Articles
Breaking Fallow Ground
“Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12 NASV). Oxen used in everyday farming, needed to be trained, especially to the weight and burden of the sledge they pulled when they crushed grain. Young oxen wearing the yoke learned to be at ease with this new-found burden. In fact, threshing the grain would be a “plumb” job for the animal. “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing” (Deuteronomy 25:4). Grain was always within their grasp. And the owner of the animal would recognize its value (Proverbs 12:10). There was, however, the danger of the animal becoming lazy; an oxen would sometimes “skip about like a threshing heifer” (Jeremiah 50:11). What kind of message was this for God’s people?
“Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh, but I will come over her fair neck with a yoke; I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, Jacob will harrow for himself” (Hosea 10:11). God’s threshing floor blessed His people; still, they forget their Lord. Grain was available but Israel turned to idols and to foreigners for safety. “Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns” (Jeremiah 4:23). Captivity loomed large. The stubborn animal needed discipline. The fallow ground of sin could be plowed and nourished and yield obedience; the choice was Israel’s.
Hosea used easily understood agriculture illustrations to show Israel how far she had strayed from Jehovah. Israel was a “luxuriant vine.” Even though, this prosperity came from the Lord and Israel lived in abundance, she built more altars and increased her idolatry. A lack of faith deluded their hearts; they were faithless but believed they were faithful to Jehovah. Their sacred pillars would be destroyed. Idolatrous priests officiated over pagan sacrifices. Their high places yielded thorns and thistles. They had no king, but why bother anyway? A king could not help them. Their initial request for a king (1 Samuel 8) brought peace and security, at least for a while. Soon, wicked kings led a wicked nation into captivity and alienation from their Creator. Israel could repent and trust in the Lord. Yet, self-reliance, physical strength, and sowing to the wind, brought destruction on God’s own people. The Assyrians were coming. Was there hope?
Fallow ground could refer to ground that had been idle for a long time. Fallow ground was potentially tillable. Would Israel rise in repentance and till the ground of faithfulness to Jehovah? Hosea’s wife, Gomer, sowed the wild oats of sin. Israel followed suit. They didn’t have to do so; but they did.
