Are you smarter than a cow or a donkey? We would all like to answer that with a resounding, “Yes!” And surely we are. But do we always act like it where it matters most?
In the opening verses of Isaiah’s prophecy, listen to God’s charge against the people of Judah: “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
God isn’t being mean or insulting—He is bringing Judah’s foolishness to light. Dumb beasts like oxen and donkeys recognize their masters. They know who feeds them and cares for them. If that’s true of livestock, shouldn’t we be able to acknowledge as much? And yet, ancient Judah is not alone in forgetting God.
So, how about us? Do we know we belong to and depend on God? Are we thankful for His care and obedient to His lordship, or could we learn from the cattle and donkeys?