JOTS FROM OLD JAKE
HARVEST
Monday, Jan. 08, 2007 - 11:56 p.m.
HARVEST (therismos)gr.
I had a song running my mind from the days of my youth: �bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we will come rejoicing, bringing the sheaves�� I always had in the back of my mind that we as born-again, Spirit-filled believers were supposed to be the reapers of the harvest. The song seemed to justify that idea. I never really thought this through until in the past few days. I have been recopying some of my old song sheets and there are a few of the songs that seem to lead the wrong impression or are taken out of context. Those I have discarded� for the time being anyway. This one kind of caught me by surprise though.
While studying in the book of Luke it came to me that that is not the way it is. We don�t save anyone from damnation. We just sow the seed of the gospel, �His word.� The Blood of Jesus does the saving� (sprouting), The Holy Spirit does the feeding. The word the laborers in the harvest are the tillers of the soil and the planters of the seed. The Lord will send the Angles to put the sickle to the crop and do the reaping when it is time to bring the crop in.
Psalms 126 (below), I believe inspired the song. I can see how it can be understood to mean the gathering of souls into the kingdom. However, that is not the context in which (to me is seems, anyway) it is written. The Psalmist I believe is talking about the blessings that follow after Gods chosen people, especially when they are living for His pleasure. It is interesting that the land that Israelites have purchased and is now the state of Israel was literally non-productive when they purchased it for much over the market prices. Now it is the most productive land in the whole area. I am sure that is only because of God�s blessing on his chosen people.
Jesus sends out the seventy saying:
Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Mark 4: 26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Mathew 13: 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Psalms 126:1 A Song of degrees. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Blessings on you all
