The Law Of The Harvest

The Law of the Harvest

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest,

and cold and heat, . . . shall not cease” (Gen 8:22)

We all realize that the laws that govern airborne flight were unknown just one century ago. Are there other such laws that exist in the universe? Are there other laws of which we have not yet begun to investigate or to even conceive?

God’s physical laws preside over every tangible form of human endeavor. God established predictable laws that bind our very universe together. According to our common understanding of the English Language, a law must operate the same way all of the time. What about spiritual laws? Do spiritual laws operate at the same level as the physical laws such as gravity and magnetism? Let’s investigate.

Obviously, in order to fly, a modern jumbo jet weighing multiple tons, must somehow supersede the law of gravity! The modern jetliner is not some kind of an anomaly that simply defies the law of gravity; instead, every flying machine must invoke laws that supercede the law of gravity. This means that various laws in the physical universe when properly employed can overcome problems associated with other natural laws.

Is there a place where we can go to discover spiritual laws? Obviously, Jesus’ disciples would choose to go to the Bible for that kind of revelation. But, which laws are the most important? Are those things that Jesus said somehow elevated above other things that were recorded earlier?

For example, we have all heard of the Golden Rule, in years past, the various institutions of our American society used to promulgate the thoughts contained in the “Golden Rule;” you know, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The so-called “Golden Rule” literally arises out of the passage in Matthew where Jesus said, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matt 7:12). His message was simple; we should be doing things for others that we ourselves would enjoy! Were Jesus’ words merely intended for the social well being of humanity or should His words be elevated to the level of spiritual law? In the Golden Rule, did Jesus actually reveal a law or were His words intended just as good advice?

All of God’s laws (even the physical laws) operate in the realm of the spirit. We do not observe the law of gravity; instead, we experience the effects of gravity and we can learn to cooperate with that law in pursuit of our own benefit or we can choose not cooperate en route to our own destruction! We do not observe the law of electricity; however, we experience the effects of electricity and like the law of gravity it can be used properly or improperly! So too is the law of magnetism and other such laws. Paul made reference to one of God’s spiritual laws when He identified a law known as, “the law of faith” (Rom 3:27). Like gravity and other physical laws such as electricity and magnetism, we cannot observe the actual spiritual law of faith; however, we definitely can experience the effects of cooperating with the law of faith! For those of you who would like to know more concerning the “law of faith,” we suggest that you obtain the Rivkah Ministries, Bible Study entitled, “The Law of Faith;”you will find a copy of that study from http://www.Rivkah.org.

God has established laws (those invisible forces) that govern the universe (both spiritual and physical). These laws are unchanging. While our circumstances, relationships, finances, or employment will change from time-to-time, God’s laws that govern and impact the physical and spiritual creation always remain constant. We have already stated that, a law works the same way all of the time; that is to say, it is invariable under given conditions.

It is natural that ignoring or complying with these laws brings either blessings or curses into our lives. As our spiritual maturity develops, we begin to discover that the circumstances we face today were actually predetermined by ourselves weeks, months, and even years ago; our conditions today come out of the decisions and choices that we have made during the past. Likewise, today’s decisions will determine our own future conditions. This reminds me of the analogy as follows: life is like a fiery furnace that melts each one of us down to our base elements; our daily choice in life is the mold into which we choose to pour ourselves.

Just like the Law of Faith (which we referenced earlier), we are going to look at a spiritual law that can be utilized to produce amazing results especially in the natural realm. This law is perhaps best known as the “Law of the Harvest;” this law is first identified in the Book of Genesis, “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). In essence, the process of seedtime and harvest will endure as long as the earth continues. The very fact that we humans can eat food today proves that this law continues to work. Everything that we are eating today did not even exist 3-5 years ago! The Law of the Harvestis God’s plan to feed people forever! After a farmer plants his seed, and waits patiently (“bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15)), seasons eventually change and the time of the harvest comes! This Law of the Harvestworks all of the time unless fire, inclement weather, or some other phenomenon alters the natural process of things! Jesus made a connection between the Kingdom of God and the planting of seed; notice Mark’s account “And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground” (Mark 4:26). In Luke’s record, Jesus asks and answers questions, “Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden” (Luke 13:18-19).

Not get this concept: every law established by God intended to function in the natural realm can be used to perceive another parallel law that exists or operates in the supernatural realm; “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Rom 1:20) (Reread this sentence as many times as necessary until completely understood!) Therefore, since seedtime and harvest operate as the result of a law established by God in the natural realm, there is also a corresponding law that operates in the supernatural realm; this law also operates according to the same tenets of the law of seedtime and harvest.

Let’s examine the law of harvest in the natural realm in order that we may begin to gain an appreciation for the corresponding law that operates in the spirit realm. In simplest terms, we know that the farmer plants his seed (obviously we should assume that he has prepared the ground beforehand and he also regularly irrigates the ground where needed). After panting, the farmer patiently waits for a season and then he can gather in his harvest. Therefore, the law can perhaps best be described as follows: if we plant, we harvest; on the other hand, if we fail to plant, we fail to harvest.

We gain even deeper understanding of the Law of the Harvest when we recognize that ten different times in just the first chapter of the Bible alone, God established the “law of kind after kind” within the law of the harvest. God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind” (Gen 1:11). In as simple terms as possible, the law of “kind after kind” asserts that every seed that is planted reproduces only after its kind. Carrot seeds do not produce radishes; nor do corn seeds produce wheat. The original seed can only produce according to its own kind. Therefore, it is not necessary for me to ask what kind of seed you have planted in your garden! I just need to look and see what is growing; your fruit identifies the seed!

It should not take long for us to gain an understanding of the concept that, the “Law of the Harvest” is all about multiplication! Based upon whatever type of fruit or vegetable that is sown, a seed always produces a harvest greater than the original seed. No matter what you sow, the harvest will be more plentiful! Sowing therefore is God’s method of multiplying!

