The
garden is God’s place where we fulfill His calling. Man was created in the beginning, and placed in the garden. His first encounter with God took place
there, and, unfortunately, sin began in the garden. God cursed the ground because of man’s sin in the garden, but He
also gave hope and a divine promise for restoration in the garden.
The
garden’s prominence did not begin and end in Eden. Nearly 4000 years after man’s first transgression of the holy
commandment, Jesus the Christ knelt in the garden of Gethsemane, agonizing,
over the will of his Father in heaven and declaring with droplets of blood on
his forehead, “Father, nevertheless, not my will, but Thine.”
The
garden can be a place of hope, of decision, and as Jesus found out, a place of
betrayal. The garden has both good and
bad in it; in the garden is evil and righteousness. In the garden is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and
also the tree of life.
Many
Americans and folks across the globe love to plant, grow, and tend the
garden. In this study a common love for
God’s creation in the rich and productive soil of their gardens is looked at
from a natural and spiritual perspective.
It is an adventure in your own back yard and Christian life with the
lessons learned from composting, planting, pruning, harvesting, and yes, even
weeding!
Our
prayer together for you is that the Creator will enrich your life as He has
ours. Step-by-step we can learn
something from all phases of gardening, through the preparation of humus, the
nurturing of garden soil, choosing the right kind(s) of seed for both ground
and raised gardens, including proper drainage.
What
does the Lord teach us from His word, the scriptures, in each phase of
gardening? You will see that each weed
represents those areas in our lives that must not be allowed to “take root” and,
for example, like bitterness, be allowed to grow unchecked.
We
are called together with the Lord Jesus Christ to work diligently in the
harvest field of souls each year, living and loving God’s creation, and
nurturing individual crops by listening to and obeying the word of God as we
get our gloves dirty. Many things, even
slugs, snails, grasshoppers and aphids teach us lessons from the garden.
There
is a two-fold purpose in writing this study.
First, to share the joy of gardening, and to make it something you can
identify with as you plant and water your own garden. Sharing insights and helpful gardening tips, including how to
compost, how to build and maintain a raised garden, soil preparation, planting
techniques, and even weeding tips help build upon our understanding of God’s
agrarian church.
You
will go on an adventure that takes you from seed to harvest, and secondly, but
most important, learn that each labor of love in the garden has a spiritual
counterpart…a lesson…a ‘Lesson In The Garden!’
So sit back, pour yourself a cup of hot tea, or hot chocolate, snuggle
in front of the fire, and let the Lord Jesus use this humble work to teach you
His marvelous and simple ways.
Have
you ever raised a vegetable garden?
Every Spring I prepare my small vegetable garden for planting, and raise
a variety of vegetables. I plant
carrots, lettuce, summer squash, zucchini squash, cucumbers, rhubarb and
potatoes. I was never too successful
with tomatoes...not enough sun. There
are many spiritual lessons to be learned from working in the garden. Each year, as I work in my garden, numerous
truths from scripture come to mind. So,
as we embark on a journey together in the garden, let’s see what we can learn
from God’s word.
Before
starting, consider how much emphasis God puts on agriculture in the
scriptures. Here are a few examples:
Genesis 1:11-13
Then
God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, {and} fruit
trees bearing fruit after their kind, with seed in them, on the earth”; and it
was so. And the earth brought forth
vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit,
with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning,
a third day. (NAS)
From
the beginning of our new life in Jesus Christ, God intended us to be as plants
that yield seed, and bear fruit after our “kind.” That is, we are to bear the fruit of the Spirit of God, and we
are to mature as plants that yield the “seed” of God’s word. Of course, “seed” can speak of the nature of
the man Jesus Christ, who was planted in God’s garden. Through Christ’s death and burial, God
brought new life forth in us through his resurrection. Except the seed (Christ) goes into the
ground (tomb) and dies, it cannot bear fruit of itself (John 12:24).
Genesis 2:8-9
And
the LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the
man whom He had formed. And out of the
ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and
good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil.
(NAS)
God
had created man (Adam) in His own image and likeness, so that man could have
fellowship with Him. Just as the
gardener plants his seed, that he might nurture and tend the plants to bear
fruit, so God made man in the garden, so that He might nurture man with His
love and truth.
God
planted the “tree of life” in the garden of Eden to represent the place where
man could come to commune with Him.
Later the “tree of life” in Eden’s garden symbolized the eternal life
given to us as the “fruit” of Jesus, who bore our sins in His body upon a tree
(the cross).
Just
like there are good and fruitful plants in a garden, so there are also harmful
plants (weeds and thorns), which can choke out the plants. There was also the “tree of the knowledge of
good and evil,” that which man could choose as an alternative to communion with
God. The weeds are things like greed
and the cares of life that choke out the spiritual life and our growth as
believers. The “tree of the knowledge
of good and evil” represents a toxic and noxious plant, and, as such, is what
man partakes of when he lives by his own human reasoning instead of living by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).
Genesis 3:1-13
Now
the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field, which the LORD God had
made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from
any tree of the garden’?” And the woman
said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but
from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said,
'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.’” And the serpent said to the woman, “You
surely shall not die! For God knows
that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like
God, knowing good and evil.” When the
woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the
eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make {one} wise, she took from its
fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made
themselves loin coverings. And they
heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,
and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among
the trees of the garden. Then the LORD
God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of Thee in
the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were
naked? Have you eaten from the tree of
which I commanded you not to eat?” And
the man said, “The woman whom Thou gavest {to be} with me, she gave me from the
tree, and I ate."” Then the LORD
God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The
serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (NAS)
A
gardener, who is not careful to tend his or her garden, can allow harmful
weeds, and even poisonous plants to grow amongst the good vegetation. The tree of life is like the good
vegetation; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents poisonous
plants, which result in sickness and death.
The
serpent tempted Eve to partake of that which would bring forth death, while
promising her that it would make her “wise” like God. Satan deceived her, appealing to the lust of the eyes, the lust
of the flesh and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16).
When
we try to use our own reasoning, rather than being obedient to what God
commands us, we become deceived. Watch
out! There may be a snake in the garden
of your heart! If we choose our own knowledge
of what we think is “good” or “evil” rather than seeking the mind of Christ, it
brings forth death (Romans 6:23).
Genesis 3:14-15
And
the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you
more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly
shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life; and I will put
enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall
bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” (NAS)
Matthew 26:36-39
Then
Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples,
“Sit here while I go and pray over there.”
And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to
be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.
Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a
little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You
will.” (NKJ)
John 19:41
Now
in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new
tomb, in which no one had yet been laid.
(NAS)
Even
though Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and listened to the voice of the serpent,
the LORD promised them there would come a plan for redemption. In Genesis 3:13-14 God said the “seed” of
the woman would “bruise” (Literally “crush”) the head of the serpent. The MASTER GARDENER, who is God Himself,
planted a perfect “seed” (Jesus) in the garden of humanity (Galatians 3:16,
19). Jesus came, not only to redeem
mankind from sin, but also to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Jesus crushed the head (authority) of the
serpent, for all who will believe in His name.
After
planting His holy “seed” in the womb (uterus) of the virgin Mary, there came
forth from the earth of humanity (Mary) the fruit (Jesus) of the Spirit of God
(the Master Gardener). Jesus grew up as
a “tender shoot” and was made like his brethren in all aspects (Read Isaiah
Chapter 53 with Hebrews 2:16-18).
Isaiah 53:2
For
[the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root
out of dry ground… AMP
Jesus
“grew” in wisdom and stature, and in favor with both God and man (Luke
2:52). As he matured, Jesus bore the
fruits of righteousness, love, mercy and compassion. In the garden of Gethsemane the seed of redemption was planted,
as Jesus chose not His own will, but the will of God (Matthew 26:36-42). Jesus chose to die, that having tasted
death, He might become the source of eternal life for all who believe in Him.
Hebrews 2:9
But
we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of
death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste
death for everyone. (NKJ)
Finally,
in the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden with a tomb, and
that is where God’s seed (Jesus) was planted (buried). Other references for Jesus’ body being
planted in death are found in Matthew 27:60; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56.
John 19:40-42
And
so they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen wrappings with the
spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the
garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore on account of the Jewish day of preparation, because
the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
NAS
When
Jesus was raised from the dead, new life sprouted in God’s garden, offering
hope to all who are seed “after it’s kind” (i.e. - that are followers of, and
believers in Jesus). Read Matthew 28:
1-11; Mark 16:1-8; 1 John 3:9-10; 1 Peter 1:23; James 3:18.
Matthew 13:31-32
He
presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than
all {other} seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden
plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its
branches.” (NAS)
The
kingdom of heaven is likened to a mustard seed. Just like a man sows seed in a field, so Jesus sowed himself into
the ground of God’s garden. He likens
the mustard seed that is the smallest of seeds to Him, because Jesus made
Himself the least, that He could be exalted to the position of the greatest of
all plants (Philippians 2:8-10).
So
many analogies of gardening, farming, and vegetation exist in scripture, that
it is literally impossible to list every example without quoting a great
percentage of the Bible itself! Next,
we will look at the steps of gardening.
We will begin with preparing the soil, fertilizing, planting, watering,
weeding, pruning, and harvesting. In
each category, you will see a simple, yet very ‘truth yielding’ crop of ideas
found only in the...garden of God.
2 Corinthians 9:8-10
And
God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency
in everything, you may have abundance for every good deed; as it is written,
"He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness abides
forever." Now He who supplies seed
to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing
and increase the harvest of your righteousness. NAS
Perhaps
the most important ingredient of growing a garden is the proper preparation of
the soil. Those who are new to
gardening often fail to recognize this vital step, and so their gardens yield
small, unripe, diseased, and unappealing vegetables. Soil speaks of the ground of our heart. Unless we prepare our hearts properly for what God wants to plant
inside of us, we will not yield good fruit.
If the soil of our heart is not “fertile” it will not receive what God
plants in obedient growth.
Ezekiel 17:5,8
“He
also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed {it} beside abundant waters; he
set it {like} a willow...It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters,
that it might yield branches and bear fruit, {and} become a splendid
vine.” (NAS)
2 Chronicles 26:10
{He
also had} plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields,
for he loved the soil. (NAS)
The
Lord loves the soil of a heart that is fertile, and ready to receive the
implanted word of God. Fertile soil is
that kind of heart which is both humble, and responsive (obedient). We must also be as plowmen, who are willing
to break up the hardened ground of our hearts.
Ground can become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, and so we must
pray and ask that God put the sharp blade of His plow into these areas of our
life (Hebrews 3:12-13). Also, we must
encourage one another in these areas, as good vinedressers.
James 1:21-22
Therefore
putting aside all filthiness and {all} that remains of wickedness, in humility
receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not
merely hearers who delude themselves.
(NAS)
The
ground must lay fallow for a season to enable it to produce a crop. When treating fallow soil, it is important
to till mulch (decomposed organic material) into it to enrich it. Proper mulching requires that the organic
material be regularly turned. This
allows the old material to decompose, and become a rich, dark material, from
which the roots of the plants can obtain the necessary nutrients. This tilling of decomposed organic material
represents us dying to the things of the world, and allowing God to make our
weaknesses into our strengths. Wisdom
is the nutrient of healthy soil, learning from our mistakes.
We
need to be constantly tilling the soil of our hearts, particularly in the cold
seasons of our lives. Winter and Fall
Seasons are the times of year when soil lays fallow, and winter speaks of those
difficult times in our lives. It is
when we are in a season of spiritual barrenness, when trials come, that we must
till up the mulch in our hearts. All
that old, rotten material must be thoroughly turned over, so that God can
decompose it, and cause it to be transformed into something that will enrich
our hearts to receive His word.
Hosea 10:12-13
Sow
with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your
fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD until He comes to rain
righteousness on you. You have plowed
wickedness, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors. (NAS)
We
can see from this scripture that God wants us to plow our soiled hearts so that
He can rain righteousness on us. The
rains and snow of winter, fall, and spring all contribute to adding certain
trace minerals back into the garden soil.
So also, God’s Spirit is the only source of righteousness for us...given
freely through the shed blood of His son Jesus Christ. If we plow improperly (wickedness), we will
reap injustice.
Jeremiah 4:3
For
thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow
ground, and do not sow among thorns.”
(NAS)
It
is also important WHERE we plow our soil.
In the Northwest where I am from, the thorny blackberry plants and other
thorny vines are prolific. These hearty
plants are able to grow in just about any kind of soil. Any good gardener will tell you that it is a
mistake to grow your garden amongst the thorns, for they will overgrow your
garden plants, and choke out any fruit producing ability. I have seen blackberry vines overgrow an
entire acre of land in just a few seasons of growth, unless the roots are
pulled out. You can hack it down, but
if the roots remain, it will just grow back.
