I’ve recently been enjoying YouTube videos which focus on Australian Customs, Immigration, and Border Control. Australia is an exotic place - a largely western culture smack-dab in the middle of predominately Asian cultures. Many of the episodes deal with people entering from other Asian countries, some of whom try to bring in traditional foods that are prohibited in Australia. One product in particular is milk. If a food product lists milk as an ingredient, it is confiscated by border control officers. Apparently even processed milk can carry unwanted pathogens.
Milk is a great food. Throughout history, milk - and the cows that produce it - is seen as a symbol of prosperity and wealth. To have many cows was to be a wealthy person. It wasn’t just the animal; it implied that you had land (or access to land) and could produce secondary products like meat, leather, and cheese. Cows can even be wedding dowries. Cows were the stock market of the day (pun intended).
Even in the narratives of Scripture, cows and their byproducts are indicators of potential prosperity. When God promised a land to ancient Israel, it was described as flowing with milk (and honey - I know honey doesn’t come from cows). It isn’t coincidence that in the story of creation, God refers to “cattle” as the representative group of animals that fill the earth. (Full disclosure: please note that the Hebrew word translated “cattle” could simply mean “large animals that are herded,” thus potentially including sheep and goats that were also very common.) Calves played a significant role in the ancient system of sacrifice (it was a “golden calf” that Aaron built while Moses was receiving the Law on Mount Sinai).
The theme of “many cows = prosperity” is carried throughout the Old Testament. However, that idea of “prosperity” should have been understood as “blessing.” It is God who created the beast and who maintains the conditions so the herd can flourish. Consider Psalm 104:
He sends forth springs in the valleys;
They flow between the mountains;
They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
They lift up their voices among the branches.
He waters the mountains from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the labor of man,
So that he may bring forth food from the earth,
And wine which makes man's heart glad,
So that he may make his face glisten with oil,
And food which sustains man's heart. (Psa. 104:10-15 NASB)
The psalm concludes with this note of praise:
O LORD, how many are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all;
The earth is full of Your possessions. (Psa. 104:24 NASB)
Let the glory of the LORD endure forever;
Let the LORD be glad in His works;
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Let my meditation be pleasing to Him;
As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD. (Psa. 104:31-34 NASB)
For the ancient peoples - and for us - we cannot lose sight of the facts that (a) God is the owner of everything, and (b) God creates the conditions that exist to make the enjoyment of His blessings possible.
Ever since Adam and Eve decided they wanted to “be like a god,” we have struggled to embrace these truths. Our fallen nature pursues autonomy, not dependence on God. While our economy is no longer measured by cows (unless you are a farmer), we still use the stock market (and its derivatives) as an indicator of economic well-being. It is easy to forget that prosperity is divine blessing and that He maintains ownership over all things.
A more modern benefit of cows is their contribution to the production of ice cream. There are few summer treats greater than two scoops on a hot day. I promise to enjoy some this summer. Each cone is an opportunity to say “thank you” to the God who created the fields where the cows graze that were milked so the cream could be crafted into icy goodness. Each scoop is an expression of our own gladness for the goodness of the Creator who has provided us with His blessings as a reminder of His care for each of us.
