D. L. Moody made this observation in his sermon “Sowing and Reaping” based on Galatians 6:7-8. (Here is the first chapter to whet your appetite: Chapter 1: Sowing and Reaping) One of the definitions of casual is “unpremeditated or offhand”. A definition of the second word, causal, is “of, involving, or constituting a cause”. It’s easy to think that our everyday actions will not have a result or cause a future outcome, but they do. We reap what we sow.
In Joshua chapters 13 through 21 we find a detailed description of the division of the promised land for the twelve tribes of Israel. It can be rather tedious reading (at least for me). This year a companion study guide we are using pointed out that there were ONLY TWO individuals listed in all those chapters that got to choose their allotment of land. Hmmm, I wonder who those two individuals are and why they were allowed to choose? There is a clear sowing and reaping taking place here. This hint might help: the contemporaries of these two men had all died off by this time. They were the only spies of the twelve that gave a good report about the promised land and encouraged the people to trust God to conquer this land. As a result, the people wanted to stone them. Yes, Joshua (19:49-50) and Caleb (14;6-13; 15:13-15) were the two who years before had done the right thing amidst great opposition and now we see one of the results of their right action.
In contrast to these two who sowed good seed, we see the descendants of Joseph, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, asking for more land than they were given. It turns out that they were not willing to follow the instructions given to them to clear the forest and to drive out the Canaanites (17:12-18). God had told them in Deuteronomy 20:1-4 that He would be with them to fight for them against their enemies, against the large armies with horses and chariots. The result of their disobedience is described in Numbers 33:55-56: But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them. They were reaping what they had sowed.
Let’s not be deceived into thinking that our actions do not have consequences. May God help us to sow to righteousness for His glory! Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)