5 min
the kingdom of God is like...a man who casts seed upon the soil. Serene Truth Resource
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- Cristianismo
All over the Bible The theme: The Kingdom of God is like... summarizes God's eternal and Sovereign rule over all creation and the entire universe.
Psalm 103:19 "The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all," this we know.
Join me as we journey through The Kingdom of God is like… series, focusing on the various aspects of God's reign.
…a man who casts seed upon the soil.
Mark 4:26-29
And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts 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.
Scripture shows Jesus giving a total of 4 parables of farmers and farming techniques showing that he was familiar with it. For the experienced farmer, a short description of the process would be as follows: The ground would first be prepped and ploughed upon usually after the first rain (Deuteronomy 11:13-17). If the rains did not come the ground would not be soft enough for the plough blade to break through. Next came the sowing of seeds. On a smaller scale, the farmer would walk along furrowed land, throwing seeds onto the ploughed land from a bag clinging to his side. Seed that was cast upon “good soil” and watered upon by an abundant source of water such as rain sprouted. And from those seeds came grain ready to be reaped by a sickle held in one hand and the stalk of the crop held in another. With one swipe of the blade the grain would be cut at the shaft, bundled and transported to the threshing area making the harvesting process complete.
Growth and sanctification is of God
A ready and willing heart to receive God’s teaching are the workings of the Holy Spirit upon hardened flesh in the same way the rain softens the ground for the ploughing and seeds; providing the necessities for the Word of God to bear fruit in one’s life. And when that heart of the wretched sinner comes into contact with the seed, that is, he hears of the gospel, he is immediately transformed. The word he receives bears all fruit. The sinner is renewed. And neither man nor woman can explain the mystery of how this change has been brought about. It is of God and no man can take credit for the salvation of any believer. Ours is to echo the words of Paul as he says “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”
It is true that not all sowing can be successful as in Mark 4:4-7. But again I say, it is of God. He decides what seed will bear fruit.
Lastly, this change that is not of man’s own doing is also not of his sustaining. For it is only God who saved you who can keep you and continue to sanctify you to present you to Himself. In the same way that he preserves the crop until the time of harvest.
1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ”
All over the Bible The theme: The Kingdom of God is like... summarizes God's eternal and Sovereign rule over all creation and the entire universe.
Psalm 103:19 "The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all," this we know.
Join me as we journey through The Kingdom of God is like… series, focusing on the various aspects of God's reign.
…a man who casts seed upon the soil.
Mark 4:26-29
And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts 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.
Scripture shows Jesus giving a total of 4 parables of farmers and farming techniques showing that he was familiar with it. For the experienced farmer, a short description of the process would be as follows: The ground would first be prepped and ploughed upon usually after the first rain (Deuteronomy 11:13-17). If the rains did not come the ground would not be soft enough for the plough blade to break through. Next came the sowing of seeds. On a smaller scale, the farmer would walk along furrowed land, throwing seeds onto the ploughed land from a bag clinging to his side. Seed that was cast upon “good soil” and watered upon by an abundant source of water such as rain sprouted. And from those seeds came grain ready to be reaped by a sickle held in one hand and the stalk of the crop held in another. With one swipe of the blade the grain would be cut at the shaft, bundled and transported to the threshing area making the harvesting process complete.
Growth and sanctification is of God
A ready and willing heart to receive God’s teaching are the workings of the Holy Spirit upon hardened flesh in the same way the rain softens the ground for the ploughing and seeds; providing the necessities for the Word of God to bear fruit in one’s life. And when that heart of the wretched sinner comes into contact with the seed, that is, he hears of the gospel, he is immediately transformed. The word he receives bears all fruit. The sinner is renewed. And neither man nor woman can explain the mystery of how this change has been brought about. It is of God and no man can take credit for the salvation of any believer. Ours is to echo the words of Paul as he says “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”
It is true that not all sowing can be successful as in Mark 4:4-7. But again I say, it is of God. He decides what seed will bear fruit.
Lastly, this change that is not of man’s own doing is also not of his sustaining. For it is only God who saved you who can keep you and continue to sanctify you to present you to Himself. In the same way that he preserves the crop until the time of harvest.
1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ”
5 min