The Mingled Seed Series

The online free dictionary defines the word mingle as – to mix or bring together in combination, to be or become mixed or united, to associate or take part with others. The past tense form is mingled, which means the mixing has taken place, it has happened.

As we look at today’s scripture, it is telling us that something does not need to be mixed with something else. Is it specifically speaking of not having hybrid animals and plants?

Deuteronomy 22:9-11, Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled. Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together.

These were practical laws to help set up everyday habits that were good for living. Planting two crops side by side together could be detrimental to one crop. As one crop could be stronger, growing taller than the other one, which would deprive the other of vital nutrients. You would not be able to plow a field evenly if there was an ox and a donkey harnessed together. The two types of cloth would be laundered and worn differently, which could reduce the amount of time for the garment‘s usefulness.

Matthew 9:16-17, No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

Here the garment reflects the outward common life of a sinful person. The new cloth represents righteousness and holiness. The two pieces of cloth cannot be sewn together, which could cause something worse to happen. The new wine was put into the new goatskins because as the new wine fermented it stretched the goatskin. Putting new wine into an older goatskin could cause the older goatskin to burst.

Matthew 13:36-40, Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

Here we learn about the parables of tares and wheat. What happens when we try to put the two together?

1 Corinthians 10:21, Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

We cannot feast at the Lord’s table and at the table of the devil. Eating at either table means that we identify either with Christ or the devil. We cannot follow both. It is either one or the other. There can be no compromise.

Matthew 6:24 & Luke 16:13 say basically the same thing, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

This is and should be simple enough for anyone to understand. We cannot serve two masters. How is it that some Christians try to blend both lifestyles together? It does not work. We cannot be fully serving Christ when we are still tiptoeing around with the world. Heavenly values and earthly values contradict each other.

1 Peter 1:23, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

By being born again we take hold of the incorruptible seed. When it is planted it should be watered, fed, and nurtured with the Word of God, so that we are able to bear good fruit.

When we look at these scriptures from a spiritual point of view, we see that we cannot mix the old sinful man with the new righteous man. When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, we are to put away our old lifestyle. God was instructing Israel to be separate from the nations surrounding it, physically and spiritually. Christians today are to sustain spiritual segregation from all sin. (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2, 1 Peter 2:9)

The key point is for Christians to stay spiritually pure and not mix with the sin of the world.