“If, as you are walking along, you happen to see a bird’s nest in a tree or on the ground with chicks or eggs, and the mother bird is sitting on the chicks or the eggs, you are not to take the mother with the chicks. You must let the mother go, but you may take the chicks for yourself; so that things will go well with you, and you will prolong your life.”-Deuteronomy 22:6-7
James’ philosophy concerning the ideals of “true religion” continues on from verse 6 where we’re told one is forbidden from capturing a mother bird together with her baby chicks.
What exactly do I mean by saying the ideals of “true religion” continue on from here?
I’m talking about the Lord’s compassion for those who have the least value and are the most vulnerable in society.
Notice in verses 6 and 7 that the Lord’s concern for his animal creation is not just restricted to domestic farm animals.
And recall the commands requiring us to assist an ox or donkey that has toppled over due to the heaviness of the load it was carrying.
God wants to make it clear that His ideals of humanitarianism should extend to all of His creatures BOTH domestic and wild.
Here’s the thing.
From a human perspective, a wild bird has practically zero economic value when compared to sheep, donkeys or bulls which can be used for sacrifices and food.
Yet it doesn’t matter.
Verses 6 and 7 are saying the same principle of compassion is to be applied to the weakest and least valuable creatures in the animal kingdom as well.
Take a look at the following three passages from Torah and see if you can tell me what common denominator ties all of them together.
“You must let the mother go,
but you may take the chicks for yourself;
so that things will go well with you,
and you will prolong your life.”
-Deuteronomy 22:7
“You are not to boil a young animal
in its mother’s milk.”
-Exodus 23:19
“Honor your father and mother,
so that you may live long in the land
which ADONAI your God is giving you.”
-Exodus 20:12
Can you see the common denominator?
Well actually I just gave you the common denominator by bolding and underlining it.
The point is that respect and compassion for the parent-child relationship is NOT to just be restricted to humans.
Although this is difficult to discern in the English, the writer of Deuteronomy structured his narrative in such a way that one is supposed to see the link between the mother bird and her baby chicks AND…
…a human mother and her children.
It is the same thought being expressed in exactly the same language.
By demonstrating proper reverence to the parent and their relationship to their children by sparing the life of the mother bird, ADONAI promises long life and His SHALOM!
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