Sowing and Reaping

Choices matter. The decisions people make are important, because every decision yields results. Every choice results in consequences. The Bible calls it the law of sowing and reaping.

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8).

Fleshly choices do not turn out well. "Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death" (James 1:15). Godly choices bring great reward. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit" (John 15:5).

Couldn't God stop someone from making bad choices? Couldn't God prevent foolish decisions that will adversely alter the course of one's life? Yes, God has that ability, and sometimes God deliberately intervenes. In general, however, He allows His law of sowing and reaping to work as it is designed. God gives man a free will, allowing him to make choices for good or for evil; those choices must of necessity bring the fitting results.

God starts man in the right direction, with a knowledge of Him and of right and wrong. Many men choose to reject that guidance, and their path becomes a downward spiral, as God allows each step to bear its natural fruit. Romans 1 describes those who reject God. Three times the passage mentions a godless choice, and each time God responds by letting the wrong choice work out its destructive end.

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie. ... For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions. ... And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper" (Romans 1:21-28).

Not only does God start man with the right knowledge, but God continues to try to get man to see Him. As God dealt with Pharaoh, He stated at least nine times that His desire was for the Egyptians in general and Pharaoh specifically to know that He was God. God powerfully demonstrated Himself to Pharaoh over and over again. Pharaoh refused to yield. He repeatedly made wrong choices. He continually hardened his heart against God.

Several passages reveal the status of Pharaoh's heart, stating in a passive way that it was hardened. (Exodus 7:13; 7:14; 7:22; 8:19; 9:7; 9:35). Other verses (8:15; 8:32; 9:34) clarify that it was Pharaoh himself who made this choice to harden his heart; 8:32 indicates he did so repeatedly. Eventually, God responded to Pharaoh's obstinacy by participating in the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Six of the final seven statements (9:12; 10:1; 10:20; 10:27; 11:10; 14:8) say that God hardened his heart. God chose to have Pharaoh reap the natural results of his decisions by having his habitual hardening become inescapable.

God gives man knowledge, God reveals Himself, and God also sends warnings to those who are making wrong choices. The nation of Israel was a prime example, as they continued to rebel, and God continued to warn. "The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy. Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans" (II Chronicles 36:15-17).

Eventually, Israel reaped the inevitable consequences of rebellion, but God did warn them. What message did the prophets bring? "Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you. You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten the fruit of lies" (Hosea 10:12-13). They were to sow good choices in order to have a good harvest; they were to abandon their bad choices in order to avoid disaster.

God's warnings to Israel continue to His people today. God warns, "Don't sow that seed." He calls out, "Don't nourish those plants." "That's the wrong package," He admonishes. "Don't water or cultivate there." "Do not love the world nor the things in the world" (I John 2:15). "Abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul" (I Peter 2:11). "But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction" (I Timothy 6:9). "Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?" (James 4:4).

"But I like it," Christians protest. "I want to have fun." "I want to be happy." "I deserve this." "I'll only do it for a little while." "I can handle it."

Okay, then, make choices accordingly - but remember, choices have consequences. God is clear about the destructive nature of those consequences. He is also clear that there is a time when He curtails His warnings and allows man's deliberate and obstinate choices to bring about their natural result. It will not be a pretty sight. Better to heed God's warnings and make right choices now.