Perhaps the “Law of the Harvest” is best portrayed through the death of our Lord, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). Jesus claimed that His very life was a seed that when sown, it would produce an abundant harvest, “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory” (Heb 2:10). God wanted a family; so, He sowed a seed (His Son) and we believers are the beginning of His harvest!

Can we? or How can we benefit by applying the Law of the Harvestduring this lifetime? In essence, whatever we sow (corn, mercy, forgiveness, love, time, patience, strife, anger, short temperedness, and even money); whatever we sow, comes back to us with dividends, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38)! The Law of the Harvest ensures abundance! The law is simple; whatever we sow will be given back to us in greater abundance, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal 6:7).

The Greek poet Homer described what he called “poetic justice;” he portrayed those interesting and paradoxical twists of fortune that were fraught with irony and more often than not, ill fortunes came back upon the perpetrator. In these instances the one who had devised some scheme to defraud or otherwise cheat another ended up trapped by his own malicious scheme. The Almighty Judicial God of the universe is no less just in His administration of justice than was the Greek poet Homer!

We are describing the law of the harvest, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth , that shall he also reap” (Gal 6:7). Notice just a few Biblical verses, which are saturated with the notion of “poetic justice:”

In each of these passages the clear message is that evil carried out upon another results in an equivalent reckoning unto the perpetrator. This is simply proof that the Law of the Harvest is in constant operation!

Jacob is arguably the most colorful character in the Bible. He became the father of the twelve tribes that formed the nation of Israel. We will remember that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Jacob’s life is fraught with irony or God’s, “poetic justice.”

Jacob was not the firstborn; he was a twin at birth, his brother Esau was delivered first. The Bible records a rather colorful account of how Jacob essentially grabbed the heel of Esau during birth, “ the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob” (Gen 25:25-26). The name Jacob literally means “heel catcher” or “supplanter.” Therefore the name Jacob actually means one who displaces, unseats or supersedes another. Some have even referred to him as a “swindler.”

Indeed, the sorted story of how Jacob managed to supplant Esau (his brother) provides us with some insight into God’s special form of justice. We have learned that this “poetic justice” is actually the Law of the Harvest in action.

We observed how God often repays in kind through ironic twists. The following list identifies several examples of this, “poetic justice” which can be identified within the life of Jacob and his children:

1.) Rebekah (Jacob’s mother) engineered a plot to deceive Isaac (Jacob’s father). The intent was for Jacob to obtain the blessing (that Rebekah already understood belonged to Jacob as a result of an earlier prophecy). Nevertheless, their culture required that the blessing should have gone to Esau, the eldest son; therefore, they conspired to deceive Isaac.

The plot resulted in Rebekah’s favorite son (Jacob), being sent away. His “exile” lasted for twenty years, which ended up essentially lasting the rest of her life. This means that Rebekah was deprived of her favorite son for the remainder of her natural life.

2.) During the ruse to deceive Isaac, Jacob used the skins of kids of goats to keep his father ignorant of his true identity.

Later, Jacob was himself deceived about the identity of his favorite son. Jacob’s sons through “Joseph’s” bloodstains deceived their father. Ironically, they used the blood of kids of goats in their deceit.

3) Jacob deceived his father concerning the firstborn and thereby cheated his eldest brother of the blessing. While Jacob was in exile, he agreed to serve Laban for seven years that he might marry Rachel. On the night of his presumed wedding to Rachel, he was given Leah. Through the subterfuge, Laban cheated Jacob out of the hand of Rachel.

Laban’s rationalization was, that, “It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.” This specific irony where the firstborn received the blessing from the father according to custom, must have burned within Jacob since he had improperly broken custom to receive Esau’s blessing.

4) Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and expected him to end up in Egypt.

Ironically, all of the children of Joseph’s brothers ended up being slaves in Egypt!

5) Pharaoh decided to drown the Hebrew babies when he saw the nation of Israel becoming too strong. Obviously, he thought that he could simply drown the Hebrew babies; he was completely ignorant to God’s measure-for-measure retribution!

What we should begin to realize is that the Law of the Harvest is essentially a spiritual law and it works all of the time! A seed planted brings forth a kind for kind harvest.

Whenever we give, that gift essentially dies to us, “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die” (1 Cor 15:36). Through these words Paul made it clear that even though this seed has become dead to us; nevertheless, it still produces new life! By giving, (that is, reducing a portion of ourselves) we create a negative exchange in the spiritual arena. According to the law of the harvest, this negative exchange literally attracts an opposite positive exchange (spiritual forces that cause elements to increase us). Through this entire exchange, we actually end up with a greater total mass than what we had at the beginning! In other words, when we give we create a vacuum in the spirit realm and this attracts increase. In the end, since we now have enlarged, we actually have a greater capacity to give more! At this point, the cycle produced by the Law of the Harvest intensifies!

Let’s notice another example of how the “Law of the Harvest” is applicable when it comes to the expansion of the God’s Kingdom upon this earth. We can observe this Law of the Harvest working in a gentile named Cornelius, “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, (a gentile) 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God” (Acts 10:1-4). Cornelius had obviously been sowing especially in the area of fasting, prayer and alms. All of his sowing resulted in an open door in order that the Gospel message might go also to the Gentiles. Peter, “saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. 17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, 18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. 19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. 20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. 21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius . . . 30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:11-35). What we discover is that a Gentile sowed alms and prayer; and, a harvest of gentiles still continues to come into the Kingdom of God!

Are there other laws in the universe that we humans as a whole have not yet begun to investigate? YES! Wake up! The spiritual Law of the Harvest needs careful and close investigation!

Written by M. Larry Perrino 9/8/2005