That's Weird

The Bible contains some things that at first glance seem really, really weird.

When reading recently, I came across this sentence in Exodus.

“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk. (Exodus 23:19b ESV)

What in the world?

What is the purpose of this command? Why is it important that one does not boil a young goat in its mother's milk?

One thing that is important to keep in mind as we read the Bible is the context. How did we get here?

Let's dig in to the story, and that can help us see the meaning behind this command.

1. The Created Order

In The Book of Genesis Chapters 1-2, we see that God has created the world, living things, and mankind. It is all good, and man and woman are very good. Adam & his wife live in perfect harmony with God as co-cultivators of the garden.

2. The Fall

Genesis Chapter 3 gives us the story Adam and Eve's sin which is called the Fall. God had commanded them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, Adam and Eve disobey God's command. They choose to practice their own moral autonomy.

This decision to step outside of God's perfect will proves catastrophic for all humankind to follow. Sin has separated mankind from God.

3. God chooses Abraham, and ultimately Israel

Through the line of Abraham comes the nation of Israel. God has made a covenant with Abraham and remembers his people, Israel, when they are in the house of slavery in Egypt. He delivers them through the infamous plagues, and they cross through the Red Sea. Upon their deliverance, Israel begins to embrace their identity as God's chosen people

4. The Law

God gives Israel the Ten Commandments, as well as the rules of the covenant. This is where we are in the Book of Exodus when we see the line: "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk."

We need the context for this line to make sense. God had created all things good, and man was to live joyfully in God's presence in the garden. Relationships between God, man, and nature were in perfect order. However, sin upset that order.

One way to look at God's law is that He is helping us to understand His perfect, created order. We are to look into the law as it helps us to know how we are to live unto God. The law also helps us see how to love our neighbor and treat people with dignity, We also learn how to steward God's creation.

Therefore, we can understand that it would be an abomination to boil a young goat in its mother's milk. The milk of the mother goat is supposed to nourish and grow a young goat to maturity. The milk of the mother goat is not to be the cauldron of death for her young. It disrupts God' perfect created order, so God commands that Israel not take part in that practice.

Can the law restore God's created order?

The law is good. But the law could never bring us salvation. The law could never fully restore us to God because we cannot keep all of the law. The law helps us by showing us our need for a Savior.

The law can't redeem us because we can't keep it, we are too sinful.

We need a sinless, spotless sacrifice to take away our sins. But who can keep the law?

Jesus kept and fulfilled God's perfect law. 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18 ESV)

How does that bring us back to God?

The holy, sinless Christ died in our place.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

Jesus became the sinless sacrifice. Jesus took the penalty for our sin, and gave us his perfection.

LET THIS SINK IN. Chew on this. Live from this place. Worship God with this in mind. It is hard to always keep this in focus.

Jesus traded our sin for his perfection. This is the deal. This is the gospel. Do you have this?

Jesus took our sin, we receive his perfect righteousness! His blood brings us back, whole, to God. Receiving Christ's gift of perfect, spotless righteousness is as simple as opening up your hands of faith.

Has Jesus paid for your sin? Do you live like it?

Or are you trying to 'work' your way back to God? 

Jesus is the bread of life and to have him, you must see your need. You must become a beggar and go through the soup line of faith, asking Jesus to become Lord and Savior of your life. You must cling to him by faith through all the challenges life throws at you. You can do this because he has gone to the cross for you. Jesus has paid for your sin. Jesus wants you, and he gave his life to prove it.

In his resurrection life, Jesus has established God's new creation. 

By faith, we die to sin and live in Christ. In Christ, our order becomes restored and we once again live unto God. We obey his law from our hearts because he gives us the Holy Spirit who empowers us from within to do so. All who put on Christ become new creations in him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Jesus restores us to God. In Christ we begin to become renewed people. As we grow in our faith, we become more and more like Jesus. We start to renew and redeem God's creation like he does. We start to build up Christ's body. We start to watch heaven come to earth! And one day, Jesus will make all things new. You are gonna want to be there!