Author: Jim

An ox (plural oxen), also known as a bullock in Australia and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals easier to control. Cows (adult females) or bulls (intact males) may also be used in some areas.

Most of the references in the Old Testament refer to Ox/Oxen being used as sacrifices and/or work animals. They are also used in prophecy.

The Lord Jesus spoke of the oxen in the Parable of the Wedding Feast.
Matthew 22:4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

Used as an excuse to not follow the Lord.
Luke 14:19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

The condition of the Temple as the Lord Jesus walked on earth.
John 2:14-15 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;

The priest was about to sacrifice to honor Barnabas and Paul.
Acts 14:13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.

Paul quoted the Old Testament in Justification of paying those who are full time workers spreading God’s word:
1 Corinthians 9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
1 Timothy 5:18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
Deuteronomy 25:4 Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

⇛ return to Animals
⇛ also see Beast, Bull, Bullock, Calf, Cattle, Cow, Heifer, Kine

Leviticus 11:30 And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

The mole lives under ground, and the bat in gloomy, dark caves where nobody thinks of going; so when it is said that the idols shall be “Cast to the moles and to the bats,” it means that they shall be thrown away in dark and neglected places, just as we throw away old shoes, or anything that
we care nothing about.

Isaiah 2:20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

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The third plague that God imposed upon Pharaoh and the land of Egypt.
Exodus 8:16-18 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

The Psalmist reminds Israel of the plague God had sent.
Psalm 105:31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

⇛ return to Insects-Bugs

Listed among the clean animals that Israel could eat.

Deuteronomy 12:15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
Deuteronomy 12:22 Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.
Deuteronomy 14:5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.
Deuteronomy 15:22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

Daily provisions brought to Solomon to keep his kingdom.
1 Kings 4:22-23 And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.

An illustration of how much we need God.
Psalm 42:1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

King Solomon likens his lover to a Hart.
Song of Solomon 2:9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: …
Song of Solomon 2:17 … my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.
Song of Solomon 8:14 … my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart …

Isaiah writes of a coming Kingdom hen the Lord Jesus will rule the world.
Isaiah 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Jeremiah laments on the conditions of Israel after her fall to Babylon.
Lamentations 1:6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

⇛ return to Animals
⇛ also see Deer, Roebuck

Listed as unclean; Leviticus 11:16 Deuteronomy 14:15

The Lord God reminds Job that He is in control of all His creations.
Job 39:26 Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?

⇛ return to Animals
⇛ also see Bird, Birds, Dove, Eagle, Fowl, Owl, Peacock, Pelican, Pigeon, Quail, Raven, Sparrow, Stork, Swallows, Turtledove

The Lord Jesus, speaking to the scribes and Pharisees used these words to tell them what was wrong with their following the Law. They worried about all the small things and ignored the most important/ Sounds like the leaders of may of the Religions of today.

Matthew 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

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Exodus 8:1-15 The 2nd plaque

The Psalmist reminds the nation of Israel of The Lord God’s judgements against Egypt.
Psalm 78:45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
Psalm 105:30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.

Prophetic event to occur during last part of the Tribulation, when Satan is in control, getting the world ready for Armageddon (vs 14-16).
Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

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Camels were a mode of transportation:
Genesis 24:64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

Listed as an unclean animal for food:
Leviticus 11:4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.
Deuteronomy 14:7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.

Samuel’s instruction (from God) to Saul (vs 1-2). Utterly destroy all.
1 Samuel 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

Zechariah warns of the plagues to come:
Zechariah 14:15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.

The Lord Jesus uses the camel in his teachings.
Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

⇛ return to Animals

As Jacob was returning back to the land God had promised to Abraham He have to make amends to his brother Esau. The whole list is in Genesis 32:13-15.
Genesis 32:15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

David uses Bulls to describe his enemies:
Psalm 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

The Lord is testifying against Israel Psalm 50:7-15.
Psalm 50:13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Part of the Psalmist speaking of God’s goodness to Israel.
Psalm 68:30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

Job speaks of the wicked
Job 21:10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

All of Isaiah 34 is a judgement against Israel’s enemies then and in the future Tribulation.
Isaiah 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

Isaiah warns of God’s coming wrath
Isaiah 51:20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.

Jeremiah 50 is a judgement against Israel’s enemies then and in the future Tribulation.
Jeremiah 50:11 Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;

Jeremiah 52 writes about the destruction of Isarel under Nebuzaradan (vs 16)
Jeremiah 52:20 The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

The apostle Paul write to believing Jews how the death of Christ has put away the Law and scarifying of Animals
Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

⇛ return to Animals
⇛ also see Beast, Bullock, Calf, Cattle, Cow, Heifer, Kine, Oxen

Looking at the New Testament:

The Lord Jesus refers to the Bird as he explains his ministry.
Matthew 8:20, Luke 9:58 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Matthew 13:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Paul speaking of unsaved individuals and what they worship.
Romans 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Paul puts down evolution by pointing out the different flesh.
1 Corinthians 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

The Lord’s brother, writing to fellow believing Jews, reminds them that man has been able to tame all types of animals, BUT can not control his tongue. (just listen to language of today).
James 3:7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

This event occurs during the 7 years of Tribulation.
Revelation 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

⇛ return to Animals
⇛ also see Birds, Dove, Eagle, Fowl, Hawk, Owl, Peacock, Pelican, Pigeon, Quail, Raven, Sparrow, Stork, Swallows, Turtledove