Deuteronomy 11:14 - - Joel 2: 23 - - Jeremiah 3:3 - - James 5:7

The Witness OF Nature

     Imagine that you are a farmer in the middle of the season looking at your plants that have grown and ready to begin to bear fruit. What did it take to get your plants to this time of the season?

     It is best to plant seed in soil that has right amount of moisture. The early or former rain added moisture in the soil (ground). When the moisture and soil temperature is right the farmer (sower; husbandman) sows the seed in the ground.

     In a few days the seed begins to sprout. The roots grow down in the ground; the plane grows toward the sun. The roots pull the moisture and nutrition up into the plant. The actual seed becomes the roots and plant; what is left is dissolved into the ground.

     The mid season rains grow the plant. They add moisture that allows the roots to carry nutrients to the plant. The sun always supplies heat to the soil and the plant grows.

     The last part of the season comes and the plant begins to bear fruit. The latter rains grow the fruit. The fruit has the seed within it and those seeds can be planted in the next season to grow more fruit.

*Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

*Isaiah 55:10 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:

      The mid-season and the latter season rain not only add moisture to the ground but cover the plant cleaning the plant allowing the plant to have better access to the Sun’s light, and being absorbed into the plant.

      The early rain help condition the ground to receive the seed when the sower goes forth to sow.  The latter rain grows the fruit that has the seed within it. 

 

The first application of the Former and Latter rain

Leviticus 26:1-5; 6-13 & Deuteronomy 11:13-15

The promise of rain in due season providing a bountiful harvests when living in the land obediently

Leviticus 26:18-20 & Deuteronomy 11:16-17; 28:15,23-24

Live disobedient and the rain will be stopped and their land will be barren

First application: when Israel obeyed the LORD He would send rain in due season and they would have food, exceeding abundantly (Ephesians 3:20) – disobey and He would shut the doors of heaven and the land would be barren.

Israel’s history: Jeremiah 14:1-7 The barrenness of the 70 years of captivity under Babylon

 

For Next lesson: Matthew 13: 1-23; Mark 4: 3-20; Luke 8: 4-15; John 15:1