Post by watchmanjim on May 12, 2017 17:44:34 GMT -6
The Tillage of the Soul
5/12/17
There are 3 kinds of tillage in agriculture—yay, 4.
Farming is an industry with its own language and method. Being one of the most ancient endeavors of mankind—arguably the very most ancient—it is basic to the culture of nearly every people of the globe. Certainly agriculture was very familiar to the people of the Bible, and references are made to it in nearly every book of the Bible.
It should be no wonder, then, that agricultural metaphors, illustrations, and parables are common in the spiritual teachings of the Holy Scripture. As a student and participant in agriculture myself, I find these references fascinating.
One of the most interesting practices is tillage. This is the breaking up of the ground to enable seeds to be planted, to kill weeds, or to enable plants to put down their roots deeply.
In modern agriculture, there are three basic types of tillage recognized—Primary, Secondary, and Tetiary Tillage.
Let’s start with the least intense—Tertiary Tillage. This is basically cultivating or weeding. Tertiary Tillage uses a hoe, cultivator, or some other implement, to scarify and break up the surface of the ground, usually for the purpose of killing weeds. Many modern farms have done away with cultivating through the use of chemical herbicides. Where it is still done, it is usually conducted by a small to medium-sized tractor with cultivator shoes attached. The tractor drives down between the growing row-crops, and the cultivators dig up the weeds between the crops. Cultivating really only goes an inch or two deep in most cases.
Secondary Tillage goes deeper. It is usually done by harrows or discs. In this case, the tillage goes about 4-8 inches below the surface. Sometimes Secondary Tillage is conducted on unprepared ground, or sometimes on ground that has already been subjected to Primary Tillage, which we will learn about shortly. Harrowing the ground generally prepares it as a seedbed. Harrowing, or Secondary Tillage, cannot generally be done to land that has crops growing on it, as cultivation, or Tertiary Tillage, can be.
Primary Tillage is plowing—the real deal. This is digging deep, turning the soil over, and burying all the crop residue and weeds on top, breaking the ground up in preparation for planting. In most cases, Primary Tillage is so rough in its results (leaving huge, clunky furrows of soil on the surface), that Secondary Tillage must be undertaken afterward to make the land ready for planting. Plowing breaks the ground up deeply—usually 8-12 inches or more—and done to loosen the soil deeply so that the roots of plants can reach deep down into the soil for their sustenance.
I think of these three processes as correlating to our spiritual life. . . . .
On a daily basis, we need to cultivate our soil—spending time in prayer, Bible study, meditation, and “being” with our Lord. This also includes plucking out the sin “weeds” we encounter on a daily basis. Daily cultivation need not be very invasive or stressful to our life as long as we are consistent with it and don’t neglect the process for days on end.
Harrowing, on the other hand, is something we may not need every day—this is when we find the need to make significant different actions in our life. Maybe we have become guilty of a serious, ongoing sin that we need to forsake and repent of. Maybe we are preparing to undergo some special task for the Lord, or make some life-changing decision, such as changing jobs. Perhaps we are assaulted with some small crisis in our life, like a broken bone, or a sick relative we have to care for. These are times when our soul is worked more deeply than the daily cultivation—these “harrowing times” are opportunities for greater positive change in our spiritual lives and our growth in the Lord.
Plowing of the soul takes place when truly difficult times are encountered—for any reason. These are deep crises—deaths in the family, spiritual wickedness, sudden loss of a job, chronic illness, persecution, instability, etc. These are times when the turbulence of life demands a thorough revitalization of our spiritual life. Spiritual plowing is a positive thing, though—it digs up the deep soil of our soul and gives us new opportunities for growth and maturity that we would not have experienced otherwise. If we take this and see it as a positive in our life, we will be much the happier for it.
But did I say there are three kinds of tillage? Actually, there are four. Three is usually enough. But there are times when it is not. Sometimes certain kinds of soils respond poorly to plowing over the years. Decade after decade of plowing in the same spot causes a problem known to farmers around the globe—Compaction. Every time the plow shares slide through the ground, the bottom of them packs the soil beneath them a little bit more. After many years, a solid “plow-pan” of compacted material settles in just below the depth at which the plow digs. This is true in our spiritual lives, too. Many times, we are content to allow our spiritual tillage to be limited to that which is brought to us, that which is dealt to us, that which we are required to bear. We never develop spiritually beyond a certain level—we get comfortable in our own skin, and level off, not willing to take our commitment to God to the next level.
In cases like this, in an actual field, a farmer will bring in the most severe of all possible tillage implements—the deep ripper. The deep ripper is an implement with long steel spikes that are driven deep into the ground—sometimes 2-3 feet, depending on conditions. These spikes require a big powerful tractor to pull them, and they dig deep trenches through the plow pan, opening up the deep ground to allow water to be absorbed into it, and to allow crops’ roots to traverse deep down into the voids. Deep tilling usually only has to be done every once in a while. Crops benefit from it for many years.
In our spiritual lives, deep tilling is also beneficial. This is when we truly surrender everything to God and determine to obey Him in everything. Sometimes we submit to this deep tillage only after a major sin or crisis in our life, but think—we could do it voluntarily! It looks like absolute surrender and submission to our Lord and Savior, and a humble commitment to walk in holiness before Him! It looks like relinquishing all our assets to His command, and agreeing once again to follow and obey Him, no matter where He leads, even unto death or great sorrow. Here are some verses to consider:
Jer 4:3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 3:18 tells us that we should buy of God gold, tried in the fire. What I see here, is that we should not just accept trials, we should even be ready and willing to ask God for them. If this is a scary thought, it should be. But the deep tillage of our souls is a beautiful thing when we surrender all to God.
