INGATHERING

 

Write From My Heart

October 3, 2021

Introductory note:

              I have mentioned before that I have many friends who follow the Old Testament to the exclusion of the New Testament, and just as many who follow the New Testament to the exclusion of the Old Testament. I am definitely a “Both Testaments-Whole Bible” Christian as I so often see information from one testament that is supported in the other testament. Clearly the Bible is meant to be viewed in its entirety, being whole and complete in its message.

              The second thing I notice is how easy it is to skim over Old Testament passages because so many of those cultural traditions are no longer “the norm” for us today. With the death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, we are now under a new covenant with God. The covenants of the Old Testament have been replaced by salvation through Christ our Lord. What was once only available to a select group of chosen people is now available to any who would call upon the name of the Lord.

              For the next few days, I would like to note some observations that I believe are still applicable to the modern day Christian. Once again, what is found in the Old Testament sets the foundation for what we find in the New Testament.

INGATHERING  to pick up or amass as if by harvesting

Exodus 23:14-15, 19 (NIV) Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib [i.e., March/April], for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.

            Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.

            Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.  Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD. … Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.

 

            The Feast of Ingathering is the one I know the least about. I do recognize two things, simply that it is a gathering of all that we have or have done, and that we are to bring our best to the LORD. During early Bible times, the Ingathering was typically done at the end of the harvesting season and it was time to clean all the remaining produce from the fields. It causes me to wonder if I am using all my talents and abilities or if I am leaving something behind unused. It also makes me wonder if I am truly giving my best to the LORD in all that I am and in all that I do. I’m sure other Bible scholars could take these verses and produce a more meaningful sermon on them—but for me, and for this moment in time—even the most rudimentary explanations give me quite a bit of information to digest. Are you using all your talents and abilities for the LORD? Are you giving him the very best of all you are and all you do? Perhaps this is the best place and time to begin.

FIRSTFRUITS

 

Write From My Heart

October 2, 2021

Introductory note:

              I have mentioned before that I have many friends who follow the Old Testament to the exclusion of the New Testament, and just as many who follow the New Testament to the exclusion of the Old Testament. I am definitely a “Both Testaments-Whole Bible” Christian as I so often see information from one testament that is supported in the other testament. Clearly the Bible is meant to be viewed in its entirety, being whole and complete in its message.

              The second thing I notice is how easy it is to skim over Old Testament passages because so many of those cultural traditions are no longer “the norm” for us today. With the death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, we are now under a new covenant with God. The covenants of the Old Testament have been replaced by salvation through Christ our Lord. What was once only available to a select group of chosen people is now available to any who would call upon the name of the Lord.

              For the next few days, I would like to note some observations that I believe are still applicable to the modern day Christian. Once again, what is found in the Old Testament sets the foundation for what we find in the New Testament.

FIRSTFRUITS  before any others

Exodus 23:14-15, 19 (NIV) Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib [i.e., March/April], for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.

            Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.

            Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.  Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD. … Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.

            My Dad’s family tree held generations of whom we might call subsistence farmers—always maintaining gardens to feed their families. Today, I have a dear friend who maintains gardens of squash, tomatoes, beans, chilies or anything else she decides to grow. It always yields a bountiful harvest which she generously shares with others. My own gardening skills are quite lacking although I do enjoy the concept of attempting to grow anything other than weeds.

            Recently I discovered some new information to deepen my understanding of “firstfruits” and early harvests. Today we have equipment and machinery that will cut, thresh, and clean grains in a relatively short time (of course dependent upon the size of fields being harvested). But during Bible times, each part of the process took days to complete by hand and different people often performed different tasks. Today, grains are typically harvested when fully ripened—when they are light brown or golden. But waiting that long in Bible times meant that there was a potential to lose grains that would shatter prematurely. Instead, farmers knew to gather stalks of grain before they were fully mature at the time when the green heads were just beginning to whiten prior to turning brown. Christ used this same analogy in his teachings regarding our witness to others.

John 4:35-38 (NLT) You know the saying, “Four months between planting and harvest.” But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest [KJV “for they are white already to harvest”]. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, “One plants and another harvests.” And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.

            Just a few quick observations: First, if we are the planters sowing the initial seeds for someone to learn about Christ, we may never see the end result. Never be discouraged! Keep doing what God would have you do. Second, if we are blessed to be the harvester leading someone to Christ, always be humbly thankful for those who planted the seeds. You most likely did not accomplished this task alone. Finally, never expect people to be fully spiritually mature at the time of harvest. It will take years of spiritual growth because that is how it is in our own lives. Always remember them in your prayers.

Philippians 1:3, 6 (NIV) I thank my God every time I remember you. …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

 

LEAVEN

 

Write From My Heart

October 1, 2021

Introductory note:

              I have mentioned before that I have many friends who follow the Old Testament to the exclusion of the New Testament, and just as many who follow the New Testament to the exclusion of the Old Testament. I am definitely a “Both Testaments-Whole Bible” Christian as I so often see information from one testament that is supported in the other testament. Clearly the Bible is meant to be viewed in its entirety, being whole and complete in its message.

              The second thing I notice is how easy it is to skim over Old Testament passages because so many of those cultural traditions are no longer “the norm” for us today. With the death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, we are now under a new covenant with God. The covenants of the Old Testament have been replaced by salvation through Christ our Lord. What was once only available to a select group of chosen people is now available to any who would call upon the name of the Lord.

              For the next few days, I would like to note some observations that I believe are still applicable to the modern day Christian. Once again, what is found in the Old Testament sets the foundation for what we find in the New Testament.

LEAVEN  any substance (e.g., yeast) that causes fermentation

Exodus 23:14-15, 19 (NIV) Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib [i.e., March/April], for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.

            Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.

            Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.  Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD. … Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.

 

            My family probably recalls that as a very little child I was an extremely picky eater. My entire diet consisted of bread and butter, tomato soup, pickles, and Jell-O. Mom tried her best, but I would eat little else. Growing up with a particular fondness for bread—of any type—had a bizarre affect during my Sunday School years. I never understood this passage because how could anything so tasty as bread be something of distain? The equation of yeast to sin simply eluded me. As I grew in my understanding I realized leaven (e.g., yeast) causes fermentation, and fermentation is anything that causes a breakdown of molecules. It really is an appropriate analogy for sin because sin of any type, kind, or to any degree is a breakdown of the relationship we have in Christ. It only takes something as small as a poor attitude or unkind spirit to cause fermentation in our heart.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NIV) your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

John 6:35 (NIV) Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”