We Reap What We Sow
Genesis 19
29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.
30 Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.
31 Now the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth.
32 "Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father."
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36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.
38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.
As we can see from this opening passage, Lot was spared because God remembered Abraham. It wasn’t for his own righteousness that he was saved, but because of Abraham’s intercession on his behalf. Just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, we see Lot offering his two daughters to the men of the city in order to protect himself and his home. We can see a pattern of selfishness Lot has shown since the beginning. He was never after God, but was after selfish gain. He rode the coat tails of Abraham until his own possessions became so abundant that he began to fight over water and land for his livestock. When given the choice, Lot took the best land even though the promise was to Abraham. Lot walked by sight and never followed God or believed in God’s promises. Because Lot lived by the flesh, everything he produced was of the flesh. Therefore, God never honored Lot or his descendents. Lot’s choice of land was Sodom. In this study, I want to examine and compare Lot and Abraham based on what they sowed or invested their lives in. I believe their actions also represent our choice of actions. Each of these men sowed throughout their lives and everything sown was – and still is being reaped today.
Galatians 6 says:
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
The words “whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” is either a blessing or a curse. You and I determine which side we fall on.
Reaping the Curse
Lot sowed in the flesh throughout his entire life. After investing his whole life in things, he saw his inheritance being destroyed inside Sodom. That in itself is a curse. Scripture teaches us that everything in this life is passing away. Sometimes ‘things’ pass away before we do and we will see all our labors lost. Proverbs 23:5 warns of this by saying, “Why do you set your eyes on that which not? For wealth certainly makes itself wings and flies like an eagle toward the heavens.” In spite of the fact that this life is uncertain and even if it was certain, it would be of no value once we stand before God, people still invest their entire lives in what is passing away. We want to live our lives contrary to God and still expect Him to bless us. The blessings of God do not come without obedience. Every promise of God is fulfilled through our obedience to God. In the same way, the path we choose will determine if we abide in God’s blessings or God’s curse. Look at Deuteronomy 28:
15 " But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 "Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.
17 "Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
18 "Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
19 "Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
Life outside of Christ is under the curse regardless of what a person does. However, the Christian can also choose to abide in a cursed world as well. How many times to Christian’s get frustrated and angry at God because their plans and efforts seem to always fail? How many times do Christians suffer outside of God’s will and feel like God is against them? All tribulation is not because of sin, but all sin does lead to tribulation.
God said that whatever we sow, we will reap. That is an unconditional promise/curse. What we want to do is sow through our fleshly desires and then to pray that God would kill the harvest. Even a godly man will reap what is sown in the flesh. When Abraham went outside of God’s plan and fathered Ishmael, God did not condemn him, but the consequences still returned to him. Ishmael became a source of trouble in his house. What was once a peaceful house became stressful when Sarah could no longer get along with Hagar and then Ishmael could not get along with Isaac. Sarah talked Abraham into marrying Hagar thinking that they could fulfill God’s promise by their own efforts in the flesh. Hagar left in frustration only to return by the command of the Lord. In the end it was Ishmael’s mocking of Isaac that led Sarah to send Hagar away with Ishmael. The consequences did not end here, but continues today in the conflicts in the Middle East. Even though Abraham did not rebel against God, the principle stands – what is sown will be reaped.
Lot sowed his labors in the flesh and reaped the ashes of Sodom. Then he sowed in the flesh by fathering children with His daughters. He reaped two nations: the kingdoms of the Moabites and the Ammonites. Both of these nations were driven out of Canaan because of their wickedness when God brought Israel back as He promised. Look at Deuteronomy 9:
5 "It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Included in those wicked nations was the descendents of Lot. Because Lot never sowed anything in God’s will, his only inheritance was two wicked nations that were so morally bankrupt that God drove them out of the land. Not only did his descendents corrupt themselves, but when they saw God’s people, they set out to corrupt them as well. Instead of repenting and turning to the God of Israel, they set out to turn the people from God. When God delivered the Amorites into Israel’s hand, the king of Moab saw and was afraid because he understood that God fought for Israel. He first tried to get a prophet to curse Israel. When the king of Moab saw that God would not allow Israel to be cursed, he sent the women of the land to seduce the men of Israel so that they would become their own curse.
Numbers 25:1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab.
