For It Is Time

Introduction:

What should we think of a farmer who allowed his finest field to lie fallow year after year? Yet men neglect their souls; besides being unprofitable, these inward fields become full of weeds and exceedingly foul.

Israel had sinned against God in several areas, which I believed was summed up in verse 13.

(Hosea 10:13) "Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men."

Notice:

1. Period Clarified ... For it is time

(Hosea 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."

A. Now is the time.

B. Now is all that we have

2. Preparation Commended ... Break up your fallow ground .... Sow to yourselves in righteousness

(Hosea 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."

A. In order for good seed to grow there must be some preparation done.

(Isaiah 28:23-25) "Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. {24} Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? {25} When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?"

(Jeremiah 4:3) "For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns."

1. Weeds grow with no preparation.

B. You reap that which you sow.

(Galatians 6:7-9) "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. {8} For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. {9} And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

(Proverbs 22:8) "He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail."

(2 Corinthians 9:6) "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

1. Principle of Sowing and Reaping

a. Reap what you sow.

b. Reap later than you sow.

c. Reap more than you sow.

3. Persistency Commanded ... seek the Lord until

He come and rain righteousness upon you.

(Hosea 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."

A. Draw night to God; seeking him in worship, prayer, etc.

(Psalms 105:4) "Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore."

B. Suppose there is a pause between the seeking and the blessing, do not look in some other direction, but continue to seek the Lord.

(John 6:68) "Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."

C. The problem is with most of us is that we grow impatient.

(Luke 11:5-13) "And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; {6} For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? {7} And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. {8} I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. {9} And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. {10} For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. {11} If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? {12} Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? {13} If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"