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God's Sovereignty in the Harvest Season and Providence

God's sovereignty is evident in the harvest season and throughout His providential care for creation. The harvest, a period for gathering grain or fruit, begins with the Passover and concludes with Pentecost, lasting seven weeks [6]. This season was traditionally a time of joy [6], marked by the ingathering of the fields' fruits [2]. The Bible describes specific harvest times, such as barley harvest at Passover and wheat harvest at Pentecost [2].

Divine providence, literally meaning foresight, refers to God's preservation and governance of all things through secondary causes [1]. This includes the natural world, such as providing rain in its season for grain, new wine, and oil [8, 1], and the brute creation [1]. God's providence also extends to the affairs of humanity and individuals, even influencing the free actions of people [1]. The Lord's sovereignty over elements beyond human control, like the fertility or barrenness of the earth, is a recurring theme in scripture [12].

The harvest season serves as a powerful illustration of God's providential control. For example, in 1 Samuel, the prophet Samuel calls upon the Lord to send thunder and rain during the wheat harvest, a time when such weather was uncommon in Israel [4, 5, 13]. This miraculous event demonstrated God's power and served as a sign of the people's wickedness in demanding a king [4, 5, 13]. The yearly return of summer and harvest is secured by God's covenant [3]. John Gill notes that God "crowns the year with thy goodness," particularly during the harvest when the earth yields its bounty after being watered and blessed [11]. This imagery can also represent the "acceptable year of the Lord," or the Gospel dispensation, where there are great gatherings of souls to Christ [11].

The concept of harvest is frequently used metaphorically in the Bible. Jesus refers to "the harvest" as the multitudes, urging His disciples to pray for the "Lord of the harvest" to send out more workers, emphasizing that all ministries are ultimately under God's call [10]. Similarly, Isaiah speaks of the Lord God causing "righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations" as the earth brings forth its sprouts [7].

The importance of recognizing God's sovereignty even during the harvest is highlighted in the commandment to rest on the Sabbath. Adam Clarke points out that some might break the Sabbath during harvest time, citing necessity due to weather. However, he argues that the command to rest "in earing time and in harvest" directly counters this, indicating that even during crucial agricultural periods, God's command for rest takes precedence over perceived providential indications for work [9]. This underscores the belief that God's providence is not merely about favorable conditions but also about obedience to His commands.

The diligent work associated with harvest is also noted, with reapers, binders, and laborers engaged in the process [2]. Proverbs encourages diligence during summer, as the ant provides for winter during this time [3]. Hosea urges, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness... Reap in mercy," implying that diligent spiritual effort, like agricultural labor, will yield a blessed harvest through God's mercy [14]. Matthew Henry observes that God's providence directs the affairs of humanity for the benefit of those who are upright with Him, as seen in Joseph's advancement and the preservation of Jacob's family during a famine, which were brought about through God's control over the seasons of plenty and famine [15]. This demonstrates God's overarching plan unfolding through natural cycles and human events.

