Farmers – Part 2
Good Day to each of you reading this column on our farmers as I look forward to your thoughts and comments.
Farming is a science for without farming we would not have food to eat, seed to plant and weeds to pull up. Whether you are a commercial farmer or weekend gardener, you are so valuable because of what you are doing. Just think, what would this world be without blooming flowers, bees pollinating, herbs for seasoning and fruits and vegetables to be picked and eaten, by you.
What an accomplishment—You begin by planting from seed, cultivating, watering, nurturing and watching the seed grow into a plant and then, months later the vegetable or fruit is ready to be picked and eaten by you. Store bought fruits and vegetables are good but isn’t it great to pick a fresh vine ripe tomato and fresh grown lettuce from your garden along with some bacon to make that BLT!
My wife is a master gardener and a good one—She says to put a fifty-cent plant in a five-dollar hole—Think about that for a minute and you will get the idea. She says to slow down, plant slowly and carefully, and to give each plant the necessary room to grow.
I believe God was very partial to gardeners—He created Adam and Eve and this wonderful garden with no weeds, diseases, irrigation, tilling, bad insects and no bad fruits or vegetables. As for the rest of the story, Adam and Eve went from the penthouse to the outhouse by their choice.
Let’s review the consequences—
Genesis 3:16 (NIV) To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be to your husband, and he will rule over you.”
Genesis 3:17-19 (NIV) 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.”
Yes, Adam was the first zoologist, landscape architect, father of the human race and the first person made in the image of God who was the first human to share an intimate personal relationship with God. But and here is the but, Adam avoided responsibility, blamed others, hid rather that confront, made excuses in stead of admitting the truth. Adam’s greatest mistake: Teamed up with Eve to bring sin into the world.
Let’s turn to Eve—She was the first wife and mother and the first woman that God created. Eve acted quickly without talking to God or Adam, when confronted, blamed others and not only sinned, but shared her sin with Adam.
Thank you both for painful childbearing, thorns, thistles, weeds, painful toil in the field, sin and death.
In fact, Jesus devotes much of Matthew 13 to fellow gardeners and farmers for explains the parable of the four soils and the parable of the weeds. Folks, you have read both parables for years, but I am sure that this time and, in the future, when you read these that God will reveal some information that you might not have thought of earlier. Don’t skim, read the word and let it sink in—Be the fifty cent plant that Jesus is planting into the five dollar hole for he knows, like a mustard seed, that as the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.
So let’s tackle the subjects from the last lesson – God owns the land – This is a fact—Look at Leviticus 25:23 where he instructed the Israelites that the land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine (Gods) and you are but aliens and my tenants. God is showing each of us to avoid being greedy or materialistic.
ave you thought about taking the attitude that you have been given God’s land for a purpose? Are you a caretaker for God’s property? Do you take care of your land as if God lived on your land? Do you manage the land for God’s glory or for your own personal gain? This is your choice for God gave you the responsibility to tend to his land and utilize the talent given give to you.
The law of the land is that God owns the land and when we, as caretakers, fulfil his laws in accordance to the law then we will receive the blessings and surpluses of what the land produces. How hard is that?
God has said that in the seventh year to allow the land to rest for in the sixth year it shall bring forth fruit for three years. And ye shall sow the eighth year and eat yet of the old fruit (sixth year) until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat.
We are God caretakers of the land—God placed us in this position for He saw the talents that we have, and he will bless our efforts if we will do his will and glorify him with those talents. Turn to Matthew 13:1-9 and ask yourself what type of seed are you? Do you fall along the path, fall on rocky places, have no firm roots, or have you fallen on good soil?
If you are a farmer or gardener, please take note and honor God’s laws—He did not write these laws for the fun of it—He wrote these laws for our benefit and if we honor and abide these land laws then we will receive the blessings from them.
In conclusion, I refer to the Digest of the Divine Law for you to consider—Here, then, is God’s method for caring for the abundance in production by giving rest to the land and a year’s vacation to His people with their living provided from the over-production of the six years. Thus God’s abundance, in the keeping of the law, contributes to prosperity and blessing and does not impoverish a people. Instead of curtailing planting and instituting crop destruction, God shows how that over-production is to be used for the benefit of all.
What a wonderful and divine God! Let us all benefit from God for he is All in All.
May God Bless You and May You Bless God in ALL Things.
Jeff