While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Gen. 8:22)
The Earth is governed by strict laws that create and hold its content in balance; the resultant effect of these laws are the cycles of activities/events that hold good the Earth in its place, refreshes and replenishes it. These laws are “simple” pronouncements of God backed by His power to give force and effect to the Word content.
Consider this, ”While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Gen. 8:22) This statement effected an order or cycle of activities that is being sustained to the present day; while the earth remains: planting and harvest season, summer and winter, day and night, etc. are natural and continuing activities today ‘simply’ because God said so. These natural occurrences and activities must both inform and elicit our fear (awe) and reverence for the Word of God and motivate our reliance and trust on them. Whatever God says is surely established
The notion of Harvest must therefore necessarily interest our learning and exploration, first because it is established by the Word and commitment of God similar to the cycle of day and night; and also because of the latent benefit inherent in Harvest. There is a manifold benefit in the intent of God to have seedtime and harvest as a standard and recurring event while the earth remains.
According to Wikipedia, “Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields… The completion of harvesting marks the end of the growing season, or the growing cycle for a particular crop, and the social importance of this event makes it the focus of seasonal celebrations such as harvest festivals, found in many religions.” Consequently, Harvest is a season of God’s reward for man’s activities on the Earth, a time of compensation for man’s toil and labor on the earth. It is a time when man reaps of his labor sown. We need to pause here and extract the laden truth of Harvest and harness it.
Man, according to the Bible and natural cycle of seedtime and harvest, sows and then could only wait for Harvest: he has no means of warranty, to induce or influence the volume or outcome of Harvest. That (Harvest) is the cause and call of God.
The Bible describes the process thus “A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29). There is a unique feature of the process highlighted in the sentence “…the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how” That aspect unknown to man is what culminates in Harvest known and controlled by God.
God is the Lord of Harvest, (Matt. 9:38); He controls and determines the activity, response and yield of seed sown on the Earth and does so as a proof of His commitment to His Word and reward. Let’s fear and hope in God to graciously and mercifully command a plenteous yield in our lives’ Harvest season. Welcome to Harvest
