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Harvest TimeBy: Joseph H. Murray“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil” (Isa. 9:2–3). God told Jeremiah to speak these words to the household of Judah: “But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in His season: He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest” (Jer. 5:23–24). “When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” (Jer. 8:18–22). “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more” (Joel 3:13–17). When we speak of the final harvest, we do not infer, in the least, that there is no more work to be done by us here, for the statement Jesus spoke to His first disciples still rings in our ears today with the same unction as they did when spoken to them: “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:37–38). From Whence Comest These Tares?It’s Harvest Time Scriptures“The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels” (Matt. 13:39). “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Rev. 14:15). “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matt. 13:30). Its Harvest TimeTune: Crying Time(Chorus) It’s harvest time, you see. I’m going to leave you. You may see a far away look in my eyes. I can tell by the way the signs are pointing, that it won’t be long before it’s harvest time. (1) His absence from us makes our hearts grow fonder. And our tears only make us love Him more. Our love for Him will grow even stronger. It will last until the days when we are old. (2) You say that you have found something that you love better. That’s the way it’s happened to many here before. And, if the sun doesn’t come up tomorrow, Harvest time will be when He stands at the door. (3) We see the signs of His soon coming. It is near us, even at the door. We will meet Him in the clouds of glory. And live with Him forever more. |
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