These thorny plants represent the kind of things we allow to reside in
our hearts...cares of life, greed, and bitterness:
Hebrews 12:15
See
to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness
springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. (NAS)
Thorns
speak of weed-like plants, which are good for nothing except being uprooted,
and thrown into the burn pile. We live
in the country, where most people with land have burn piles when they are
allowed to burn brush. God will burn up
all of the things in our life that are not eternal and lasting. Christians spend far too much of their time
pursuing careers, riches, and all the “things” of life which will make them at
ease, giving very little consideration to their eternal destiny. Bitterness comes from unforgiveness, and
holding a grudge against those who have wronged us. We must keep the soil of our hearts tenderhearted, and kind,
forgiving one another as God in Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).
John 15:6
“If
anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and
they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (NAS)
Jesus
spoke of different types of soil upon which the word of God is sown. Thorny soil is the kind that represented the
cares of life, the desire for riches, and things like these. As you read these verses, let them apply to
your life; consider what thorns may need uprooting from your garden:
Matthew 13:3
And
He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out
to sow...” (NAS)
Matthew 13:7
“And
others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.” (NAS)
Luke 8:14
“And
the {seed} which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and
as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures
of {this} life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” (NAS)
Mark 4:18-19
“And
others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones
who have heard the word, and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it
becomes unfruitful.” (NAS)
Isaiah 28:23-26
Give
ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my words. Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed? Does he
{continually} turn and harrow the ground?
Does he not level its surface, and sow dill and scatter cummin, and
plant wheat in rows, barley in its place, and rye within its area? For his God instructs and teaches him
properly. (NAS)
Not
only is it important not to plant in soil that is not inundated with thorns,
but also to wisely choose soil that has the right essentials. I use a topsoil mixture, because it includes
sand, clay, sandy loam (screened), ash, and peat moss. The right soil must also have the right
depth, and proper drainage. If we allow
God to work in us, He will provide the proper mixture of spiritual elements
that will bring forth good fruit. Just
like the experienced gardener or farmer instructs those who are new to
agriculture, God instructs and teaches His children properly. If we rely upon Him, He will show us how to
prepare the ground of our heart so that the seed of His word can be planted to
yield a crop of righteousness.
Mark 4:26
"The
kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil.” NASU
God
makes topsoil in the hearts of those who allow Him to work in them. He adds sand to filter out the fungus of
sin, and clay to hold the soil together and give it consistency. In fact, ironically, man was first formed
from the earth itself:
Genesis 2:7
Then
the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a living being. (NAS)
Soil
is symbolic of mankind in general, and also of man’s heart. Adam was the first man made by God. Adam means, “ruddy” or earth-like. There are all types of soil, but only the
finest, and richest soil will produce fruit.
Only God can put together the right elements in our hearts to bring
forth what we want. And yet, God
commands us to develop the condition of our own heart’s soil as well:
Matthew 13:8-9
“And
others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some
sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears
let him hear.” (NAS)
Matthew 13:23
“And
the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the
word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a
hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
(NAS)
Mark 4:8-9
“And
other {seeds} fell into the good soil and as they grew up and increased, they
yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear,
let him hear.” (NAS)
Luke 8:15
“And
the {seed} in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an
honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with
perseverance.” (NAS)
There
are some key elements in what God considers to be good soil:
He
who has ears to hear, let him hear...this is the man who hears the word and
understands it...as they grew up and increased...these are the ones who have
heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit
with perseverance
Ears
to hear, and to understand. A good
gardener has understanding and knows what it takes to bear fruit. We must have intimacy with God, and with
Jesus to understand His will, His plan, and to follow it. Jesus said that whoever is willing to DO His
will, will understand His word (John 7:17; 8:31-32).
They
grew up and increased. Here Jesus
likens us to the manner in which crops grow.
They start off as tiny offshoots, but they continue to grow, and
mature. God is looking for those who
will increase, who will bear fruit, who will mature in their relationship with
God and man. Maturity is allowing God
to complete, or perfect us (Romans 12:2; Philippians 3:12-16; Ephesians 4:13;
Hebrews 5:14).
Lastly,
those with hearts of good soil must hear what God says with an “honest and good
heart” and hold fast to what they know God has commanded them to do. Jesus said if we love him, we would keep his
commands. Good soil, enriched with
mulch, tilled, and properly prepared, enables the seeds to hold fast to it. Good soil allows the word of God to hold
fast to it, to sink its roots deep, so that the plant can bear fruit with
perseverance. Jesus told the
Philadelphia church, his end-time bride, that they must hold fast the word of
His perseverance:
Revelation 3:10
‘Because
you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour
of testing, that {hour} which is about to come upon the whole world, to test
those who dwell upon the earth.’ (NAS)
When
gardening, and planting from seed, it takes experience to know the exact depth
in which to put the seed. The number
one reason that seeds fail to germinate is because they are planted either too
deep, or too shallow. If they are
planted to shallow, they won’t have enough moisture to soften the hard outer
shell. And if they are too shallow, the
birds of the air can easily find them as they are exposed by heavy rainfall and
wind:
Luke 8:5
“The
sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road; and
it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air ate it up.” (NAS)
Luke 8:11-12
“Now
the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the
devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not
believe and be saved.” (NAS)
Sometimes
when I am about to plant seeds in my garden, a few will accidentally fall on
the untilled ground around the garden.
The next day, I will look out my window to see birds pecking the ground,
and gobbling up the wasted seed.
Oftentimes, we can become careless with the word of God. We take for granted what the Lord has been
saying to us, or what we know from scripture.
Through carelessness, the devil is able to come (like the birds) and
snatch up the precious seed of God’s truth before it can germinate in our
hearts. This is what happens so often
with unbelievers, who, having heard the gospel, let it fall by the wayside,
where Lucifer sends his demons to rob them of salvation.
Another
aspect of planting seed is the quality of the seed. Sometimes I have purchased vegetable seeds that were on sale
(always looking for a bargain). But
oftentimes, what seems to be a bargain is actually old, outdated seed. It is seed that has gotten so old and dry,
it cannot germinate. This is like some
teaching that comes from churches which is old, stale, and man-made
tradition. Or it is like sin, which the
devil makes it “seem” like it’s a bargain.
Sin is never a good deal; it only leads to death; no life can come from
the seed that has been spoiled by sin.
It will never germinate in men’s hearts and bring forth fruit, because
it has become worthless.
Matthew 13:19
“When
anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil
one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.”
(From
New International Version)
So,
what is good seed? How can you tell
which seeds are ones that will go in the ground and die, and bring forth
life? To understand this mystery, one
needs look no further than Jesus himself.
