USA What insight do you get out of this scripture verse? How do you apply it to the modern day?

[NathanH83]

Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?
-1 Corinthians 9:7,9-11 (NKJV)

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Corinthians 9:9-11 - New King James Version

Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

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[Stravinsk]

The chapter of Deuteronomy that verse is found in (25) seems out of place among the rest of the verses, as it is the only one that concerns an animal, and the rest deal with humans.

Still I don't think that justifies it as some sort of analogy, as Paul treats it. The context he gives to it doesn't fit with the other passages of Deuteronomy 25 either.

I once heard a Jewish theologian's take on it and that it was simply one of various laws that have to do with being kind to animals. The ox is doing labor for the men who are using it to tread out the grain, therefore do not do the cruel thing of muzzling it from eating some of that grain while it labors for you. That's it. No extrapolation or special insight needed.