Sow What?

[dave c]

simpletruth #138d Re-Written 24APR10

HOSEA 10:12—Part Four: Sow What?

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).

Upon reading the above verse under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I was struck by the phrase, Sow for yourselves righteousness…. Although many of the words in this passage are translated very differently from version to version, this phrase is identical in each of the five or six study Bibles referenced. If we take to heart Isaiah’s lament in Chapter 64:6, ...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…(NIV), we have to question the value and effectiveness of “planting righteous acts for ourselves.” As quoted at the end of Part Three, we must keep in mind, ... neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow (1Co 3:7; NIV). The point being, no matter how or why we perform acts of goodness, unless God’s blessings are upon them, they come to naught. On the other hand, although an act of kindness may seem insignificant to us—through the blessings of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit—Jesus may use it to tremendous effect for advancing the Kingdom (Mk 9:41).

What are seeds of righteousness, and how do we sow them for ourselves? Simply put, righteousness is conformity to God’s will in our relationships with Him, and with each other. After that the issue becomes rather involved. God the Father has given us the Bible as an outline of what He asks and demands from us as individuals and as nations. Within that outline it is also an history of mankind's successes and failures, and it is a guide for right conduct now and in the future. Besides this Written Word (logos), Jesus has also sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us so that we might know moment by moment strength and direction as the Living Word (rhema) (Jn 16:5-15 & 1Co 2:9-16). Additionally, Christ has made it perfectly clear that just being externally correct is not sufficient, but that conformity within the inner man to the Law written upon our hearts and minds is required for righteousness. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former (Mt 23:23).

All righteousness originates and dwells with God and we exercise righteous behavior and thoughts only when we are conforming to His divine nature and will. Obviously, the first step of obedience to God the Father is the acceptance of God the Son as our Lord and Savior, and the receiving of God the Holy Spirit. Effectively, the decision to seek forgiveness and to follow Christ is our first act of righteousness and, by Divine mercy, the result is salvation through justification. The rest of a Christian’s life while still in this flesh is the process of learning submission to the will of the Father. This is salvation today as sanctification and it is “sowing for ourselves righteousness”. Finally, upon death and resurrection, we will be given perfected bodies so that we might spend eternity in the presence of Jesus as the Lord of All Creation. This is salvation as glorification.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life (Ga 6:7&8; NIV). Unfortunately the opposite of sowing ‘good seed’ is also true. As we sow weeds or thistles, we are planting tomorrow’s crop of sorrows, regrets, suffering, and all other manner of pain. Not just for ourselves, but for our family, our friends, and our community. Take note of the following verses. As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it (Job 4:8; NIV). He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed (Pr 22:8; NIV). "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind (Ho 8:7a; NIV).”

We are left with the knowledge that the decision is ours. Do we plant righteously to the Spirit, or selfishly to the flesh? Scripture is replete with admonitions for righteousness. The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward (Pr 11:18; NIV). Adversity pursues sinners, But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity (Pr 13:21; NIV). A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous (Pr 13:22; NIV). Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness (Ja 3:18; NIV). Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him (Ps 126:5&6; NIV).

A word of caution here: We should not assume that someone who is going through trials of many kinds is necessarily living out the result of sowing to the flesh. It is just as possible that God is in the process of breaking up some fallow ground in that person’s life in preparation for a harvest to feed multitudes. We must look to ourselves—to our own heart—and to God as we take stock of our current diet. We must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the nature of the seed sown last season, and what we are sowing in our lives today. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will (Ro 8:26&26; NIV). Amen.