It was around 6am this morning the Lord woke me up with this passage of Scripture from
Hosea 10:12
12 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.
On Thursday after work I took Beverly down to the Outer Banks of NC for a couple of days to celebrate our anniversary. God has blessed us with 31 years of marriage and he has been faithful throughout the entire time.
As we were driving down on Thursday and driving back home yesterday I noticed so many farm fields that have not been planted due to the drought. Many of these fields have been plowed earlier in the year but they are so dry due to no rainfall that the farmers will not put any seed in because it would not have a chance to grow.
The longer these fields sit like this the ground will become fallow or hardened and even with the rain it will not accept any seed. In order for these fields to be able to be planted the farmers will have to till them up again and break that hard crust off the top layer of soil. Then the ground will be able to receive the seed once the rain returns.
Throughout God’s word drought is always a sign of God’s judgement and rain is always a sign of God’s blessing.
***Lets look first at Deuteronomy Chapter 11 where Moses is giving the Children of Isreal a peptalk about the great land they will be going to that the Lord has promised their forefathers.
Deuteronomy 11:1-17
1 Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
2 And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,
3 And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;
4 And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the Lord hath destroyed them unto this day;
5 And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place;
6 And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:
7 But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did.
8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;
9 And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
12 A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
17 And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.
**In the famous chapter of God’s blessing and God’s cursing, Deuteronomy Chapter 28 God tells his children that if they follow him, listen to his voice, observe to do all his commandments they are going to be blessed, and he list all the blessings that they will live in. Later in the chapter God gives them a warning beginning in verse 15. We are not going to read all of the curses because they are really depressing but I do want to show you the ones related to drought.
Deuteronomy 28:15-17, 23-24
15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.
***Skip down to verse 23,24**
23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
24 The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
***The first point of the Message today: God uses drought in our lives as correction to bring us back to him and blessing.
***If you go back and read the Story of Joseph again you will see that it is a 7 year famine in the land that causes his father to send his brothers to Egypt in the first place to buy corn and wheat from Joseph who has stored it up by God’s wisdom during the 7 years of plenty.
In the book of Haggai we see the prophet instructing God’s people to return to complete the building of the house of the Lord that was started with the returning captives from Babylonian captivity but then stopped as people began to focus on rebuilding their own houses
Haggai 1
1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
2 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built.
3 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.
9 Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.
12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord.
13 Then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord.
14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,
15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
***The first point of the Message today: God uses drought in our lives as correction to bring us back to him and blessing.
***The 2nd point of the Message today: God withholds his hand of blessing and provision on our lives when we neglect his house.
***Now this is the point in the message where we pivot from the principles and examples of the Old Testament to the application of the scripture in the New Testament. You see in the Old Testament God’s people had physical structures of significance they were required by God to maintain and keep in good condition. This started in the wilderness with the tabernacle.
According to the biblical account, 8,580 Levite men aged 30 to 50 were specifically assigned to dismantle, transport, and reassemble the Tabernacle. Maintaining and serving in the portable sanctuary required the dedicated, coordinated efforts of the entire Tribe of Levi, which numbered around 22,000 males over the age of one month.
Then there was the permanent temples built: Solomon’s temple that ended up According to biblical accounts, approximately 153,600 to 183,300 workers were involved in the construction of Solomon’s Temple.
The Book of Haggi is referring to the building of Zerubbabel’s Temple which required the coordinated efforts of the entire first wave of Jewish returnees from Babylonian exile
According to historical and biblical records (such as Ezra and Nehemiah), the initial group of exiles who traveled from Babylon to resettle Jerusalem and rebuild the temple totaled roughly 42,360 people, not including about 7,337 servants and singers.
When King Herod rebuilt the temple as much as ten thousand workmen were chosen to help build the temple, according to Josephus, and it was one of the biggest construction projects at the time. John 2:20 notes that the Temple had been "forty-six years in building which means they would have started some 20 years before the birth of Christ.
In the New Testament we are not focused on building large structures. When we look at the New Testament Church lead by the Apostles we do not see any reference to large construction projects to build Church Buildings, but we see the focus on building the community of believers. We see the focus on the Body of Christ as members working together to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the great commission to go and share the gospel with every creature. Hear the words of Paul to the Church at Thessalonica:
1 Thessalonians 5:9-23
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
***Point #3 of the Message today: When we build up each other in the Lord we are building the Kingdom of God.
Hebrews 10:24-25
King James Version
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
**But we cannot miss this truth when we speak of the Temple of the Lord in the New Testament. Paul tells us that rather than building made with hands our body’s are the Temple of the Holy Ghost.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
***Let’s go back to our key verse this morning:
Hosea 10:12
12 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.
Hosea 10:12
New Living Translation
12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.’
***As we look at this scripture there are several key things that are happening we want to focus on:
***Point #4 of the Message today: God is calling us to prepare our hearts to receive the seed of his word and promises for our lives.
As we talk about preparation of the heart lets go back to Proverbs:
Proverbs 16:1-9
1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.
3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
4 The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
7 When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
**Solomon’s father had a lot to say about preparing the heart.
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Back to the Key Verse again we have learned about preparation of the heart now lets talk about sowing and reaping.
Hosea 10:12
12 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.
Galatians 6:7-10
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
***Point #5 of the Message today: You will reap what you sow but God is in control of the times and seasons.
You cannot force a plant to grow in the winter and you cannot force a fruit to ripen in the spring. Listen to the promise God made to Noah after he and his family came down out of the Ark in Genesis Chapter 8
Genesis 8:20-22
20 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
*** My friends in our lives there are times and seasons that we become aware of and may seem random at first but when I look back over my life I can see a pattern of God’s faithfulness. I see times when the drought comes and I have to press in and dig deeper. I see times of blessings like rain overflowing and it requires little effort. But in every season and in every time I can say with confidence God is faithful.
The Prophet Hosea is challenging us today. He is saying to us as a body of believer’s here at Joy Fellowship Church: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
*** In Closing I want you to turn with me to Luke 6:43
Luke 6:43-49
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Isaiah 55:1-11
King James Version
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
***The first point of the Message today: God uses drought in our lives as correction to bring us back to him and blessing.
***The 2nd point of the Message today: God withholds his hand of blessing and provision on our lives when we neglect his house.
***Point #3 of the Message today: When we build up each other in the Lord we are building the Kingdom of God.
***Point #4 of the Message today: God is calling us to prepare our hearts to receive the seed of his word and promises for our lives.
***Point #5 of the Message today: You will reap what you sow but God is in control of the times and seasons.