Harvest

I know that around this time, in Churches in the island where I live, traditional Harvest Festival Services are being held. At the Church to which I belong, Harvest Festival Celebrations are a grand thing, and it is also celebrated around this time of the year.

The celebration of the Harvest Festival is God ordained. He commanded His people, when they entered the land of promise to celebrate the harvest festival unto Him. God was quite specific when He gave this order to them. Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year. Exodus 23: 14. One of those feasts included, the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field. Exodus 23: 16a.

To the farmer, he or she who plants, harvest is always a big thing and a celebratory time. The word, harvest, is freely used in many contexts. What we do know is that the most common meaning of the word harvest, the meaning, or picture that first comes to the minds of many, is one of picking fruit. Indeed, for many of us, harvest is the season, the time of year when crops are reaped. Additionally, harvest is not just the produce, but it is also the work of cutting or collecting produce. We know that people harvest oysters or fish, for example.

Let me remind you of some well-known facts about harvest, found in the Word of God. After God destroyed the earth with the Great Flood, He received the sacrifice offered by Noah, and was so moved by it, He made a promise. He said that He would never curse the ground again and He would never destroy every living thing, as He had done. Then we hear His very familiar harvest words, from Genesis 8: 22. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease. It is clear that God is referring to the harvest of crops, which people have planted. God has blessed the labours of their hands and have given them a harvest.  

In the New Testament, we remember the words of Jesus when He sent out seventy of His disciples, in pairs, to do His work. He said to them. The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Luke 10: 2b. It is clear that God is referring to the harvest of souls, all given by God. However, people are needed to work in the harvest. One of the things about any bountiful harvest, is that many hands are always needed.

On this Lord’s Day Sunday, the final Sunday, and week in a month, thoughts and idea of harvest have been brought before us, we give God thanks for harvests. We are mindful that without Him, there will be no harvest. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 1 Corinthians 3: 7

Harvest is God’s Promise to us on earth, 

Of fruit and produce of no little worth,

Has not God promised though evils assail,

Seedtime and harvest will surely prevail?

God has been faithful to His harvest word,

We know this in all we have seen and heard,

Harvest continues, so many years on,

On God’s promised Word we depend upon.

Amen!

During this week, we will be looking at harvest from a completely different angle and understanding. Believe you me, it will be very different and arresting.