Roads, Rocks, Thorns, & Dirt
Posted: May 1st, 2010, 3:20 am
simpletruth #138f Re-Written 01May10 salicart@msn.com
HOSEA 10:12—Part Six: Roads, Rocks, Thorns, & Dirt
by rev. dave c
Hosea 10:12, Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you (NKJV).
So far, this series has been a study of God’s principle of sowing and reaping as suggested by Hosea 10:12a. Parts Four and Five were brief discussions of harvesting today what we planted yesterday, and asking the Lord to help us broadcast “good seed” now, so that tomorrow we might know the righteousness of Christ. Besides the consequences of what we sow, the Bible speaks of the significance of where we sow.
Matthew 13:3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 "Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 "Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 "And others fell on the good soil and yielded^ a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 "He who has ears, let him hear." … 18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20 "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty" (NAS).
Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:3-20, and Luke 8:4-15 all recount the parable of Jesus that we commonly refer to as either ‘the Parable of the Soils’, or ‘the Parable of the Sower’. Anything that God has placed into Scripture should be of particular interest and concern to us, but when the same teaching is delivered three times in three different books by three different writers, we should give it our focused attention. Add to this triple presentation the fact that each time we are told Jesus explained this parable in detail to His disciples, and we must approach these passages knowing that God is really working to get His message deep into our lives.
I see in the Parable of the Soils at least three directions for interpretation. Firstly, and most obviously, it illustrates what becomes of the Word of God as Jesus universally makes His presence known within the World. Romans 1:20 tells us that God’s divine nature and eternal power are revealed through all of creation to all people; Romans 2:15 tells us that God has instilled His law into our hearts and minds; and Romans 3:2 tells us that God gave His Written Word to the Jews of the OT and, by extension, now to His Church through the NT, for dissemination throughout the World. Because the Lord reveals Himself through material existence, spiritual revelation, and rational illumination, all of mankind is without excuse. Every individual is faced with the choice to pursue the Truth—or to turn from it. To receive the cleansing gift of forgiveness and eternal redemption—or to reject it.
Secondly, as we are used by Christ to ...go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation…(Mk 16:13, NAS), this teaching helps to prepare us for the differing reactions to, and effects from, our witnessing. Although our hearts should agree with the desires of Jesus, who [does not wish] for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2Pe 3:9b, NAS), we need also recognize that not all that is sown in the World and in our lives will take root, flourish, and bring forth good fruit. Like Paul and Apollos, we may plant seed and provide the water, but it is God Who causes growth (1Co 3:6&7). The ultimate outcome of our ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ rests squarely between each person who hears the Word and God.
Finally, as a Christian, I can apply this parable to personal growth during my hour-to-hour/day-by-day circumstances and relationships where different areas of my life are simultaneously ‘near the road,’ ‘on the rocks,’ ‘thorny,’ or ‘in good soil.’ In this parable Jesus is asking all of humanity, “Are you so focused on your journey that you are passing Me by?” “Are you listening to My words, but failing to commit them deep within your person?” “Are the desires and cares of this life so important that you have nothing left for Me?” “Or do you love Me, and listen to Me, and will you allow Me to permeate the very fiber of your being?” The Lord is not asking this just of non-believers—He also asks it of those who are called by His name. Although I am saved by God’s very great mercy and grace, I still face an everyday life that requires constant spiritual vigilance lest the fruit, the power, and the joy of His salvation through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is snatched from me by the Deceiver and his World systems. Is the seed that Christ sows into my life germinating and taking root? Does it “bring forth fruit a hundredfold, sixty, thirty”...or at all? My spirit may be fertile soil, but are my hands too busy pulling at thorns? Is my mind rocky ground? Is my heart turned to the side of the road? Christ is able to save all of me all of the time—if I am willing to be saved. “Jesus, please help me to love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, and with all my mind. Amen.”
HOSEA 10:12—Part Six: Roads, Rocks, Thorns, & Dirt
by rev. dave c
Hosea 10:12, Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you (NKJV).
So far, this series has been a study of God’s principle of sowing and reaping as suggested by Hosea 10:12a. Parts Four and Five were brief discussions of harvesting today what we planted yesterday, and asking the Lord to help us broadcast “good seed” now, so that tomorrow we might know the righteousness of Christ. Besides the consequences of what we sow, the Bible speaks of the significance of where we sow.
Matthew 13:3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 "Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 "Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 "And others fell on the good soil and yielded^ a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 "He who has ears, let him hear." … 18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20 "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty" (NAS).
Matthew 13:3-23, Mark 4:3-20, and Luke 8:4-15 all recount the parable of Jesus that we commonly refer to as either ‘the Parable of the Soils’, or ‘the Parable of the Sower’. Anything that God has placed into Scripture should be of particular interest and concern to us, but when the same teaching is delivered three times in three different books by three different writers, we should give it our focused attention. Add to this triple presentation the fact that each time we are told Jesus explained this parable in detail to His disciples, and we must approach these passages knowing that God is really working to get His message deep into our lives.
I see in the Parable of the Soils at least three directions for interpretation. Firstly, and most obviously, it illustrates what becomes of the Word of God as Jesus universally makes His presence known within the World. Romans 1:20 tells us that God’s divine nature and eternal power are revealed through all of creation to all people; Romans 2:15 tells us that God has instilled His law into our hearts and minds; and Romans 3:2 tells us that God gave His Written Word to the Jews of the OT and, by extension, now to His Church through the NT, for dissemination throughout the World. Because the Lord reveals Himself through material existence, spiritual revelation, and rational illumination, all of mankind is without excuse. Every individual is faced with the choice to pursue the Truth—or to turn from it. To receive the cleansing gift of forgiveness and eternal redemption—or to reject it.
Secondly, as we are used by Christ to ...go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation…(Mk 16:13, NAS), this teaching helps to prepare us for the differing reactions to, and effects from, our witnessing. Although our hearts should agree with the desires of Jesus, who [does not wish] for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2Pe 3:9b, NAS), we need also recognize that not all that is sown in the World and in our lives will take root, flourish, and bring forth good fruit. Like Paul and Apollos, we may plant seed and provide the water, but it is God Who causes growth (1Co 3:6&7). The ultimate outcome of our ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ rests squarely between each person who hears the Word and God.
Finally, as a Christian, I can apply this parable to personal growth during my hour-to-hour/day-by-day circumstances and relationships where different areas of my life are simultaneously ‘near the road,’ ‘on the rocks,’ ‘thorny,’ or ‘in good soil.’ In this parable Jesus is asking all of humanity, “Are you so focused on your journey that you are passing Me by?” “Are you listening to My words, but failing to commit them deep within your person?” “Are the desires and cares of this life so important that you have nothing left for Me?” “Or do you love Me, and listen to Me, and will you allow Me to permeate the very fiber of your being?” The Lord is not asking this just of non-believers—He also asks it of those who are called by His name. Although I am saved by God’s very great mercy and grace, I still face an everyday life that requires constant spiritual vigilance lest the fruit, the power, and the joy of His salvation through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is snatched from me by the Deceiver and his World systems. Is the seed that Christ sows into my life germinating and taking root? Does it “bring forth fruit a hundredfold, sixty, thirty”...or at all? My spirit may be fertile soil, but are my hands too busy pulling at thorns? Is my mind rocky ground? Is my heart turned to the side of the road? Christ is able to save all of me all of the time—if I am willing to be saved. “Jesus, please help me to love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, and with all my mind. Amen.”