Proverbs 14:4 states, “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.”
At face value, this verse provides a practical observation about farming life. The crib, or feeding trough, remains clean when there are no oxen present. However, without oxen, essential farming tasks like plowing fields, threshing grain, and hauling loads cannot be accomplished. Oxen bring strength and productivity, enabling much work to be done, but they also create a mess that requires cleaning up.
This proverb illustrates the balance between effort and reward. In ancient Judea, oxen were indispensable for agriculture. They plowed the fields, transported the harvest, and treaded the grain. Their presence meant constant work and upkeep, but their strength and labor brought about a bountiful harvest. Without oxen, the crib remains clean, but so do the fields – barren and unproductive. The mess and effort associated with keeping oxen are directly tied to the reward of a plentiful harvest.
This principle applies directly to our spiritual lives and ministries. Just as the oxen are necessary for a fruitful harvest despite the mess they create, dedicated and hardworking individuals are crucial for the spiritual growth and well-being of a church.
Spiritual work involves effort, patience, and often dealing with challenges, much like maintaining a clean crib with oxen present. Ministries that produce spiritual growth, such as teaching, discipleship, and evangelism, require significant effort and often result in challenges that need addressing. The ‘clean crib’ of a church with no active ministry may appear orderly, but it lacks the vitality and increase that come from engaging in the messiness of spiritual labor.
In the same way that oxen represent diligent labor in agriculture, they can symbolize faithful ministers and workers in the church. Ministers and church workers, like oxen, carry the heavy load of teaching, guiding, and nurturing the congregation. They may face many challenges and their work can sometimes be messy, requiring constant effort and dedication. In an active church, there will be new Christians. And new Christian’s won’t always do things exactly as you might expect. Someone must teach them, work with them and be a friend to them.
The labor of ministers brings about spiritual growth, much like the oxen’s labor results in a fruitful harvest. Where there are no diligent workers, there is no spiritual increase – no new believers, no deeper understanding of God’s Word, and no growth in the faith of the congregation.
Therefore, the proverb encourages us to embrace the necessary labor and the mess that comes with it. In a spiritual context, this means investing time and effort in ministry, discipleship, and community soul winning, despite the challenges and difficulties that might accompany the work.
These efforts lead to significant spiritual benefits and growth. Embracing the work and its accompanying challenges is essential for achieving spiritual maturity and abundance. Just as farmers accept the mess of oxen for the sake of the harvest, we must embrace the challenges of ministry for the sake of spiritual growth and the spread of the Gospel.
