August 16, 2026

UNIT 3 Lessons from Animals in the Bible

LESSON: 11

Study Text: 2 Samuel 24:1-25; 1 kings 19:9-21; 2 Chronicles 5:1-14; Proverbs 14:4; 1 Corinthians 9:4-14; Proverbs 14:4; 1 Corinthians 9:4-14

Central Truth: We should express devotion to God through sacrificial giving.

KEY Verse-- 2 Samuel 24:24 And the king [David] said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing (KJV).

But the king [David] replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it. for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing" (NLT).

LET'S GET STARTED

This week, we're looking at Oxen in the Bible. There are eight Hebrews words for "cow" in the Old Testament, signifying their importance in Israelite culture. Not only could cattle produce milk, meat, and leather, but their labor made them a very valuable commodity.

DISCUSSION STARTER--Oxen Trivia

Mark whether the following statements are true or false.  (1). T F Oxen are different animals than regular cattle. (2). T F Oxeb usually work alone. (3). T F Oxen can be trained to respond to verbal commands from their drivers. (4). T F Working oxen often wear shoes like horses, but they need eight shoes instead of four.

The word ox does not refer to a specific breed of cattle, but any bovine (usually male) over four years of age that has been trained for domestic labor. Oxen appear around 150 times in the Bible--mostly in the Old Testament. They usually fail into three categories: gifts or possessions (Genesis 12:16; Exodus 22:9; Job 42:12); sacrificial offerings (Leviticus 9:18; 1 Kings 18:30-38; Matthew 22:4); or farm animals used for plowing (Job 1:14; Isaiah 30:24; Luke 14:19).

                                                                 PART 1--Royal Offerings

          Costly sacrifice                                     2 Samuel 24:18-25

The beginning of 2 Samuel 24 records how David sinned by taking a census of the people of Israel. David repented, and God sent judgment in the form of a three-day plague, which killed 70,000 Israelites. Just as the plague closed in on Jerusalem, God relented and said to the death angel, "Stop! That is enough! After God spared Jerusalem, the prophet Gad told king David to build an altar where the angel of death had been stopped: "the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." David obeyed immediately. When David and his royal entourage approached the threshing floor, Araunah bowed low before the king. Not only was he willing to let David an altar there, but he offered to donate the property, plus his "oxen for the burnt offering" and the threshing boards an ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. He was willing to sacrifice his entire livelihood.

? How do the costly sacrifices in Genesis 22 (Abraham's don) and 2 Samuel 24 (Arunah's livelihood) illustrate the value of Jesus' sacrifice?

  Sacrifice of Praise                       2 Chronicles 5:1-6

In 2 Chronicles 5, the work on the temple had been completed and David's son Solomon was about to make another sacrifice--this time, a sacrifice of praise. It was time to fill the temple with treasure David had collected (2 Chronicles 5:1). The greatest treasure in the temple would be the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God's presence. The Levites would carry the ark from David's citadel, called Zion, up to the temple location. As the Levites brought the ark to the temple, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed numerous sheep and oxen) verse 6). Finally, the ark was placed in its permanent location in the temple.

? What does it mean to offer a sacrifice of praise?

PART 2--Forsaking Farming to Follow God

Plowing the Field                      Proverbs 14:4; 1 Kings 19:14-19

According to Proverbs 14:4, oxen create work and mess, but they also increase a farmer's harvest potential. This principle can be applied to all kinds of situations--from economics to local church ministry (kids make messes and break things sometimes, but a church much invest in the next generation to see a spiritual harvest). In 1 Kings 19, Elijah felt abandoned and alone. He had been working faithfully as a prophet--plowing his own field of ministry--but he was discouraged by Israel's faithlessness (verse 14). God responded to Elijah's misery by giving him a mission. He was to anoint two new kings and a new prophet (verses 15-16). God was going to give him a helper--someone to share his prophetic yoke and pull the heavy load alongside him. Elijah followed God's directions and found Elisha hard at work, plowing a field with a team of oxen. Elijah lets eleven ox-teams pass him and then casts his mantle--the token of spiritual power--over Elisha." Without saying a word, Elijah simply walked away, leaving Elisha to decide whether he would follow.

? Why do you think Elijah felt so discouraged in his ministry, despite the way God was intervening on his behalf? Have you ever felt this way?