Jesus was the seed planted by God; God’s seed was the choicest seed of
all, and the seed (Christ) died that he might bring forth new life. After Jesus was buried, he was raised from
the dead. Jesus is the healthy seed
that brings forth new life, and bears fruit:
John 12:23-26
But
Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be
glorified. Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain.
He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this
world will keep it for eternal life. If
anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be
also. If anyone serves me, him my
Father will honor.” (NKJ)
Jesus
did not love his own life; he was fully surrendered to do God’s will. Jesus said that those who want to follow him
must follow his example. To be a
healthy seed like Jesus requires that we hate our life in this world. Whatever we do, must be done with an eternal
perspective in mind.
It
was foretold by God from the beginning the seed of the woman would be the one
who would crush the head of the serpent (Satan) for what he had done in
tempting man to sin, and break fellowship with God. Jesus became that good seed through his perseverance, and the
honest relationship he had with God.
Jesus
was that “grain of wheat” which fell into the ground, and died (through
crucifixion). Having died, Jesus became
the source of life giving salvation to all who trust in, and rely upon him. Through his death and resurrection, he
produced much grain (the body of Christ; his disciples). Indeed, Jesus was the “seed of the woman”
prophesied about in Genesis chapter three:
Genesis 3:14-15
So
the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you
above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days
of your life. And I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will
crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (NIV)
It
is truly a marvelous process of germination that God has created. During
germination, water diffuses through the seed coats into the embryo, which has been
almost completely dry during a period of dormancy. The water causes a swelling of the seed; the swelling is often so
great that the seed coat is ruptured.
Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of God, and prepared for death and
burial. This swelling of the seed of
God and Mary began with Jesus in the garden, when, as he agonized over the
death he was about to face, Jesus sweat great drops of blood:
Luke 22:44
And
being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops
of blood, falling down upon the ground.
(NAS)
When
Jesus hung upon the tree, his heart became so overwhelmed by the weight of sin,
that it burst, mingling blood and water, which poured from his side when he was
pierced by the Roman spear:
John 19:33-35
But
coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His
legs; but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately
there came out blood and water. And he
who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he
is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. (NAS)
The
blood was shed for our redemption.
Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Without the remission of sin, there can be
no spiritual or eternal life. The shell
of the seed in vegetation can symbolize the fleshly body of Jesus; his skin,
veins, and arteries burst from the rugged nails that held him to the cross:
Hebrews 9:22
And
according to the Law, {one may} almost {say}
all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there
is no forgiveness. (NAS)
When
Jesus died, his heart burst from the extremes of human agony, and bearing the
guilt of the sins of the world. When
his heart burst, water and blood mingled within the cavity of his heart. The soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a
spear, and out flowed water and blood together. The blood was for our
atonement, and water for our cleansing from sin. The water that poured from Jesus’ side represents baptism by
immersion, for the remission of sin. The water and the blood testify, and bear witness with God’s
Spirit and ours:
I John 5:7-12
And
it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that bear witness, the
Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. If we receive the witness of men, the
witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne
witness concerning His Son. The one who
believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe
God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God
has borne concerning His Son. And the
witness is this that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son. He who has the Son has the life;
he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (NAS)
In
the germination process of a seed, there is absorption of oxygen by the seed,
giving it energy for growth. Jesus said
that wind and air (where oxygen is found) is like the Spirit of God (John 3:8). Just like the outer part of the seed dies,
and oxygen gives life to the inner seed, so too, Jesus died, but was given life
when God’s Spirit raised him from the dead.
Jesus is the seed of God that brings forth new life for us as well.
Through faith in him, we receive the same life of God’s Spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:10-11).
Galatians 3:13-16, 29
Christ
redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is
written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing
given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by
faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a
human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to
his seed. The Scripture does not say
"and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your
seed," meaning one person, who is Christ…If you belong to Christ, then you
are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (From New International Version)
Any
experienced gardener will tell you that sunshine is essential for the growth of
plants. The sunshine warms the earth, so
that the seeds can be softened by moist soil, and then it germinates. Sunshine plays an important role in the
growth cycle of plants. Germination
does not take place unless the seed has been transported to a favorable
environment where there is adequate water, oxygen, and a suitable
temperature. Differing species of
plants germinate best in different temperatures; as a rule extremely cold or
extremely warm temperatures do not favor the germination of seeds. Some seeds require adequate exposure to light
before germinating.
The
scripture says that God is light (1 John 1:5), and there is no darkness in
Him. God is our sunshine, He is the one
whose light causes the seed of His word to germinate in our hearts, come to
life from our dormancy, and bring upward growth of the planting. Without the light of God’s revelation, the
seed (word) is lifeless, dead, and unable to become alive in us.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6
Not
that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as {coming} from
ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate {as}
servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the
letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
(NAS)
John 6:63
“It
is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and are life.”
(NAS)
Zechariah 4:6
Then
he answered and said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying,
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (NAS)
Sunlight
can bring life and growth to plants, or it can result in the death of a
plant. If the sun becomes too hot, or
there is inadequate moisture for the plants during a hot season, the plants
will wither and die.
It
is possible to plant seeds to deep in the soil that they cannot germinate and
reach the soil surface where the warmth of the sunshine helps germination. Seeds can also be planted too shallow, so
that when the sun shines upon the tender seedlings, they don’t have enough root
to withstand the heat. This speaks of
those who have not allowed the word of God to be properly planted in their
heart. They have not counted the costs
of walking with God, so that when trials and temptation come, they wither in
the sunlight of God:
Luke 8:6, 13
“And
other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away,
because it had no moisture...And those on the rocky soil are those who, when
they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe
for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.” (NAS)
Mark 4:5-6, 16-17
“And
other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and
immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was
scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away...And in a similar way
these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they
hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in
themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises
because of the word, immediately they fall away.” (NAS)
I
am always so disappointed when a little plant withers and dies. All the time that goes into preparing the
soil, and planting the seed makes you become attached to these little guys. How the Lord must be so hurt and
disappointed when we don’t allow His word to go deep in our hearts, and we fall
away from the source of His light and life.
God loves us, and He does want anyone of us to perish:
2 Peter 3:9
The
Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to
repentance. (NAS)
2 Samuel 23:3-6
The
God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘He who rules over men righteously,
who rules in the fear of God, is as the light of the morning {when} the sun
rises, a morning without clouds, {when} the tender grass {springs} out of the
earth, through sunshine after rain.’