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Providence — Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan. 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; ”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Harvest, The — Ingathering of fruits of the fields -- Mr 4:29. To continue without intermission -- Ge 8:22. Called the Appointed weeks of harvest. -- Jer 5:24. Harvest time. -- 2Sa 23:13; Jer 50:16. Fields appeared white before -- Joh 4:35. Of barley at the passover -- Le 23:6,10; Ru 1:22. Of wheat at Pentecost -- Ex 34:22; 1Sa 12:17. Men and women engaged in -- Ru 2:8,9. Persons engaged in Reapers. -- Ru 2:4. Binders. -- Ge 37:7; Ps 129:7. Called harvest-men. -- Isa 17:5. Called labourers. -- Mt 9:37. Fed by the husbandman during. -- Ru 2:14. Received wages. -- Joh ”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Summer — Made by God -- Ps 74:17. Yearly return of, secured by covenant -- Ge 8:22. Characterised By Excessive heat. -- Jer 17:8. Excessive drought. -- Ps 32:4. Approach of, indicated by shooting out of leaves on trees -- Mt 24:32. Many kinds of fruit were ripe and used during -- 2Sa 16:1; Jer 40:10; 48:32. The ancients had houses or apartments suited to -- Jdj 3:20,24; Am 3:15. The ant provided her winter food during -- Pr 6:8; 30:25. The wise are diligent during -- Pr 10:5. Illustrative of seasons of grace -- Jer 8:20.”
  4. 1 Samuel “1 Samuel 12:17 (NASB) — "Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king."”
  5. I Samuel “I Samuel 12:17 (BSB) — Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.””
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Harvest — The season for gathering grain or fruit. On the 16th day of Abib (or April) a handful of ripe ears of corn was offered as a first-fruit before the Lord, and immediately after this the harvest commenced (Lev. 23:9-14; 2 Sam. 21:9, 10; Ruth 2:23). It began with the feast of Passover and ended with Pentecost, thus lasting for seven weeks (Ex. 23:16). The harvest was a season of joy (Ps. 126:1-6; Isa. 9:3). This word is used figuratively Matt. 9:37; 13:30; Luke 10:2; John 4:35. (See [260]AGRICULTURE.)”
  7. Isaiah “Isaiah 61:11 (NASB) — For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations.”
  8. Deuteronomy “that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. -- Deuteronomy 11:14”
  9. Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 34:21: In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest - This commandment is worthy of especial note; many break the Sabbath on the pretense of absolute necessity, because, if in harvest time the weather happens to be what is called bad, and the Sabbath day be fair and fine, they judge it perfectly lawful to employ that day in endeavoring to save the fruits of the field, and think that the goodness of the day beyond the preceding, is an indication from Providence that it should be thus employed. But is not the above command pointed directly against this? I have known this l”
  10. Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 9:37: 9:37-38 Harvest refers to the multitudes (see also 13:24-30, 36-43; Mark 4:26-29; John 4:35-38; Rev 14:15-20). • the Lord who is in charge of the harvest: All ministries are ultimately under God’s call (see Matt 23:8-10, 13), so Jesus urges his disciples to pray for God himself to call more workers.”
  11. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 65:11: Thou crownest the year with thy goodness,.... The whole circling year, from one end of it to the other; particularly that season of it when the harvest is gathered in; the seed being sown, the earth watered, the springing of it blessed, and the corn brought to perfection, the year is crowned with a plentiful harvest: this may denote the acceptable year of the Lord, the year of the redeemed, the whole Gospel dispensation, Isa 61:2; in certain seasons and periods of which there have been great gatherings of souls to Christ; at the first of it multitudes were converted ”
  12. Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 107:33: 107:33-42 These two sections (107:33-38, 39-42) expand the theme of the Lord’s sovereignty over things that humans cannot control. 107:33-35 The Lord can choose to make the earth fertile or barren (74:15; Isa 35:6-7).”
  13. 1 Samuel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Samuel 12:17: 12:17 The wheat harvest occurred in late spring or early summer, when little or no rain fell in Israel. Thunder and rain would thus demonstrate God’s power as a sign of the people’s wickedness in asking for a king.”
  14. Hosea (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Hosea 10:12: Sow to yourselves in righteousness - Let the seed you sow be of the best kind, and in just measure. Reap in mercy - By the blessing of God on this ploughing, sowing, and harrowing, you may expect a good crop in harvest. Break up your fallow ground - Do not be satisfied with a slight furrow; let the land that was fallowed (slightly ploughed) be broken up again with a deep furrow. For it is time to seek the Lord - This should be immediately done: the season is passing; and if you do not get the seed in the ground, the early rain will be past, and your fields will be u”
  15. Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 41 (introduction): Two things Providence is here bringing about: - I. The advancement of Joseph. II. The maintenance of Jacob and his family in a time of famine; for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the earth, and direct the affairs of the children of men for the benefit of those few whose hearts are upright with him. In order to these, we have here, 1. Pharaoh's dreams (Gen 41:1-8). 2. The recommendation of Joseph to him for an interpreter (Gen 41:9-13). 3. The interpretation of the dreams, and the prediction of seven years of plenty and seven years of fami”
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