Seedtime and Harvest
After the flood, God told Noah, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). This is an unchangeable law of God. Cold and heat have never ceased; so also, day and night, therefore seedtime and harvest will never cease. If you sow corn, you reap corn and not carrots. Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. So, what type of seed are you sowing? Some people think they can sow evil, hurt others, and go free—it doesn’t work that way. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
As we go through several examples in the Bible, may the Lord help us change what we sow to good seed.
Pharaoh, King of Egypt (Exodus 1; 14)
In Exodus 1, we read of a new king of Egypt (believed to be Ahmose I, founder of the 18th dynasty in 1545-1526 BC) who had no appreciation for Joseph’s character and achievements. He became anxious about the rate at which the children of Israel were increasing and becoming mighty. He feared Israel might join their enemies to fight against them and depart from Egypt, so he started sowing bad seed by throwing every newborn Hebrew boy into the river Nile.
Pharaoh’s harvest came in Exodus 14 after the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptian army followed them, and God made the sea close on them, and they all died in the sea. Pharaoh threw Hebrew boys into the Nile, and his men drowned in the Red Sea. In the book of Hosea we read, “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7).
Adoni-Bezek (Judges 1:4-6)
Adoni-Bezek is referred to as a king of Jerusalem in Joshua 10:1-3. Israel continued their conquest after the death of Joshua. The region of Canaan south of Jerusalem had been allotted to the tribe of Judah, so the tribes of Judah and Simeon went against the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and God gave them victory over ten thousand men at Bezek (Judges 1:5). Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Why was he not just killed? He had to reap the seed he sowed! Adoni-Bezek said with his mouth, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me” (Judge 1:7). Job said, “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same” (Job 4:8).
King Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 21)
King Ahab reigned over the Northern Kingdom, Israel, from Samaria for 22 years (874-853 BC). He and his wife Jezebel were known for evil. They killed many prophets of God. At a point in time, Ahab desired a property belonging to Naboth, who would not sell it because it was his family inheritance. Jezebel, seeing her husband saddened by it, devised a scheme that got Naboth killed, and his blood was licked by dogs. Ahab went ahead and seized the property. Then, the Lord sent the prophet Elijah to meet him, and Elijah proclaimed that in the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs would equally lick up his blood. He reaped exactly what he sowed. Ahab was killed in a battle between Israel and Syria. As they were washing his chariot by the pool of Samaria, dogs came and licked up his blood, according to the word of the Lord (Kings 22:38).
Jezebel also reaped her harvest. She was executed by Jehu after he ordered the eunuchs to throw her down from a window. When Jehu ordered them to bury her, most of her body parts had been eaten up by dogs, just as the Lord had said (2 Kings 9:36-37). “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
Jacob (Genesis 27)
Jacob had a heart for the family inheritance, unlike his brother Esau, but he did not wait on God to do it in a righteous way. He and his mother devised a scheme and showed a bad seed of deceit.
Jacob went to live with his uncle Laban in Syria, where he served seven years to marry Rachel. After seven years, he was to be given Rachel in marriage, but instead Laban brought Leah, her elder sister, to Jacob as wife. Since marriage was done in the evening in that culture, Jacob did not know until the morning that he was in bed with Leah. Now hear what Jacob said: “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?” (Genesis 29:25). Jacob had to serve another seven years to marry Rachel.
Now, see what happened: Jacob went into his father’s bedroom while he was in bed, and led his father to believe that he was his brother Esau. In the same way, while Jacob was in bed, he was led to believe that he was with Rachel.
Good Examples:
God wanted a family, and He created Adam in His image. Adam sinned and Satan seized this earth, and became the god of this world, but his time will soon come to an end. Jesus, the second Adam, came as a seed. Jesus, talking about Himself, said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Because Jesus died for us, all who accept Him as their Lord and Savior automatically become the children of God. Scripture says, as many as received Him, to them He gave the power or right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:18). God won’t violate His law of seedtime and harvest. He gave His one and only Son as seed, and now He has us as His children. Praise God!
Joseph had dreams, and he told his brethren. They became envious and sold him into slavery when he was about seventeen years old. He could have been discouraged and bitter, and hated his people, but instead he continued to work hard, doing more than he was paid. He sowed good seed when bad came his way. That’s what we must do! At Potiphar’s house he did so well that Potiphar never had to worry, but his wife lied about Joseph, and he was thrown into jail. God was with him in the prison; the keeper never had to worry; he had favor and interpreted dreams. The butler forgot him, but God never did. God promoted him from the prison. He was next to the most powerful king in the known world—the king of Egypt. He oversaw the Egyptians’ resources.
Famine brought Joseph’s people to Egypt, and he saved the lives of his people. Some people believe that he had to be sold as a slave to Egypt to save lives. Of course, he did save the lives of his people and others. I believe God would rather have blessed Joseph in Canaan and let others come to Canaan, but because Joseph was in Egypt, his harvest followed him. How about his brothers? They sold Joseph into slavery, and then their own children became slaves for 430 years in Egypt.
After the death of their father, Jacob’s brethren were concerned that he would retaliate for all they did to him, but hear what he said: “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:19-20). No matter what others are doing to hurt you, if you continue to do good, God will turn it around and bless you.
The Psalmist says, “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy” (Psalm 126:5 NLT).
When you have problems, when you are hurting, when you are persecuted, please continue to do good. While you hurt, count it all joy—your harvest is coming!