Exodus 34:26 “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
God has already ordered the Israelites to bring the best of their first fruits to Him several times. At my childhood home, we had all kinds of fruit trees – two kinds of cherry trees, two kinds of pear trees, two kinds of apple trees, grapes, and other fruits. And we also planted a big garden every year. But some years, the insects or caterpillars moved in. Some years, the birds got to the cherries before we could pick them. And some years, a hail storm would hit just when the fruit trees were blossoming, tearing all the blossoms off the trees and eliminating the possibility of fruit. The raccoons LOVED our sweet corn, and we had to plant enough for the raccoons and for us. The point is this: when your garden or your fruit trees begin to bear, you are never certain how much you will harvest, if anything. Bringing the best of the first fruits is an act of faith; you are telling God that you trust Him to provide for you. You are willing to give God the best at the beginning, rather than enjoy it yourself.
This command regarding the cooking of a young goat in its mother’s milk has led to all kinds of controversies over the years. For Orthodox Jews, this command is the basis for many of their dietary regulations regarding the separation of meat dishes from dairy, with different sets of cookware for each, etc.
The best reason I have found for this prohibition is described by Dennis Prager. “According to the Torah, one is not permitted to boil a kid in the same substance (milk) with which the animal’s mother gave it life. This law exists not for the sake of the animal, which is already dead, but to elevate the Israelites. There is something perverse – even mocking and cruel – in cooking a baby animal in its mother’s milk. This injunction was considered so important that the Torah states it three times (in this verse, Exodus 23:19, and Deuteronomy 14:21..)
The Torah is rooted in distinctions: God – man; male – female ; human- animal; and life – death. This law likely concerns the last. God does not want us to symbolically combine death (the dead animal) with life (milk – especially that of its mother, which sustained it). Judaism expanded this law into a general ban on consuming milk and meat at the same time.” (Dennis Prager The Rational Bible: Exodus)
Why is God so particular? As God continues to give commands, He gives all kinds of orders regarding the handling of dead bodies of humans and animals, handling of infected materials and even buildings, and assessment of medical conditions.
When I was growing up, there were many times when my mother refused to let me do “what everybody else is doing.” Mom’s rejoinder: you are MY child and I don’t want you to behave badly.” God is doing the same thing with the Israelites. The tribes throughout the area had all kinds of barbaric practices. God has chosen Israel to be a light to the nations and He wants His children to behave properly. God wants Israel to become a graphic demonstration of everything that is right and true and pure and holy.
APPLICATION: What kinds of standards do you have for your life? Are there things that you absolutely refuse to do because you know they are wrong? There are people who try to argue that there are no moral absolutes; however, you will notice that they want others to treat them in a moral fashion. Those destroying the property of others in demonstrations become incensed if someone messes with THEIR possessions. Some people try to argue that every situation must be judged on its own merits, but how do you judge anything when there are no fixed principles of right and wrong?
Throughout the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, God continually turns the attention of the Israelites to those things that will promote life. Egyptian religion made a big thing about death; God wants the Israelites to turn away from a death – focused religion to focusing on life instead -turning away from darkness and into the light.
1 John 1:5 says, “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” Today, God wants you to move toward the light. Come to Him in prayer, and He can take away the darkness that torments you.
PRAYER: Father God, today many of your children are struggling in darkness and are afraid. Please send your light into their lives and help them to see how much you love them and care for them. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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