  Answering the Call             1 Kings 19:20-21

Elisha's prophetic call follows the pattern of other call narratives in the Bible (Exodus 3:9-15; Judges 6:11-24; Isaiah 6:1-8; Jerimiah 1:4-10): the call was issued, the person being called

? Has God ever used strange circumstances to align you with His will? showed hesitation, and the call was confirmed. Verse 21 describes how Elisha sacrificed his oxen, cooking the meat over the wood of their yoke and other implements. He had made the irreversible choice to leave farming behind to follow Elijah and serve God. This was not a private commitment, but instead it was witnessed by the neighbors who shared the meal with him. It would be impossible for Elisha to return to his former way of life. Following God often requires sacrifice. Anyone wants to be Jesus' disciple must be willing to leave behind the comforts of home (Luke 9:58), family obligations (verses 59-62), even his or her life (Mattew 16:24-26). "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).

 ? What comforts, possessions, or obligations might God be asking you to sacrifice for the sake of following Him? 

PART 3-Supporting Ministries of the Gospel

      Hope of Sharing the Harvest            1 Corinthians 9:4-10

After providing some strong correction about leadership disputes and sexual sins in the Corinthian church (chapters 1-6), Paul began to address some specific questions about the ins-and-outs of church life (chapters 7-10). One of the issues he dealt with was whether--and how--ministers should be supported by local churches. Although Paul was single) at least at this point, based on 1 Cor. 7:8), he affirmed that churches should also support ministers' immediate families' brothers, and the other apostles as examples, using Peter, Jesus' brothers, and the other apostles as examples (verse 5). Soldiers, farmers, and shepherds benefit from the fruit of their labors, so why shouldn't a minister share in the harvest as well (verse 7)? Paul then transitions to an argument from the Old Testament law and clearly explains the application of Deu.25:4 in the Corinthians context: God was not just talking about oxen. Instead, "it was written for us" so that ministers could work hard--sowing seed and harvesting crops--with the expectation that they would share in the harvest (1Corinthians 9:10).

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? What is the value of financially supporting a minister--both for the minister's family and for the church? 

Spiritual Seed, Physical Harvest        1 Corinthians 9:11-14

Paul next argues that, if laborers have worked hard to produce a harvest, it is only fair that they should share in the proceeds (1 Corinthians 9:11). Paul himself had given up his right to be supported by the Corinthian church (verse 12) did not keep him from arguing that churches should offer this kind of assistance. Paul concludes his argument with two final examples. First, he points to the priests in the Jerusalem temple who ate portions of the meat sacrificed on the altar (verse 13). Second, he calls upon the highest authority of all--Jesus himself. When Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples in Luke 10:7, He told them to accept hospitality when it was offered, because "those who work deserve their pay." Some ministers choose to accept a church's financial support to provide for their needs and their families' needs. Others follow Paul's example and give up the right to receive such support. Either way, it is the local church's responsibility to offer financial compensation to the ministers who have been called to lead their congregation.

? Why do you think Jesus and Paul? both provided practical advice on this issue?

WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO US?

Oxen in the Bible usually appear as possessions, sacrificial offerings, or hardworking farm animals. Like donkeys, oxen are not especially honorable or impressive on their own, but they are strong and useful, illustrating; several spiritual principles. They represent the sacrifice required by each of us to worship God as He deserves, to willingly answer His call, and to support the hardworking ministers He has appointed over us. They remind us not to present offerings to the Lord that have cost us nothing (2 Samuel 24:24), but instead to offer our bodies to God as living holy sacrifices) Romans 12:1).

LIVING IT OUT

Spend some time watching documentaries about Oxen.  You would be surprised of spiritual principals you can learn from their God-given characteristics and behaviors? 

             DAILY BIBLE READINGS

                                     Monday: Obedience Better Than Sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:12-23

                        Tuesday: Cattle on a Thousand Hills. Psalm 50:7-15

                Wednesday: Living with Cattle. Daniel 4:24-33

                  Thursday: Inexcusable Excuses. Luke 14:16-24

          Friday: Driving Out Animals. John 2:13-17

                 Saturday: Honoring Elders. 1 Timothy 5:17-19

RADIANT LIFE

Volume 107 Number 3 Mar. Apr. May 2026

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