The Jesus Bible Reading PlanSample

THE DISCIPLINE OF A SMALL HARVEST

For agrarian societies like those of the ancient world, harvest was a cultural event that was central to the lives of most of the people. Israel celebrated feast days three times a year (Firstfruits, Weeks and Tabernacles), with each one tied to a harvest. As God’s people celebrated the feast days, plentiful harvests assured them that God was with them and cared for them.

Unfortunately, those who returned to Judah from exile prioritized building their own houses over rebuilding God’s temple (Hag 1:2 – 4). In response, God disciplined his people with a drought (v. 11). Though they “planted much,” they “harvested little” (v. 6). After receiving the discipline of a small harvest and hearing Haggai’s message, God’s people began to rebuild the temple.

Christians today experience God’s discipline as a form of protection, a reminder that they belong to a loving Father (Heb 12:5 – 10). Such discipline “produces a harvest of righteousness and peace” in believers’ lives (Heb 12:11). Jesus used the imagery of harvest to teach spiritual truths about his mission. He described people who needed to hear the gospel as a field ripe for harvest, and he exhorted his disciples to pray for more laborers to be sent to gather the harvest (Mt 9:35 – 38). In Haggai’s day, God was ready to bless his people with a plentiful harvest when they prioritized the building of the temple.

In Jesus’ death, the need for the temple as a conduit for salvation was eliminated (Mk 15:38). Today, believers participate in the building of the church as they share the good news of Jesus with the people around them. The church that Jesus is building (unlike the temple in Haggai’s time) will be indestructible and serves as a living sign of the kingdom of God until Christ’s return (Mt 16:18).

Jesus, help me to be a living stone in your church. Use me to grow your church, so that you may be glorified. Amen.