Truly is not my house so with God?
For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things,
and secured; for all my salvation and all {my} desire, will He not indeed make
{it} grow? But the worthless, every one
of them will be thrust away like thorns, because they cannot be taken in hand. (NAS)
Sunshine
is also needed for the bearing of fruit.
Without adequate sunshine, the plants will not grow blossoms, and
without blossoms, the plant cannot bear fruit or vegetables. I am always amazed at how quickly plants
grow in my garden when there is plenty of sunshine. As long as I am faithful to water the plants, God’s sunshine does
the rest. How amazing! We simply plant the seed (symbolic of the
word of God), and God’s light causes it to grow.
Matthew 6:28-29
“And
why are you anxious about clothing?
Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they
spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe
himself like one of these.” (NAS)
This
is a good lesson for us as believers.
We need to simply look to God, His word and His Spirit, cease from our
own striving, and allow Him to mature us.
Water
is the most important thing we have been given by God to support our life
system. We can go many days without
food and live, but without water, we will be dead in a few short days. Water is a key element in growing a
garden. Both seeds and plants need
adequate moisture to grow. Seeds cannot
germinate unless their hard outer shells are softened by the moist soil. So too, our hearts can become hardened
without having communion with the Spirit of God. Jesus promised that when we receive the Holy Spirit, it would
like rivers of living water:
John 7:38
“He
who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow
rivers of living water.” (NKJ)
Rainwater
is the best way to water a garden (and it keeps your water bill down
too!). God, in His infinite wisdom,
knows how to send rain in proper proportion to each stage of growth for the
plants. One must be faithful to
properly prepare the garden, so that the rain God sends will be beneficial to
the plants. For example, with plants
such as squash and cucumbers, I have found that it is best to plant the seed on
a small mound, encircled by a round trough to keep the moisture in.
When
we are obedient to God, loving Him with all of our hearts, and preparing
ourselves by serving Him in obedience, making the soil of our heart ready, God
sends the rain of His Spirit in it’s seasons.
By preparing the soil of our hearts through active and daily prayer,
like my water troughs, our hearts are both receptive to receiving God’s spirit
when He pours down on us, and we are able to contain more of what He sends.
Deuteronomy 11:13-14
“And
it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am
commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your
heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its
season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new
wine and your oil.” (NAS)
Without
water, plants will die. Once I forgot
to water my garden during a particular hot part of the summer season. When I finally went to water the plants,
most were drooping and fatigued. This
reminds me of when we go without prayer and fellowship with other
believers. It is like the saying,
“Seven days without prayer makes one weak.”
Also, sin and disobedience takes us out of fellowship with God’s Spirit,
and He withholds Himself so that we might hunger and thirst after righteousness
again:
Amos 4:7
“And
furthermore, I withheld the rain from you while {there were} still three months
until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city and on another city I would
not send rain; one part would be rained on, while the part not rained on would dry
up. (NAS)
God
is no respecter of persons. He may pour
out His Spirit on one person, or group of persons, and yet withhold Himself
from others. It is not because He is
cruel, but because He loves us. Those whom
the LORD loves, He chastises, and disciplines (Hebrews 12:6). Have you ever had a dry season, where you
couldn’t sense or feel the presence of God?
It makes you feel spiritually droopy doesn’t it? But when God sends the refreshing waters of
His Spirit raining down, we are revived!!
Isaiah 55:9-11
“For
{as} the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your
ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return
there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing
seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be which goes forth
from My mouth; it shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I
desire, and without succeeding {in the matter} for which I sent it. (NAS)
Hosea 6:3
“So
let us know, let us press on to know the LORD.
His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like
the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.” (NAS)
Hebrews 6:7-8
For
ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth
vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a
blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and
close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. (NAS)
What
will you do? Will you keep your garden
watered with prayer and communion with God?
Will you be satisfied with a droopy spirit, or press on to know the
Lord? It is a matter of life or death,
for no one can live without the rain of the Holy Spirit.
Genesis 3:17-19
To
Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about
which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because
of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the
ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will
return.” (NIV)
From
the very beginning, weeds have been a symbol of mankind’s disobedience to
God. God had made the garden to be
cultivated, but after the curse, man would have to work to remove thorns and
thistles from the fruit bearing vegetation.
What a bummer! Have you ever had
to pull weeds? Weeds are the most
prolific of all vegetation. It has been
said, “Weeds never sleep.” Weeds are
like sin. They don’t take any nurturing
or care to grow. They will overtake us
unless their roots are yanked. The root
is the cause of the sin.
Every
year, I clear the weeds from the soil in my garden. How nice the dark, rich soil looks without the presence of
weeds. And yet I know that within a
matter of a few short weeks, the weeds will be back. When I plant my vegetable seeds, and water them faithfully each
day, the tiny seedlings eventually pop up out of the ground. But guess what? Right alongside the precious vegetable seedlings there are tiny
weed sprouts.
It
is difficult to tell the difference between some weeds and the good
plants. For example, carrots seedlings
look almost identical to small grass-like weeds when they first sprout. If I try to pull the weeds when they are
young, I risk pulling up the carrot seedlings.
As much as I want to weed right away to keep things under control, I
must wait. There are small weeds that
grow in our hearts, and we are unaware of them until they become large enough
to see. If God showed us all of the
weak areas in our lives when they were too small to see, we would perhaps pluck
up the good seed of what God is trying to do.
He knows how and when to open our eyes to the weeds in the garden.
Even
while I sleep at night, the wind and other elements spread weed seeds in the
garden. Like sin, weeds can creep into
our lives when we are unaware of it.
Matthew 13:24-30
He
presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be
compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among
the wheat, and went away. But when the
wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. And the slaves of the landowner came and
said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done
this!’ And the slaves said to him, ‘Do
you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’
But he said, ‘No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may
root up the wheat with them. Allow both
to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say
to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to
burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (NAS)
Jesus
taught we must be careful when trying to distinguish between good and bad in
the garden. The devil is clever, and he
will sow those persons into the body of Christ who are destructive...malicious
gossips, greedy, promiscuous, selfish, argumentative, false prophets,
dishonest, manipulators, ambitious etc..
He likens true believers to wheat, and those who are not to tares
(weeds). As we see the interaction
between the true and false, and give it time, the nature of the tare will be
revealed.
