4510 sowing and reaping

OT references are mainly agricultural with regulatory laws covering crop production and festivals of thanksgiving. God’s blessing was reflected in the harvest. The NT refers more to the spiritual sowing and reaping that takes place in the kingdom of God.

Regulations concerning the sowing and reaping of crops

Laws of purity related to planting Lev 19:23-25; Dt 22:9

Reapers are to leave gleanings for the poor Lev 19:9-10; Lev 23:22; Dt 24:19; Ru 2:2-3,15-16

Harvest celebrations Ex 23:16 See also Lev 23:9-11,39-41; Dt 16:9-10,13-15

The Sabbath-rest for the land and its cultivators Ex 23:10-11; Ex 34:21; Lev 25:3-5,11

Reaping a good harvest is a blessing from God

It is a consequence of obedience Ge 26:12; Lev 25:18-22; Lev 26:3-5,10

It is a promise to the remnant of God’s people Am 9:13-14 See also Isa 30:23; Isa 62:8-9; Isa 65:21-22; Jer 31:5; Zec 8:11-12

God’s judgment on Israel is reflected in reaping a poor harvest

A poor yield of crops Lev 26:18-20; Dt 28:15,38-40; Isa 5:10; Isa 17:10-11; Jer 8:13; Jer 12:13; Hag 1:6,10-11

The harvesting of one’s crops by others Lev 26:15-16 See also Ne 9:36-37; Job 31:7-8; Jer 5:17; Mic 6:15

Proverbs and poems of sowing and harvest

Pr 10:5; Pr 20:4; Isa 28:23-29

Moral and spiritual sowing and reaping

Good and evil Job 4:8 See also Pr 11:18; Pr 22:8; Hos 8:7; Hos 10:12-13; Gal 6:7-8; Jas 3:18

Sowing and reaping in the kingdom of God Mk 4:3-8 pp Mt 13:3-8 pp Lk 8:5-8 See also Mt 13:18-23 pp Mk 4:14-20 pp Lk 8:11-15; Mt 13:24-30,37-39; Mk 4:26-29

The certainty of reaping Ps 126:5-6; Gal 6:9

Reaping where others have sown See also Jn 4:35-38; Ro 1:13; 1Co 3:5-9

Reaping a material harvest from spiritual sowing 1Co 9:9-11

People and nations are reaped for judgment

Joel 3:13 See also Jer 51:33; Hos 6:11; Rev 14:15-19

Metaphorical use of sowing and reaping

Isa 5:1-7; Isa 17:4-6; Jer 2:3,21; 1Co 15:35-44; 2Co 9:6-11

See also