2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
Because the people departed from God, He was forced to judge them until Israel put their sins behind them by punishing those who turned to adultery and idolatry. That is a fitting picture of the world we live in today. When we are in God’s plan, we have the promise that even the gates of hell cannot stand before the church. Because of this, satan does the only thing he can do, he gets us to become our own curse. Through the seduction of the world, satan causes the people of God to bow to the gods of this world. He will offer us any desire we have in exchange for us bowing to his gods. People are just as easily deceived today as Israel was then. We are worshipping anything that we place above or equal to God. If we have to depart our relationship with God, then we are elevating the object of our desires to God’s level. Money, wealth, recreation and lust can be as much of an idol as the statue of Buddha or any other graven image.
God will not kill our harvest. That is why He warns us to be careful what we plant in our lives. Ecclesiastes tells us to cast our bread upon the waters and it will return after many days. We don’t know when we will reap, we only know that we surely will. People think that because consequences are not immediate, there are no consequences. Therefore they feel comfortable continuing to sow in the flesh. But we will all reap in due time.
Reap the Blessing
Through the history of Genesis we see that Abraham was not a perfect man. He made many mistakes and struggled to find his way in God’s will. When Abraham’s focus was on God, he always prospered. The whole focus of Abraham’s life centered around God. His failures were when he was sidetracked and focus was on circumstances or people. Abraham sowed in righteousness and continues to reap that harvest today. Where Lot’s name is associated with Sodom, Abraham’s name is associated with faith in God, God’s people Israel, and eventually redemption through Christ. Abraham is the patriarch of faith. He is the icon of faith that the apostles pointed to as New Testament faith in Christ. Abraham sowed in faith and reaped the promise that carries throughout all generations. Obedience is the key to sowing in the spirit. Look back at Genesis 12:
1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
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4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
When God commanded Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him, Genesis 22:3 tells us, “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” There was no hesitation, but immediate obedience. You cannot sow righteousness without obedience to God. Psalm 119:21 says: “You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments.” The Bible tells us that Jesus “having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” and Acts 16 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved”. Many try to turn the gospel into a superficial religion. The Bible doesn’t just say to believe, but to believe and obey. The reason is because, if we believe, we will also obey. If we don’t believe, we won’t obey because we are trusting in the flesh and not in Him. The Bible says that anyone who says, “Jesus is Lord” and then refuses to submit is living a lie. Jesus can’t be our Lord without submission. In the church, we have forgotten that ‘lord’ literally means ‘master – the one who controls a person’. Can we truly call Jesus our Lord and then refuse to live an obedient life?
It is through our obedience that we sow seeds of righteousness. If we look at the world as something to be desired that God is depriving from us, then we will struggle in our life of obedience. Sowing in righteousness is sowing in faith. It is God that produces fruit through us. Even religious works are works of the flesh if they are not out of faith and a heart trusting in God. Sometimes sowing good seed will cost us. It takes faith – trusting in God and His ability to prosper us – before we can step out in obedience when we know there will be a cost. We live in a world that is hostile to the gospel. From the world’s perspective, I will not benefit from obedience to God. Sometimes obedience to God will put me in direct conflict with the world. Not only will it hinder my ability to prosper myself, but it will actually hurt me. It is times like these that true faith is put to the test. We are success driven. Our modern world has taught us that personal benefit is more important than godly principles or obedience to Christ. Even in the church we find this belief. Church members support faith until it comes to personal sacrifice. Not only are most Christians unwilling put God to the test, but they will frequently criticize those who do as being foolish. However, God always puts us to the test before we are counted as faithful. Look at Ecclesiastes 11:
1 Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.
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4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
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10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh...
The Christian that allows circumstances to dictate obedience will never sow or reap God’s rewards. Conditions will never be favorable for a leap of faith. God always tests before every spiritual breakthrough. God usually doesn’t give us immediate results, nor does He show us how those results will happen. Casting bread upon the water gives us a mental picture of faith without seeing. I can see the tide take the bread away, but I can’ t see how it will return. It is pure faith in God. I am casting my cares into God’s hands without any way of knowing how He will fulfill His promises. My trust is completely removed from circumstances or from my control and placed completely on Him. Only God can bring to me what the tide has carried away. And a harvest is not just what has been given up, but the increase as well. Releasing control is hard; therefore, most people are not able to sow their lives into God’s harvest.
Obedience is what we do and what we reframe from doing. We obey and do what God calls us to do even if it draws fire and we obey by refusing to submit to our fleshly desires even when we feel like we will miss out. In both cases, we are trusting God to make up what we will lack. We are casting our cares upon Him because we truly believe that He has a plan, He cares for us, and He will not let us down. Dying to ourselves is taking our fulfillment out of our hands where we cannot be fulfilled and putting them into God’s hands where we cannot be disappointed if we are patient to inherit His promises.
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