5/12/17
There are 3 kinds of tillage in agriculture—yay, 4.
Farming is an industry with its own language and method. Being one of the most ancient endeavors of mankind—arguably the very most ancient—it is basic to the culture of nearly every people of the globe. Certainly agriculture was very familiar to the people of the Bible, and references are made to it in nearly every book of the Bible.
It should be no wonder, then, that agricultural metaphors, illustrations, and parables are common in the spiritual teachings of the Holy Scripture. As a student and participant in agriculture myself, I find these references fascinating.
One of the most interesting practices is tillage. This is the breaking up of the ground to enable seeds to be planted, to kill weeds, or to enable plants to put down their roots deeply.
In modern agriculture, there are three basic types of tillage recognized—Primary, Secondary, and Tetiary Tillage.
Let’s start with the least intense—Tertiary Tillage. This is basically cultivating or weeding. Tertiary Tillage uses a hoe, cultivator, or some other implement, to scarify and break up the surface of the ground, usually for the purpose of killing weeds. Many modern farms have done away with cultivating through the use of chemical herbicides. Where it is still done, it is usually conducted by a small to medium-sized tractor with cultivator shoes attached. The tractor drives down between the growing row-crops, and the cultivators dig up the weeds between the crops. Cultivating really only goes an inch or two deep in most cases.
Secondary Tillage goes deeper. It is usually done by harrows or discs. In this case, the tillage goes about 4-8 inches below the surface. Sometimes Secondary Tillage is conducted on unprepared ground, or sometimes on ground that has already been subjected to Primary Tillage, which we will learn about shortly. Harrowing the ground generally prepares it as a seedbed. Harrowing, or Secondary Tillage, cannot generally be done to land that has crops growing on it, as cultivation, or Tertiary Tillage, can be.
Primary Tillage is plowing—the real deal. This is digging deep, turning the soil over, and burying all the crop residue and weeds on top, breaking the ground up in preparation for planting. In most cases, Primary Tillage is so rough in its results (leaving huge, clunky furrows of soil on the surface), that Secondary Tillage must be undertaken afterward to make the land ready for planting. Plowing breaks the ground up deeply—usually 8-12 inches or more—and done to loosen the soil deeply so that the roots of plants can reach deep down into the soil for their sustenance.
I think of these three processes as correlating to our spiritual life. . . . .
On a daily basis, we need to cultivate our soil—spending time in prayer, Bible study, meditation, and “being” with our Lord. This also includes plucking out the sin “weeds” we encounter on a daily basis. Daily cultivation need not be very invasive or stressful to our life as long as we are consistent with it and don’t neglect the process for days on end.
Harrowing, on the other hand, is something we may not need every day—this is when we find the need to make significant different actions in our life. Maybe we have become guilty of a serious, ongoing sin that we need to forsake and repent of. Maybe we are preparing to undergo some special task for the Lord, or make some life-changing decision, such as changing jobs. Perhaps we are assaulted with some small crisis in our life, like a broken bone, or a sick relative we have to care for. These are times when our soul is worked more deeply than the daily cultivation—these “harrowing times” are opportunities for greater positive change in our spiritual lives and our growth in the Lord.
Plowing of the soul takes place when truly difficult times are encountered—for any reason. These are deep crises—deaths in the family, spiritual wickedness, sudden loss of a job, chronic illness, persecution, instability, etc. These are times when the turbulence of life demands a thorough revitalization of our spiritual life. Spiritual plowing is a positive thing, though—it digs up the deep soil of our soul and gives us new opportunities for growth and maturity that we would not have experienced otherwise. If we take this and see it as a positive in our life, we will be much the happier for it.
But did I say there are three kinds of tillage? Actually, there are four. Three is usually enough. But there are times when it is not. Sometimes certain kinds of soils respond poorly to plowing over the years. Decade after decade of plowing in the same spot causes a problem known to farmers around the globe—Compaction. Every time the plow shares slide through the ground, the bottom of them packs the soil beneath them a little bit more. After many years, a solid “plow-pan” of compacted material settles in just below the depth at which the plow digs. This is true in our spiritual lives, too. Many times, we are content to allow our spiritual tillage to be limited to that which is brought to us, that which is dealt to us, that which we are required to bear. We never develop spiritually beyond a certain level—we get comfortable in our own skin, and level off, not willing to take our commitment to God to the next level.
In cases like this, in an actual field, a farmer will bring in the most severe of all possible tillage implements—the deep ripper. The deep ripper is an implement with long steel spikes that are driven deep into the ground—sometimes 2-3 feet, depending on conditions. These spikes require a big powerful tractor to pull them, and they dig deep trenches through the plow pan, opening up the deep ground to allow water to be absorbed into it, and to allow crops’ roots to traverse deep down into the voids. Deep tilling usually only has to be done every once in a while. Crops benefit from it for many years.
In our spiritual lives, deep tilling is also beneficial. This is when we truly surrender everything to God and determine to obey Him in everything. Sometimes we submit to this deep tillage only after a major sin or crisis in our life, but think—we could do it voluntarily! It looks like absolute surrender and submission to our Lord and Savior, and a humble commitment to walk in holiness before Him! It looks like relinquishing all our assets to His command, and agreeing once again to follow and obey Him, no matter where He leads, even unto death or great sorrow. Here are some verses to consider:
Jer 4:3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 3:18 tells us that we should buy of God gold, tried in the fire. What I see here, is that we should not just accept trials, we should even be ready and willing to ask God for them. If this is a scary thought, it should be. But the deep tillage of our souls is a beautiful thing when we surrender all to God.