Hosea 10:3-4
Surely
now they will say, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. As for the king, what can he do for
us?” They speak {mere} words, with
worthless oaths they make covenants; and judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds
in the furrows of the field. (NAS)
Again,
weeds are compared to sin. God’s
judgment for sin is like weeds that sprout amongst the furrows of a farmer’s
crop. His judgment comes because men’s
words are worthless. They make oaths,
and then don’t keep them. God wants
honest people. Often ministers and
pastors are like the “kings” mentioned in the text above, whose judgment
sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field of the kingdom of God.
Jeremiah 12:9-10
"Is
My inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to Me? Are the birds of prey against her on every side? Go, gather all the beasts of the field,
bring them to devour! Many shepherds
have ruined My vineyard, they have trampled down My field; they have made My
pleasant field a desolate wilderness. NAS
Insects
and pests are the gardener’s number one enemy.
Here in the Northwest, we have slugs.
Long, slimy, ugly looking little creatures (like snails out of their
shell) that do all their damage to the crops at night. They work like the devil does, in the cover
of darkness. They hide by day in the
shadow of the leafy plants, in places that are damp and dank.
Also,
once the plants begin to mature, one has to watch out for birds, which will
peck away at the fruit of your labors.
Birds are compared to demons, which nest in the branches of our lives,
waiting to devour whatever fruit of the Spirit we can grow to maturation. Oftentimes, I will find raspberries, plums,
and other fruit half pecked, and left to rot by these pests.
Matthew 13:31-33
He
presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than
all {other} seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden
plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its
branches.” He spoke another parable to
them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in
three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened.” (NAS)
Isaiah 18:4-6
For
thus the LORD has told me, “I will look from My dwelling place quietly like
dazzling heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For before the harvest, as soon as the bud
blossoms and the flower becomes a ripening grape, then He will cut off the sprigs
with pruning knives and remove {and} cut away the spreading branches. They will be left together for mountain
birds of prey, and for the beasts of the earth; and the birds of prey will
spend the summer {feeding} on them, and all the beasts of the earth will spend
harvest time on them.” (NAS)
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
If
I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to
devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are
called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from
their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land. NAS
From
the verses above, we can see birds of prey, and other pests represent the
judgment of God. Pharaoh found this out
when he refused to listen to Moses to let the children of Israel go from their
captivity.
Exodus 10:14-15
And
the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory
of Egypt; {they were} very numerous. There had never been so {many} locusts,
nor would there be so {many} again. For
they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and
they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail
had left. Thus nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field through all
the land of Egypt. (NAS)
When
I first plant my seeds, and the seedlings sprout, I take protective measures
against the slugs. Slugs and snails
will devour all tender shoots of the new seedlings if left unchecked. I use a product called Slug Bait, which is
like sawdust with a poison that will kill the slugs when they crawl over the
soil it is spread on. This same slug
poison won’t harm the good vegetables.
I liken slug bait to the word of God.
If we surround the good plants in our hearts with the protection of the
word of God, the slimy creatures the devil sends our way will not destroy the
work that God has done in us.
We
must be like gardeners in our lives and walk with God. We must look ahead, and realize that we have
an enemy named Satan who seeks to devour us as we walk steadfast in the faith
(1 Peter 5:8-9).
Fertilizer
is like food to the plants. Without
food the plants become weak, sickly, and will even die. We are like plants. We need food too. Jesus called himself the “bread of heaven.” If we feed on Jesus, by doing his commands,
then our lives will be like healthy, fruit bearing plants. If we are self-seeking, and disobedient,
then our lives become unproductive, and we can even lose our salvation. We must ask God to feed us with whatever is
needful for us to serve Him in righteousness, in order that we grow in the
knowledge of our Redeemer.
Proverbs 30:8-9
Remove
far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me
with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny You and say, “Who
is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and
steal, and so profane the name of my God. [Deuteronomy 8:12,14,17; Nehemiah
9:25,26; Job 31:24; Hosea 13:6.]
Amplified Bible
One
of my favorite products for fertilization is called Miracle-Gro. This product is mixed with water and
sprinkled on and around the plants every two week. It is a systemic fertilizer, and will be absorbed by the leaves
of the plant, as well as nourishing the plant roots from the soil.
God’s
word is like Miracle-Gro. When we pray,
and hear, and obey the word of God, it is like mixing the Lord’s commands with
the power of His Spirit. This is a
winning combination for bearing fruit, and for making us healthy plants.
It
is the responsibility of the shepherds of God’s people to feed them, just like
the gardener does his plants. God is
going to restore true shepherds to His people that they might grow into a
healthy crop, mature and bearing the fruits of His spirit.
Ezekiel 34:2-4
"Son
of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,
"Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the
flock? You eat the fat and clothe
yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the
flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have
not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not
brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with
severity you have dominated them.” NASU
Jeremiah 3:15-16
"Then
I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and
understanding. It shall be in those
days when you are multiplied and increased in the land," declares the
LORD…” NASU
Jesus
told a parable of a fig tree in a vineyard (representing Israel, but applicable
to us as well). The fig tree did not
bear fruit, just as Israel (as a nation) did not bear the fruit of repentance
when their Messiah came. Though Jesus
tried to fertilize Israel with the truth, yet after awhile, their unbelief
caused them to be cut off. If we won’t
bear fruit in our lives, the fruit of the Spirit, we can be cut off from the
life of God. We can lose our salvation,
and backslide. If we have become
unfruitful in this way, only through repentance, and God’s forgiveness, can we
be revived as a healthy plant in His vineyard.
Luke 13:6-9
Then
he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he
went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three
years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found
any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and
I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If
it bears fruit next year, fine! If not,
then cut it down.’” (NIV)
What
is the best food that we, as followers of Jesus, can use to nourish God’s
plantings in our hearts? The same food
Jesus partook of! Doing the will of
God! How can we know the will of
God? It is revealed by His spirit,
through His word, and when we listen to the counsel of His only begotten son
Jesus!
John 4:31-34
In
the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat
that you do not know about.” The disciples
therefore were saying to one another, “No one brought Him {anything} to eat,
did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food
is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.” (NAS)
Pruning
is essential in maintaining the health, and fruit bearing ability of any plant
or tree. Even in my vegetable garden, I
have learned that simply pruning older leaves on plants like squash and
cucumbers can yield more vegetables, and cause the plants to thrive. I also prune my plum trees, cutting away
dead branches, or branches known as suckers (which grow vertically, and do not
bear fruit).
When
pruning vegetable plants, one must be careful not to do too much pruning, as it
can put the plant into shock, and even result in the death of the plant. Usually, I prune away older leaves that have
yellowed and lost their deep green hue.
