditionally seen as
strong, loyal and hardworking. Oxen were also used to break new
ground.
If we look at all this information
and what oxen represents we can conclude the following: Oxen are
strong, loyal, hardworking, groundbreakers and represents dedicated
lives in service to God.
And I believe that is exactly what
God wants us to be. He wants us to be strong. He wants us to resist
the urge and the temptations of this world. He wants us to choose
Him no matter what the circumstances are. He wants us to be loyal
to Him. He wants us to stand up for Him even though it might not be
the popular thing to do. I remember how unpopular I was after I
asked the school to not have a ghost house at the school fair or
when I asked them to remove a prescribed book containing a 'soft
spot' for witches etc. We won't be popular if we stand up for God
and His ways, but God wants us to remain loyal to Him, despite
opposition.
God wants His children to be
hardworking and not lazy. We cannot expect God to open all the
doors for us and not do anything from our side. We must always do
our best and God will do the rest. We can therefore trust Him that
everything will work out, but we must do our part as well. Also we
cannot 'just pray' about certain situations. Many times action is
also required in addition to prayer. Obviously prayer is essential,
but sometimes we need to act too. For example where Moses prayed to
God to intervene when the Egyptians attacked them in the
wilderness. God asked him why he was praying, because this was not
a time to pray, but to act. He had to lift up his staff to open up
the way through the Red Sea. He had to do his part too.
God wants us to be groundbreakers.
He wants us to spread His Word on dry ground. He wants us to be
innovators and to till the ground for His sake.
And above all He wants our lives
dedicated to Him. He wants us to realize that we are dead in Christ
and that He lives through us now. It is not us living anymore, but
Him through us. That is true life. He wants our dedication
and commitment to Him and His Kingdom. He wants us to exalt Him in
all areas of our lives.
Come and be the ox for Christ. Be
the leader, walk in front, lead by example and let others
follow.
Father please help us to be oxen to
be proud of. It is not always easy for us, because in our fast
paced world an ox is too slow. But we know and we praise You that
You can use us and can develop our abilities into powerful tools in
Your hands. Amen