Topical Bible: The Ox: (Prepared for a Feast) the Provision of the Gospel

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical literature, the ox is a symbol of strength, service, and provision. It is often associated with agricultural labor, as it was a primary animal used for plowing fields and threshing grain. However, the ox also holds a significant place in the context of feasting and sacrifice, which can be seen as a metaphor for the provision of the Gospel.

Biblical Context and Symbolism

The ox is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, often in the context of sacrifice and feasting. In the Old Testament, oxen were commonly used in sacrificial offerings, symbolizing atonement and reconciliation with God. For instance, in 1 Kings 19:21, Elisha sacrifices a pair of oxen as a sign of his commitment to follow Elijah and serve God: "So Elisha turned back from him, took the pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s equipment, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate."

The ox is also featured in the parables of Jesus, where it represents abundance and divine provision. In the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24), the oxen are part of the feast prepared by the master, symbolizing the richness and sufficiency of God's invitation to salvation: "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’" (Luke 14:18-19). Here, the oxen are part of the worldly distractions that keep people from accepting the divine invitation, yet they also underscore the abundance of the feast that awaits those who respond.

The Provision of the Gospel

The imagery of the ox prepared for a feast can be seen as a metaphor for the Gospel's provision. Just as the oxen were prepared for a great banquet, the Gospel offers spiritual nourishment and eternal life through Jesus Christ. The sacrificial aspect of the ox in the Old Testament foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who provides the means for humanity's redemption and reconciliation with God.

In the New Testament, the provision of the Gospel is likened to a feast, an invitation to partake in the richness of God's grace. Jesus Himself uses the imagery of a banquet to describe the Kingdom of Heaven, emphasizing the abundance and generosity of God's offer to all who believe. The ox, as part of this feast, symbolizes the strength and sufficiency of God's provision through the Gospel.

Conclusion

The ox, when viewed through the lens of biblical symbolism, represents more than just an animal of labor and sacrifice. It embodies the strength, service, and provision that are central to the message of the Gospel. As part of the feast, the ox signifies the abundant life and spiritual nourishment available to all who accept God's invitation. Through the sacrifice of Christ, the ultimate provision is made, offering eternal life and reconciliation with God—a feast prepared for all who choose to partake.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 9:2
She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine; she has also furnished her table.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

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 fatted calves are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Three Parables of the Gospel: of the Recovery of the Lost - of ...
... been couched: Which of you shall have a son or an ox fallen into ... that his younger
brother had come, and the calf long prepared against a feast had been ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the three parables.htm

The Parable of the Wedding Feast
... The ox knoweth his ... I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed,
all ... to be saved?" but others need to be attracted to the wedding feast by the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the parable of the wedding.htm

Demonstration vi. --Of Monks.
... The fatted ox is slain and the cup of redemption mixed. The feast is prepared
and the Bridegroom at hand, soon to take his place. ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration vi of monks.htm

Jesus the Bread of Life.
... Had the feast been given by a banqueting Pharisee, a ... but a new, uncontaminated food,
prepared independently of ... The ox finds ample nourishment in grass; we can ...
/.../the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol i/xiv jesus the bread of.htm

Notes
... baptism was of no avail, save that it prepared the way ... a presepio at Greccio, to
which a living ox and ass ... to the Roman Breviary:" (1) For the Feast of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/notes.htm

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... of Zacch??us to dinner, and went to the marriage-feast. ... And as the ox was created
for ploughing, the horse ... and lives was made for food, and prepared for the ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii jerome answers the.htm

John Bunyan on the Terms of Communion and Fellowship of Christians ...
... eternal judgment; the salvation that God hath prepared for them ... partakers of the
joy of the gospel (Philippians 1 ... 1.) This would be ploughing with an ox, and an ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/john bunyan on the terms.htm

The Greatness of the Soul,
... take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel, etc ... in, while
on this side glory, where the other house stands, as ready prepared for us ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the greatness of the soul.htm

The Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgment:
... entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them ... in a high
degree, conformable to the morality and heavenly influences of the gospel. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the resurrection of the dead.htm

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
... to address his fellow-prisoners-he had neither written nor even prepared a sermon ...
then a land of darkness, is now widely covered with gospel blessings-slavery ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy city or the.htm