Translations: 简体中文 繁體中文

Sowing Wisely

Isaiah 28:24-29
When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it. All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.

God graciously sows the word for a time through his prophets and today through the Christian community. For a time he tolerates the ungrateful unbeliever, but warns in Romans 2:4,5 "do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed." There's a time for sowing and time for reaping. So respond to God's word while you have time.For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2Corinthians 6:2

As for the sowers, did you know that it was against the Mosaic Law to sow different kinds of seed in the same field? "Do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material."Lev 19:19 The sower must discern as the Spirit leads what kind of seed is appropriate for a given field. That is, what kind of message to impart to particular pools of people. So also it takes discernment as to how to process the fruit appropriately. Just as there are many parts to the body and each one may have to be dealt with uniquely, so there are many spiritual gifts and each category or even individual may need special attention. So let's not oversimplify or overgeneralize Christian ministry as if a single message or technique is best for everyone. No, we must gear the messages to groups and individuals, being sensitive to where they are coming from, where they are at, and where they are going to.


The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources