The Promised Land that God has given to His
covenant people is a very fruitful land. A land of abundance, having
no lack!
Major crops in Israel are wheat, barley,
grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and honey. But the harvests of
these crops are determined by both God and man. This principle of
co-partnership of God and man is evident since the beginning of
time. God chose man to be His helpmate.
In Genesis 1:11-12, God created grass,
herbs and trees. All of these have seeds according to their kind.
These seeds are fertilized and ripened egg cells of the vegetation.
They are capable of sprouting to produce new plants. Before these
seeds can become young plants, they need to be watered, and their
ground needs to be tilled by man (Genesis 2:5). One of the basic
tasks that God had given man was to till and cultivate the land
(Genesis 2:15). Man’s first divinely given ability was to be a
gardener or farmer. Man's close relationship with the soil is
indicated by the similarity between two Hebrew words for man (adam)
and earth (adamah).
In Deut 11:10-15, we are told that the
Promised Land is not like the land of Egypt where irrigation is
necessary. It is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain-- a
land that the LORD personally cares for! His eyes are always upon
it, day after day throughout the year! The people of God are to
carefully obey all of His commandments and to love the LORD their
God with all their hearts and souls. They are to worship Him only.
Upon their trust and obedience, the LORD will continue to send forth
both the former and latter rains that will produce wonderful crops
of grain, grapes and olive oil. He will also give them lush
pasturelands for their cattle to graze in so that they shall have
plenty to eat and be fully contented.
The Promised Land was indeed a land flowing
with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8,17). The fertility of the land was
not without divine intervention and help. The success and prosperity
in agriculture came from God. His blessing was closely associated
with His people's trust in Him and their obedience to His word (Deut
28). The fruitfulness of their agricultural labor corresponded to
their spiritual and moral attitudes.
When the Israelites settled in the land of
Canaan, they were largely confined to the heavily wooded hill
country. Their enemies, the Canaanites, continued to live in the
valleys and along the coast (Judges 1:27-33). As the climate and
weather of Israel were highly unpredictable, many Israelites were
seduced by the pagan Canaanite ways and methods. They too bowed down
and worshipped the pagan gods in their desperate desire for a good
harvest. But bumper crops could not be guaranteed by worshipping the
fertility gods of Canaan. And as a result, the Israelites invoked
the anger of God, and suffered poor harvests instead.
Growing crops in Israel was no easy matter.
Located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Desert, Israel had
very irregular rainfall. The growth of vegetation was restricted in
some lowland areas, such as the Jordan River Valley and parts of the
Plain of Sharon along the coast. Therein some dense forests
flourished. Other areas, mainly in the east, were dry and barren.
They were rocky terrain as they received only occasional rain. The
lands were impossible to farm. Even if they could be cultivated, the
people had to face continual hazards such as locusts, hail, desert
storms and invading enemies. That’s why they had to turn their eyes
to the LORD and wait for His promise of His heavenly rain!
As the years went by, the Israelites began
the long process of clearing the forests. The uplands of Ephraim and
Judah, as well as the land east of the Jordan River, were gradually
made suitable for cultivation. During the time of King David and
Solomon, agricultural activity prospered (1 Kings 4:25). Each man
had his own vine and fig tree. Some agricultural products, such as
wheat, olive oil and honey, were even exported (Ezekiel 27:17).
Certain kings, such as David (1 Chr. 27:26-31) and Hezekiah (2 Chr.
32:27-28), took a special interest in agricultural production. King
Uzziah was described as one who loved the soil (2 Chr. 26:10).
The three basic Israelite crops are namely,
grain, grapes and olives. In Psalm 104:14-5, the psalmist wrote that
God "causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the
service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and
wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil
to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens
man's heart."
The harvests of these three crops are at
the end of their growing season, when they are gathered. Harvesting
is one of the happiest times of the year in Israel (Psalm 126:5-6).
They are marked with joyous celebrations and religious festivals
(Exodus 23:16). In ancient Israel, the primary harvest season was
from April to November. This harvest period might be subdivided into
three seasons and three major crops:
- The spring harvest of grain
- The summer harvest of grapes
- The autumn harvest of olives
| Season |
Spring |
Summer |
Autumn |
| Month |
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
| Wheat |
|
|
x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Barley |
|
x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oats |
|
|
x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Peas |
|
x
|
x |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chickpeas |
|
|
|
x
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lentils |
|
x
|
x |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Vetch |
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sesame |
|
|
|
|
x
|
|
|
|
|
| Flax |
|
|
|
|
x
|
|
|
|
|
| Millet |
|
|
|
|
x
|
x |
|
|
|
| Grapes |
|
|
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
| Figs |
|
|
|
|
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
| Pomegranates |
|
|
|
|
|
x
|
x
|
|
|
| Olives |
|
|
|
|
|
|
x
|
x
|
|
The Spring Harvest
The most important spring
crops are the cereals, namely barley and wheat. These form the main
diets of the Israelites.
Wheat was grown mainly in the
central area of the western highlands of Manasseh, and in Gilead and
Bashan, east of the Jordan River. Barley was grown in the drier
south and east, especially in Philistia. Barley is able to grow in
poorer soils than wheat.
Before reaping any harvest,
the seeds must first be sowed. The seeds are sowed by scattering
unto the ground. They are plowed or raked into the soil. Sometimes
plowing is done before sowing. In ancient times, a single wooden
plow with a metal tip was used. It was pulled by a pair of oxen or
donkeys. The animals were yoked together with either a single yoke
or a double yoke with bars over and under their necks. An ox goad,
which was a long staff with a nail or metal tip, was used to control
the animals.
Both the seeds of barley and
wheat are sown in autumn, about late October or November. These
crops are harvested in springtime. As barley has a shorter ripening
period, it will be harvested before wheat. Barley is gathered from
mid-April onwards, and wheat from mid-May.
The harvesting process begins
with the cutting of standing grain with a sickle. They are gathered
into bundles or sheaves. These sheaves are then taken to the
threshing floor. The floor is usually hard ground. Various tools,
such as metal-toothed sledges, are used for threshing. The next
process is winnowing. The threshed grains are tossed into the air
with a pitchfork. As the wind blows, it carries off the chaff. The
heavier kernels and straw fall to the ground. Finally, the kernels
are shaken in a sieve, made of a wooden hoop with leather thongs.
The grains are then separated and stored either in earthenware jars
or in underground silos.
These newly harvested grains
will not be eaten until the firstfruits of the grains have been
offered on the day after the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened
Bread (Leviticus 23:9-14). The firstfruits of grain offered during
this Feast of Unleavened Bread will be barley. Wheat will be offered
to the LORD during the Feast of Pentecost, which is near the end of
the spring harvest. Pentecost is also called the Feast of Harvest
(Exodus 23:16). During this Feast, the people of God will present an
offering of new grain of wheat to the LORD. They will bring two
loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with
yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD (Lev 23:15-17).
Crops mature earlier in the
Jordan Valley where the climate is warmer than in the regions where
the climate is cooler such as in Judea and Galilee. In Galilee, some
of the grain harvest will only be completed after Pentecost,
especially in years when Pentecost comes as early as mid-May. Though
not all the crops are harvested by Pentecost, the Feast of Pentecost
is still being celebrated as the Feast of Harvest when the
firstfruits of grain are offered and waved before the LORD.
In the springtime, various
herbs and legumes are also being harvested. The importance of
vegetables is indicated by Ahab's desire to turn Naboth's vineyard
into a vegetable garden (1 King 21:1-2).
The Summer Harvest
Grapes are the first major
fruits to ripen. In a good year, the harvests of wheat and grapes
overlap. During such times, threshing of wheat and grape picking
occur simultaneously. The new wine festival is 50 days or seven
weeks after Pentecost. The grape harvest is usually completed before
the Feast of Tabernacles. Until the new wine is offered to the LORD,
no one can drink any of the new juice:
You may not eat within your gates the
tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the
firstlings of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings
which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave
offering of your hand. (Deut 12:17)
Vineyards were concentrated on
the terraces of the Judean hills. They were also found in the Carmel
area and in parts of the region east of the Jordan River. Hard labor
was involved in preparing and cultivating vineyards. Vines were
often left to trail on the ground. As the fruit began to ripen from
July onwards, people built watchtowers, or temporary booths, to keep
watch for both human and animal intruders. Harvesting the grapes and
making wine are great social occasions. According to the Torah,
while helping to harvest at a neighbour's vineyard, a person may eat
his fill of grapes at his pleasure, but he must not carry any away
in a container (Deut. 23:24). Most of these grapes are pressed into
wine, but some are eaten as fresh fruits and some are dried as
raisins.
The seeds for the summer
harvest, such as beans, cucumbers and melons, are sown between
January and March. In ancient Israel, melons, cucumbers, leeks,
herbs and spices were only grown in the gardens of the rich. The
poor had to be contented with beans and lentils, which were often
grown between the vines of other crops (2 Sam. 17:28).
The people of Israel eagerly
waited for these summer fruits. They were not only tasty supplements
to their regular diets, but also refreshing thirst quenchers against
the blazing sun and intense heat. Figs and pomegranates were in
abundance. Dates were cultivated in the Jericho region. Nuts, such
as almond and pistachio, were also harvested and enjoyed.
The Autumn Harvest
Olive trees need little
cultivation. They can grow in shallow soils and survive long periods
of drought. They were grown in the central uplands of Ephraim and
Carmel and parts of Gilead. Olives are the last crops to be picked,
as late as October and November. They are used mainly for their oil.
Fourteen weeks after
Pentecost, shortly before the Feast of Trumpets, is the new olive
oil festival. No one can use new olive oil until they are first
offered to the LORD (Deut 12:17). Most of the olive harvest will
only be completed after the Feast of Tabernacles.
This Feast of Tabernacles is also known as the Feast of Ingathering
(Exodus 23:16), when the people have gathered in all
the fruit of their labors from the field. The celebration is
observed for seven days at the end of all the
harvest season, after the grain is threshed and the grapes have been
pressed. It is a happy time of rejoicing together with family and
friends. It is a time of thanksgiving to the LORD for blessing them
with a good harvest. It is a time of great joy (Deut 16:13-15).
Seven Biblical Principles Of Harvesting
|
A time to sow and a time to reap. |
Ecc 3:2
A time to be born; A time to die;
A time to plant; A time to harvest; |
|
Choose the right soil. |
Luke 8:5-8
A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was
trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some
fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away
because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and
the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell
on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.
|
The seed must die. |
John 12:24-25
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. He
who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life
in this world will keep it for eternal life.
|
|
Patience is necessary. |
James 5:7
Therefore be patient, brethren,
until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for
the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it
until it receives the early and latter rain.
|
We will reap what we sow. |
Gal 6:7-8
Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that
he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the
flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of
the Spirit reap everlasting life. |
|
Sow more reap more. |
2 Cor 9:6
But this I say: He who sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows
bountifully will also reap bountifully. |
|
God gives the increase. |
1 Cor 3:6-7
I planted, Apollos watered, but
God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is
anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. |
| |
After the resurrection of
Christ, more than 500 saw the Risen Lord (1 Cor 15:6). They were
asked to wait patiently for the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4).
But only about 120 received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the
Upper Room (Acts 1:15). More than 380 people (or 76%) opted out!
They gave up waiting on the Lord.
During this season of
Pentecost, the message is again:
And let us not grow weary while doing good,
for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Galatians 6:9
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,'
says the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 4:6
Pentecost is
truly the Feast of Harvest! Remember to sow seeds and till the
ground if you desire a bountiful harvest! And wait patiently for the
Promise of the Father! The Former and Latter Rain! The Holy Rain of
God from heaven!
Source:
Nelson's Illustrated
Bible Dictionary
Written on:
28 May 2004