This yellowing of the leaves is an indicator that the leaf is no longer
beneficial to the plant. It has become
dead weight, and is draining the plant of nutrients that could be going into
new leaf growth, or blossoms, or increasing the size and yield of the crop.
We
are like these vegetable plants. We are
like God’s garden. We are like His
vineyard, or His orchard. God prunes
away those things in our lives that have become old, and useless. Sometimes that pruning is the removal of our
“old ways’ of the world. Sometimes God
prunes away our old concepts, and doctrines.
Sometimes He allows us to suffer the loss of our health, or our ability
to generate income, or other areas to learn dependence upon HIM.
By
so doing, the Lord knows that we will grow healthier, and stronger. We will grow higher towards the sunlight of
His love. We will bear fruit of the
Spirit, and harvest many souls for Him.
Jesus
told the parable of the vine and the branches.
The main Vine represents Jesus.
The branches represent His followers and disciples. The branches (us) must be connected to the
main Vine, from whence comes the source of life. If the branches are broken off of the main Vine, they dry up, and
become useless. They can no longer bear
fruit.
John 15:5-8
“I
am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, he bears
much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away as a branch,
and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned. If you abide in me, and my
words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear
much fruit, and {so} prove to be my disciples.
(NAS)
We
must abide (continue) in Jesus; that is, we must continue to grow in Him. It is not enough to just be connected to
Him. We must yield fruit. Sometimes we lose our vision, or we
backslide. When this happens, we become
dried up spiritually, and no longer glorify God. If this condition persists, and we don’t repent, and be grafted
back into the Vine (Jesus), we are cast into the fire (Gehenna, or eternal destruction),
and burned.
Christians
don’t like to be taught about hell because it doesn’t feel good to them; they
are self-deceived in thinking that to avoid this topic it will go away, or
cease to be a reality. A healthy fear
of hell can lead to a healthy fear of God.
We need not cower before God’s throne of grace, but we must not ignore
the fact there are eternal consequences for failing to work out our own
salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-16).
Leviticus 25:2-5
“Speak
to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I
shall give you, then the land shall have a Sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six
years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the
seventh year the land shall have a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the LORD; you
shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard. Your harvest's after growth you shall not reap, and your grapes
of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical
year.” (NAS)
As
I mentioned earlier, when pruning fruit trees, only the dead and sucker
branches are to be removed. I know that
I cannot do major pruning every year, because the plant must have time to be
renewed. This is especially true with
fruit trees, and vines that bear fruit (e.g. - grapes, berries, etc.). God told the sons of Israel to prune for six
years, but on the seventh year, they were not to prune, and give the plants a
rest.
God
does not do His entire pruning in our lives at once. Now, after 6000 years of history, we are approaching the time
when God will give His church rest from pruning, as they are to be glorified
with Him, and reign with Jesus during the Millennium. This is what can be seen typologically in Leviticus 25:2-5. There is a sabbatical year coming, which is
representative of a thousand year period during the Millennium. Why?
Because, a day is as like a thousand years to the Lord. In other words, God is not bound by time,
but He has a plan for mankind that will be fulfilled. (READ Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter
3:8; Revelation 20:3-7)
When
Israel continually disobeyed God, the LORD said they would become like a
wasteland; that is, like a vineyard that is unkempt, and unpruned. When we continually refuse to heed the voice
of the Lord, (that prompting He puts inside of us to do His will), soon briars
and thorny plants fill the garden of our heart. It is no longer a joy to read the Bible, or pray. We don’t feel like sharing the good news of
the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost.
We would rather watch TV, or do some other mundane activity for our
pleasure and happiness. But without God
in our lives, there can be no true happiness. (Ecclesiastes 2:25)
Isaiah 5:5-6
“Now
I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its
hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be
trampled. I will make it a wasteland,
neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will
command the clouds not to rain on it.”
(NIV)
So,
what is it that causes a person to leave the garden, or vineyard of their heart
unattended? What causes a believer to
allow the thorns and cares of life to choke out the fruitfulness of God’s word? There are many things, but at the root of it
all is unbelief.
Israel
was God’s covenant people; they were, by nature, the natural branches of His
vineyard. They were the ones that God
had designated a Redeemer for. But, as
we know, God does not show partiality towards any man, or group of people.
(Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9)
God loved the Gentiles (non-Israelites) just as much as He loved
Israel. The reason Israel (as a nation)
was broken off of God’s Vine (Jesus), is because they refused to accept His
only begotten son as their Messiah and Redeemer. Thus, God grafted the Gentiles into His Vine of life, because
they readily accepted their Savior.
Romans 11:19-23
You
will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their
unbelief, but you stand by your faith.
Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural
branches, neither will He spare you.
Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell,
severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness;
otherwise you also will be cut off. And
they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for
God is able to graft them in again.
(NAS)
Job 18:16
“His
roots are dried below, and his branch is cut off above.” (NAS)
We
can become like Israel too. Oftentimes
we struggle with sin. God knows that we
will sin. What KEEPS us in sin however,
is failing to believe that we can come to God for forgiveness through the blood
of Jesus. Oftentimes we just don’t feel
‘worthy’ enough for the Savior’s love and mercy.
This
feeling of unworthiness, coupled with unbelief, can cause us to dry up, and be
broken off of the Lord’s Vine. We will
never be worthy enough for the blood of Jesus.
Scripture tells us, that while we were yet in sin, Christ died for us.
(READ Romans 5:7-11) Jesus came not to
save the righteous, but the unrighteous.
All
have sinned, and have fallen short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23) We must repent, and confess our sins to
God, no matter what we have done, or how many times we have done it. (1 John
1:8-9) He is faithful to forgive us and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Song 2:12
“The
flowers have {already} appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning
{the vines,} and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.” (NAS)
If
we allow God to prune us when we need it, getting rid of the old branches that
have died, and are not bearing fruit, we will yield as His fruit bearing
plants. (Galatians 5:22-25)
Mark 4:26-29
And
He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;
and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and
grows-- how, he himself does not know.
The soil produces crops by itself, first the blade, then the head, then
the mature grain in the head. But when
the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has
come.” (NAS)
It
is one of God’s greatest wonders to watch a garden grow. After preparing the soil, planting the seed,
watering, and fertilizing, all a person can do is watch the plants grow. If the conditions are not right, the plants
won’t grow to maturity. So it is with our
walk with God. We have the
responsibility of preparing our hearts, and planting the word of God in our
hearts. We have to water our hearts
with prayer. But only GOD can truly
cause the growth. He provides the right
spiritual conditions for us to grow in Him.
