Day 5 – God is a Farmer

God is a farmer, He always deals in multiplication. His Kingdom is compared to a field – the world is a field – in the world there are two crops growing – wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30 The Parable of the Weeds).  The wheat represents the children of God; the tares represent the sons of the evil one. We are not a people of mixture we are either one or the other. We do not operate on a scale of good and evil as if to obtain favor by our merit.

A seed produces after its own kind (Gen 1:11-13). When we step into God’s Kingdom we are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) no longer tares that resemble wheat but have no life within them, rather we become wheat which carries the life of God within. We are not reformed, we are transformed, re-created, born from above.

To be a disciple is to be taught, trained, and developed in such a way as to become exactly like your teacher. Jesus discipled   twelve and the twelve discipled more. In the Great Commission, Jesus instructed us to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:16-20). So here is the pattern – disciples making disciples making disciples making disciples – multiplication. The Kingdom of God grows by multiplication just like a farmer who plants seed and patiently waits for and expects a harvest.

Jesus was the one seed (prophesied in Genesis 3:15) that God planted on the earth. Jesus explained it this way – except the seed dies – it remains alone – but when the seed dies it is transformed and it grows (John 12:23-24)

The farming picture extends beyond a field of wheat full of individual plants. Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:1-11). Our transformation includes such an intimate union that the very life of God courses through our veins. The life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:14) and it is the blood of Jesus that gives us our new life.

We become one with Him by grafting (Romans 11:17-24) – another term relating to farming. All vines and fruit trees are reproduced by grafting; it’s the only way that fruit varieties can remain true to their flavors and types. The top part that bears fruit is grafted to the rootstock. Without grafting, there is no connection to God. We are grafted to Him by covenant; a covenant is the strongest relationship on earth. It is stronger than family and it lasts from generation to generation.

Pruning is a necessary aspect of growing fruit in vineyards and orchards. Jesus tells us that if we do not bear fruit – that is to display the reality of God’s kingdom in our lives - He will prune us. If we do bear fruit, He will prune us so that we bear more fruit (John 15:1-11). This is God taking us from glory to glory. Pruning is not punishment; we do not get pruned because we are a failure. As it is in the orchard, so it is in our life. We need to perceive these things so we do not become discouraged or critical toward others.

God is a farmer; He directly displays the mysteries of His kingdom in the common things of this world. It’s not so surprising really because everything that exists is originated out of the mind of God. We live in a world that is saturated with the thoughts of God.

The Feasts of the Lord which were observed by obligation during the times before Messiah took place during the harvest seasons in the land of Israel. All of Israel gathered three times a year as one man to keep the Feasts. These Feast times are a pattern for the redemptive work of God. They all speak of our redemption in Jesus. There is much more we could say about these times, but the point of emphasis here is to highlight that they all come in the seasons of agricultural harvest.

God is a farmer and He is patiently looking to the culmination of the harvest of righteousness on earth when the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11;9).

God is a farmer

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 but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. ESV

Discussion questions:

 Day 5 – God is a Farmer

• Why do you think that God displays himself in the common things like farming?

• Can you find other references to farming and food in the scriptures? Describe them.

• The first sin was a violation of a “food law” Genesis 2:17 - …thou shall not eat…. Why is that significant?