Seething Kids in Mother's Milk

In a recent Bible study, I made application of the scriptural prohibition of "seething a kid in its mother's milk." Interestingly, this obscure statute is found in three places- Exodus 23:19; 34:26; and Deuteronomy 14:21- God giving three witnesses to a principle. 

The Rabbis make a rule of this forbidding the consumption of dairy and meat together, even prohibiting using the same dishes or storage places for both. However, this stretches a specific prohibition of a kid in its own mother’s milk to include all animals of any age and all milk being located in the same proximity. Is this a logical interpretation, or does this make void the word of God by their tradition?

Paul the apostle took an obscure regulation occurring in Moses only once- Deuteronomy 25:4, “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.”- and made broader application twice- 1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18- saying, God is concerned here with more than the ox; and the laborer is worthy of his pay. Can we not make a similar application of God’s three witness concern a kid and its mother’s milk?

Principle: An immature offspring should not suffer or die by means of what is meant to nourish from its own mother. 

Our mother is the church. We are the children of God, of his flock, brought into the covenant by and through the church’s labor. Our milk, until we are strong enough for meat, is the simple substance of God’s word. Yet, it is possible, and too often happens, that young Christians are beaten up with what is meant to nourish, bring life and encourage growth. Such can happen when the word of God is misinterpreted, misapplied, used out of context, in a manner contrary to its intent, out of season, with a haughty spirit, in an accusatory manner rather than one that edifies. And, such may be done by believers with much zeal for the things of God but lacking wisdom in speaking the truth in love.