You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. (Deuteronomy 14:21 ESV)
Pets and Faith
When God finished creating animals, both wild and domesticated, He saw that His creation was very good. (Genesis 1:25) Logically, this indicates that as much as God ‘likes’ majestic lions, elegant giraffes, efficient water buffaloes, and intriguing platypuses, He also ‘likes’ our pets.
He created them, and enables our relationship with them, because He considered them good for us.
The breadth and depth of God’s compassion for His creation, now broken by Adam’s sin, is shown profoundly in this odd commandment from Deuteronomy 14. Why should God command that a young goat not be boiled in its mother’s milk?
Some have considered that God had health concerns, perhaps similar to concerns about the germs that commonly inhibit pork… but biology has shown this is not likely to be the case. Some have proposed that some sort of symbolic matter regarding the sacrificial system was behind God’s command… but if so, there is no further scriptural evidence for this. Some have wondered if God was issuing commands to demonstrate His authority even over simple dietary matters… but this seems trite.
I believe and hope that God is instead richly displaying compassion.
The picture of a mother goat’s precious offspring being prepared in the milk that is intended to sustain that young animal puts the ‘sad’ in sadistic.
Scientifically… it does not matter. Objectively… it seems unimportant. Logically… why should anyone care about a soulless goat and her food-purposed baby?
But God shows compassion. For those who might observe, for those who like goats, for those with tender hearts, yes. But even for the goat herself.
That teaches us about God’s compassion. It encourages us that He has compassion for us, too. It shows us that God cares for every part of His creation.
The death of the divine Christ on the cross for us,much more lowly humans, is the result of similar Godly compassion. The same God who cares about baby goats obviously cares for His people too.
We need compassion, and God has shown that He has compassion to spare. Believe it.
Take the faith God grants us.