Lessons from the Harvest
H. Caddell, M. A. Jeremiah 5:24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that gives rain, both the former and the latter, in his season… I. THE BLESSINGS. Fruitful showers, and brilliant suns, and azure skies, and earth covered with its bright green clothing, are, indeed, in themselves, blessings; but this character is much more emphatically applied to them when we remember that they are not only beautiful spectacles to delight our eyes and to minister to our senses of enjoyment, but that they yield that sustenance, without which, the globe would soon be thinned of the tribes which inhabit it, and there would be no human eye to rejoice in its beauties. Yes, the great blessing is, that human life is to be sustained by the produce which the fruitful seasons have thus secured to us. What blessings, then, are "the former and the latter rain" and "the appointed weeks of the harvest," which supply this food. But it is chiefly on account of our never-dying souls that the fruitful seasons are a blessing. There is this and that person who now, perhaps, are but cumberers of the ground, bus who are upheld in life one year longer, that the seed of eternal life may be now sown in their hearts — that they may, at length, be made fruitful unto God, and become heirs of a glorious immortality. II. THE SOURCE OF THESE BLESSINGS. 1. Man, when he would account for any event, in his ungodliness, frequently ascribes is to chance or good luck. But there is no such word in a Christian man's vocabulary. We must carefully distinguish between the agency of "the Lord our God" and second causes. There is a sad tendency in man to put the instruments which God makes use of to bring to pass all His will in the place of God Himself. III. THE RETURN WHICH GOD REQUIRES. 1. As individuals, let the undeserved goodness of the Lord lead you to fear Him. Ask the gift of the Holy Ghost, to impress your heart with a deep and abiding sense of God's goodness, at the present time — to humble you under a sense of your own ingratitude; to lead you to Jesus Christ for pardon, peace, and acceptance with God. 2. As heads of families, "let us fear the Lord our God." "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 3. As subjects of our beloved Sovereign — as members of the commonwealth — "let us fear the Lord our God." The national character is made up of the aggregate of individual character. (H. Caddell, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. WEB: Neither do they say in their heart, 'Let us now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'