God’s Harvest:
John 4:34-38, “Jesus said to the disciples, “My meat (food) is to do the will of Him (The Father) that sent me, and to finish His work. Say not you, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
John 4:36-37-38, “And he that reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit unto life eternal: that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One sows, and another reaps. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed (have not labored) no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.”
The word harvest here is a noun, making reference to the season of reaping and of gathering crops. It especially refers to the time of collecting corn and other grains. In proverbial expressions, it refers to turning the labors of others to one’s own profit. We can reap what others have sown. Examples follow. You can read the whole parable if you like.
Matt.25:24-26, Jesus said, “Then he (a servant) which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed (scattered seed) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, thou wicked and slothful = (lazy) servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed.”
Luke 19:20-21-22, Jesus said, “Another = (servants) came, saying Lord, behold here is your pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin = (handkerchief); For I feared thee, because you art an austere (severe) man: thou takes up that thou lays not down, and reaps that thou didst not sow. And he (the nobleman) said unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere (severe) man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow.”
Compare Job 31:8, with Micah 6:15, then compare with above.
Job 31:8, Job said, “Then let me sow, and let another eat.”
Micah 6:15, “Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.”
John 4:37, Jesus said, and this is the meaning of that saying, “One sows, and another reaps.”
After the harvest, we shall be rewarded according to our works. Gal.6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”
And in a similar sense; 2 Cor.9:6, “But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully (with blessings) shall reap also bountifully.”
The Lord is teaching a lesson of courage and moving forward with the gospel message. His apostles needed encouragement with the task at hand. Jesus is saying, let the salvation of all men be nearer to your heart than life itself. Let your eating, drinking, working, thinking, studying, prayers, be directed to the accomplishment of my Fathers will, and to our work of salvation.
We must all be imitators of the Lord. People around the world are perishing because of the lack of workers. We have been given the keys of the Kingdom, and the knowledge of God’s word (truths revealed through the Holy Spirit), therefore as ministers of the word, we must direct men into knowledge first, and understanding later. Many before us, have planted a seed here, and a seed there. The fields are ripe, and the harvest is ready to be attended to, are you ready and willing?
In Israel, the harvest did not begin until after the Pass-over, which was on the 14th of Nisan (March ). It may at times have extended into April. First came the harvest of barley, next the wheat. All was to be finished by Pentecost. Why?
In the feast that occurred on Pentecost, the first-fruits of all the harvest were carried to the temple, and waved before the Lord. See Lev.23:11. This waving was an offering of first-fruits, they belonging to the Lord. When Jesus spoke in John 4, it was yet four months before the harvest of barley and wheat. It is estimated the month was January, on, or about the 13th. It has been calculated that the pass-over would fall on March 28, and Pentecost on May 17th. A note of interest, John the Baptist was cast into prison on this day in January, also Jesus returns to Galilee.
Jesus said, “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields: for they are white already to harvest.” While speaking to His disciples, many Samaritans from nearby towns were arriving in Jerusalem. The woman at the well had apparently received some truths concerning the gospel message from the Lord. Jesus knew beforehand that the Gentiles would receive and rejoice in the gospel. These Samaritans were symbolized as a field of wheat, a field ready for the harvest. The message of the gospel would be received by them, and salvation would be theirs.
Jesus was both the sower and reaper of the crops. He reaped what He had sown. He received the wages desired, and the gratification of saving the lost. He then gathered in the fruit of His labor. He saw the seed time and the harvest time all in this one glorious day.
Verse 37, “Herein is that saying true, One sows, and another reaps.” Jesus is saying to the disciples, I have sent you to reap, to preach my gospel; so therefore go and gain converts. Go to places where no man has yet labored. Go where the patriarch and prophets of old had already sown my seed, and you will enter into the fruits of their labor. It was they, in times past who had announced the coming of the Lord.
The prophets sowed in tears, crying out, “we have labored in vain;” yet the apostles reaped in joy, saying, “Thanks be to God, who is the cause of our victories.” We know this to be true, because the Samaritan women said to Jesus at the well, “We know that Messias comes.” She was not a Jew, yet knew of His coming. For those who have labored before us, good fruit will continue to be harvested by those reapers who follow.
The people were excited, and longed for Christ’s appearing. You and I are to tell the lost people of this world of the Kingdom of God. The kingdom is already among us, the Lord Himself having visited us in the form a man, a man we call Jesus.
Matt.9:37, “Then said He (Jesus) unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.”
The Lord requires laborers, and people of courage. Loyalty, dedication, and personal sacrifice are the attributes of the Christian worker. Are you ready for the harvest and the battle ahead?
Does the word harvest ever imply to cut down, or destroy? The answer is yes, when it speaks of God’s enemies.
Jer.12:13-14, “They (God’s enemies) have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: that they shall be ashamed of your revenues = (harvest) because of the fierce anger of the LORD. Thus said the Lord against all mine evil neighbors.”
Rev:14:15-16-19, This is the harvest of God’s judgment against evil men. “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. — And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.”
Joel 3:13, “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.” In figurative language, God’s wine-press signifies battles and great slaughter.
Phil Laspino www.seekfirstwisdom.com