I had a friend tell me I should read this verse. My peave is when Christians will "give" you a verse. Not what it says just the reference. I think I feel manipulated to look it up. So often times I just nod and grin and don't bother looking it up. This time, however, I wanted to look it up with the faint hope of hearing from God. (reasoning how can I ask "Him" to speak to me if I am not listening?) So I began to write it on my bathroom mirror with a bar of soap. However it wasn't working so all I got was "HO". (A month later while the mirror was misted up I winced at the derogatory ghetto meaning and secretly hoped no one in my family wondered what that was all about.) So I looked it up yesterday. This is not me telling you this verse to shed light on your darkened corner, not that I am beyond that, but this is me documenting something that seems to have meaning but am not sure as to what with the hope that sometime in the future it could make sense to me. That and the possibility one of the 15-24 daily reader's who come by this blog might find something therein. Maybe not.
The verse sounds inspiring but is somewhat cryptic (to me at least):
"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you."
Context: This is the "nice" or hopeful part of a line of chastisements from God to Israel prophesied by and recorded by Hosea. In the other verses God is pretty hardnosed, he doesn't pussyfoot about concerning the lameness of the nation of Israel's abondonment of God, and the consequences. Yet somehow amongst the smoke of truth He is still kind, and has words of hope. Wow.
I like the notion of righteousness falling like rain. Would I skip and dance Gene Kelly style, or would I mutter about the weather? I know righteousness isn't always pleasing to be caught up in.
It is funny how this verse might be found on a placard in a religious bookstore. We like to "cherry pick" the Bible, put the "nicey" verses about that make us feel good on wristbands and such. What if you went to someones house and framed boldly on spotlit wall it grimly said:
"Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy own way"
Most certainly if we placed it on a bumper sticker it would not be in the context of God's condemnation of us as followers of Jesus, but of the loathsome "sinner".
The expression, "Break up your fallow ground" (Hos. 10:12; Jer. 4:3) means, "Do not sow your seed among thorns", i.e., break off all your evil habits; clear your hearts of weeds, in order that they may be prepared for the seed of righteousness. Land was allowed to lie fallow that it might become more fruitful; but when in this condition, it soon became overgrown with thorns and weeds. The cultivator of the soil was careful to "break up" his fallow ground, i.e., to clear the field of weeds, before sowing seed in it. So says the prophet, "Break off your evil ways, repent of your sins, cease to do evil, and then the good seed of the word will have room to grow and bear fruit."
2 comments:
It's funny or should I say "Ordained" that I would come across your post. I was lead to this scripture as well. I've had it on my refrigerator for weeks, but tonight I wanted to do research on it and get a deeper meaning.
The first thing that stuck out with your post is "Ho" I must admit! I think that we pimp God alot of times--ex: calling on Him only when we are in trouble. i.e. acting like a whore. And the fact is, although we act like that, Jesus died for us eventhough we are sinners. Now that's love.
I know that God wants us to produce Godly fruit. Regardless, of what we do, we do have to understand that we are producing something!!!! And we feed what we produce to those around us . . . our kids, family, friends, strangers we come into contact with. We sometimes tend to place responsibilities on other people, but the truth remain, that whatever our "fruit" taste like, it is being eaten by others. We must share in the responsibility.
God asked me once "Are you Organic?" Meaning, are you living?
all natural? Or are you full of pesticides and artifical coloring? Do you have unhealthy coatings on your fruit (like lemons have on them so that they will be shiny and we will want to buy them!), just so that you can appear to look good to others?
I ask you, are you organic? Are you really LIVING?
When someone taste you (come and contact with you) are leaving them with nutrients and vitamins? Or, are you killing them slowly, with negativity?
I pray that WE are organic? You and I both (smile). I'm not jugding, just sharing! I too am on the journey, desparetly wanting to produce organic fruit!!! The only way to get is through Jesus Christ!
Start your Harvest, I sure did!
Thanks for sharing your blog!
P.S.
In the Beginning of book of Hosea, the story of Hosea and Gomer(the whore!). Research it--very interesting...
Thanks for commenting, I appreciated your thoughts and found them stirring, concerning 'organic' you might want to read my review of the re:form conference.
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