Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.
Hebrew; it’s an interesting language. Did you know that there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet (27 if you consider the ones that change form when placed at the end of a word)? Were you aware that each letter is assigned a number? Not only that, but each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is also assigned a picture or pictogram and a meaning.
Take, for instance, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet which is Aleph (א) and the last letter, Tav (ת). The number for Aleph is 1, and the number for Tav is 400. The pictogram for Aleph is the head of an ox and the pictogram for Tav is a cross (Both pictured below). The meaning of Aleph is “ox, strength, or leader” while the meaning of Tav is “mark, sign, or covenant”. When all of these pictures and numbers and meanings are taken into account, the Hebrew language comes to life! It’s not boring and “simple” like English. There’s depth to it.
Moving on. We have a Proverb here that has, what I believe to be, two different meanings. First the obvious: with no beasts of burden, there’s no garden. But, with just one ox you could plow your fields and reap a harvest. Pretty general, pretty factual, very practical. I’ve been ruminating on this verse for about a week now and have come up with a second meaning. It’s a more spiritual meaning and I’ve been looking at it based on my limited knowledge of the Hebrew language.
You see, this verse makes a clear distinction between the first and second half. In the first half the word is oxen, meaning multiple animals. But in the second half it’s clear (in every translation I’ve seen) that the strength of one single ox could bring about an abundant harvest. As I read this verse over and over I began to think about the Hebrew pictographs and letters and thought to myself, “What is special about this ox?”
If you’ve read any of my posts then you know where this is going. I believe the “ox” in the second half of this verse is a reference to Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself uses the analogy of taking our burdens and replacing them with His yoke (something oxen wear to work) so that we can rest (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus also said that He came to give us abundance of life (John 10:10). So is it that far fetched to associate Him with the ox in this verse?
Friends, Jesus is the only One who has the strength to bring us the abundant harvests. A harvest of salvation, health, happiness, children, prosperity, work; what we call “the good life”. Are you without oxen? Do you lack the tools to bring in the harvest for your family? Realize that there is only need for one Ox; that’s Jesus. He’s the supply that you demand. It is only by His strength that we have life. It is by His finished work at the cross that we can boldly come to the Father and He shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19).
[An interesting sidenote: Aleph-Tav (Read right to left! את) when placed together gives us a picture. The leader, our strong Ox, and the cross where His work was finished. Why is Jesus the Ox in this case and not a goat or lamb? Because to sanctify a priest who had sinned, a bull had to be offered (Leviticus 4:3). We are all priests once we accept Christ and are washed in His blood (Revelation 5:10) and therefore require the bull sacrifice for our atonement. In this case, Christ is the bull. Maybe it just means the beginning and the end. In the Old Testament (the beginning of the Bible) we had sacrifices, but in the New Testament (the end of the Bible) we have just a Cross. Play with it a bit. Look at the meanings. There is only one (Aleph’s number) God who continually waited through 400 year (Tav’s number) cycles to reveal things. For 400 years the Israelites were in bondage. For 400 years God was silent between the last prophet of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus (who is the One).]
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