“The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” Genesis 1:12 NIV
Most of the Bible was originally written to those living in an agrarian society, people familiar with working the land, managing livestock and growing crops. Many of Jesus’ parables involve the farming life. Not surprisingly, then, the Bible contains many references to sowing and reaping. Sowing and reaping is a law of the natural world. On the third day of creation, God commanded the earth to bring forth living plants “bearing seed” and fruit “with seed in it”. These plants were then given to us for food (Genesis 1:29). Ever since the beginning, humanity has understood the process of sowing and reaping and has applied it for their benefit. God uses the principle of sowing and reaping to pour out His blessing. God’s blessing comes generally to the whole world as He sends sun and rain to the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). In some cases His blessing comes more specially to those of His choosing, such as Isaac. Genesis 26:12 says that Isaac sowed a crop and received a hundredfold in one season because the Lord targeted him for blessing. Israel’s gratefulness for God’s yearly blessing was expressed in the Feast of First Fruits, when the first of the harvest was brought to the Lord as an offering (Exodus 23:19a; Leviticus 23:10). God warned Israel that, if they forsook Him and pursued idols, the principle of sowing and reaping would be suspended and their crops would fail (Leviticus 26:16b). This happened to disobedient Judah on a couple occasions (Jeremiah 12:13; Micah 6:15). May we never forget the principle of sowing and reaping.
PRAYER THOUGHT
Lord, teach us to never forget the principle of sowing and reaping.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, You have put in place the principle of seedtime and harvest, sowing and reaping; may we never forget this in our daily living. AMEN
I.B.R.A. Readings
Genesis 4:1-12
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