A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel. (v. 10)
I consider myself a dog person, and while I would never own a cat, cat videos are some of the funniest clips out there. I have always enjoyed animals, and this text makes it clear that we should have regard for the lives of the animals we own. Yet, I will never understand America’s obsession with all things pets. 2020 statistics reveal that Americans spent almost $40 billion on pet food alone (that’s correct, 40 billion USD), and this does not include all the money spent on vets, pet toys, pet clothes, etc. Sadly, this is about the same amount of money Americans spent on missions in the same year. While, of course, pet owners include lost people who would not give to missions, the figures are still astounding. (For a list of other heartbreaking statistics, see http://www.thetravelingteam.org/money-and-missions)
It is good to be kind to animals, and there is no sin in having pets, but we must hold these things in balance. Animals are not people, and while this text makes it clear that a righteous person is never cruel to his animals, we must remember that animals exist to serve our purposes. I have two wonderful dogs I care for, but my life does not revolve around them. If your pets dictate what you will and will not do, if they demand as much attention as your children, if they consume your time and your resources, you might be taking things a little too far. In Western culture, concern for pets often turns into idolatry, and we must resist idolatry at all costs.
The most interesting part of this proverb, though, is the latter half; “even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.” The point is that culture does not define “compassion” or “cruelty.” God’s word is what must define those terms. What the wicked consider to be compassion is often cruelty. For instance, going into debt to buy Halloween costumes for their pets while letting the poor go hungry. Or treating unborn humans as disposable sacrifices on the altar of “choice” but protesting the killing of livestock for food as “unethical.” We don’t define compassion and cruelty; God does. The righteous man cares for his animals and pets as a good steward of what God has given him. Yet, he treats his fellow human even better as someone who has been created in the image of God.