Galatians 6:6-10
And
let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who
teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not
mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall
from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from
the Spirit reap eternal life. And let
us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not
grow weary. So then, while we have
opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the
household of the faith. (NAS)
The
type of seed that we sow into the soil of our hearts determines what kind of
crop we’ll get. There have been times
when a seed manufacturer slipped seed into packets I bought that contained
weeds and weed grass. Of course, this
means more weeding once the bad seed grew up out of the soil. This is what it is like when we sow bad
things in our lives.
There
are a variety of bad seeds, which represent the desires of the “flesh.” The seeds of the “flesh” are those things
which are opposite of God’s will, and His desire for our growth. Some examples of bad seed are:
Excessive television; also watching programs filled with sarcasm, violence, nudity, sexual promiscuity, etc. (you can include Hollywood’s movies along with the corruption on TV)
Obsession with things: sports, hobbies, work, the Internet, etc.
Pornography of any type…especially on the Internet, but also in movies, magazines, and even on TV (in commercials, travel programs, etc)..
Aimless thought life; never taking control of one’s thoughts, and allowing Satan to breed thoughts contrary to God
Gossiping about others behind their backs; even so-called “innocent” gossip is harmful to others, and to one’s own self
Slander and telling lies about others
Exaggerating; bragging; telling half-truths
Unforgiveness, bitterness, and hatred
Greed (which includes spending too much time making money, and not enough time for God and family)
Hanging around with the wrong crowd for one’s fellowship; bad company corrupts good morals
Other things like strife, arguments, pride, selfishness, laziness, boasting, and things like these.
Striving for a position of recognition in church organizations or ministry.
Reading lots of secular books, magazines, newspapers, and feeding on things that offer no life in Jesus, and fill one’s thoughts with negativity and the world secular view.
Cheating…on taxes, in business, in personal finances etc.
Job 4:8
“According
to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble harvest
it.” (NAS)
Of
course, we can sow things that will build up our spirit, and this is like
sowing good seed into the soil of our hearts.
Sometimes thinking of what we can plant as good seed is so simple; it
merely takes a friendly reminder to start doing it:
Daily reading and meditation upon the scriptures
Prayer, and fellowship with God the Father, and with His son Jesus
Reaching out to help others, sharing our faith, resources, time, and money to be a blessing wherever there are needs
Praising and thanking God for who He is, and all He has done for us
Thanking others for their kindness to us
Listening to uplifting music about the Lord
Reading books about God, and other people’s experiences with the Lord
Taking time to pray for others, including when you assemble together anywhere
Meeting with other believers regularly for fellowship, edification and encouragement
Sending a card, a note, or as letter to someone who needs our love
Making a phone call to a friend
Loving those who are your enemy, or who demonstrate hatred towards you
Forgiving others when they wrong you; never holding a grudge against someone
Leaning on God during the hard times
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Remember
this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously
will also reap generously. Each man
should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
(NIV)
Haggai 1:5-7
Now
therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways! You have sown much, but harvest little;
{you} eat, but {there is} not {enough} to be satisfied; {you} drink, but {there
is} not {enough} to become drunk; {you} put on clothing, but no one is warm
{enough} and he who earns, earns wages {to put} into a purse with holes.” Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your
ways!” (NAS)
Proverbs 6:6-11
Go
to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief,
officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, {and} gathers her provision in
the harvest. “How long will you lie
down, O sluggard? When will you arise
from your sleep? A little sleep, a
little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest”--And your poverty will
come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man. (NAS)
The
verses above indicate that the amount of time and energy that we invest in
seeking God will be the measure of what we harvest. It is not necessarily just a matter of doing more things for God,
but of surrendering our whole person and life to His will. Jesus is the supreme example of being wholly
given to God’s will. He is our
example. He is the Master. We are his servants.
Many
Christians are lukewarm without even knowing it! They have become satisfied with status quo Christianity. To them, going to church, putting some money
in the offering basket, and reading a few scripture verses are enough. Some don’t even do that. These kinds of believers will harvest very
little of that which is of eternal value.
It takes discipline, and a continued seeking of God to harvest
plentifully. It is allot of work at
times to serve the Lord, but it always a joy.
Matthew 9:37-38
Then
he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are
few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (NIV)
John 4:34-38
Jesus
said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to accomplish
His work. Do you not say, ‘There are
yet four months, and {then} comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields,
that they are white for harvest.
Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life
eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this {case} the saying is true, ‘One
sows, and another reaps.’ I sent you to
reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have
entered into their labor.” (NAS)
The
verses above speak about laboring for souls in the kingdom of God. It is crucial that a person harvest their
fruit when it is ready, or it can become rotten, or the insects and birds of
the air can eat it. There are always
many hurting souls that need our love.
There are always people that need Jesus. Many Christians make excuses for why they won’t reach out to the
lost. They say, “I’m not ready yet; I
need to know more first.” While it is
true that knowledge is helpful, love is the greatest gift God gave us.
There
is no greater reward to a gardener than to pluck fresh, ripe, healthy
vegetables from the garden. Nothing
tastes as good as homegrown veggies. It
is the reason the gardener invested so much time and effort. God has invested much time and effort into
us, that He too, might have a harvest of souls. God planted His own son Jesus as the most precious seed in the
soil of humanity. Now the Father waits
on us to be His harvesters. The crops
are ready...will we go pick them? Will
we step outside of ourselves, and reach out to others?
Sometimes
we have the opportunity to become partakers of another person’s labors for the
Lord: “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have
labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
If
you have prayed for a loved one who doesn’t know Jesus, but have been unable to
reach them with your own words, wouldn’t you want some other Christian to be
obedient to God’s voice, and harvest their soul? You see how personal this harvest of God’s has become? We are fellow workers together with God and
each other. Each one, then, must take
responsibility for the harvest of souls:
1 Corinthians 3:6-9
I
planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the
one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one;
but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are
God's field, God's building. (NAS)
Genesis 8:22
“While
the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and
winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
(NAS)
John 9:4
“We
must work the works of Him who sent me, as long as it is day; night is coming,
when no man can work.” (NAS)
We
must work in God’s garden, in His vineyard while we have the opportunity. It is never too late to begin! The devil will lie to you, and tell you it
is too late, and that your life has been wasted. But there is a plentiful harvest, and fertile soil out in the
world. Men, women and children are
hungry for the reality that comes from knowing God, and fellowshipping with His
son Jesus.
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