Plow in Hope

Good morning! In 1 Corinthians 9:10, Paul writes: "For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope." What Paul refers to comes in the verses preceding and reminds us of the Old Testament law that [the farmer] should not muzzle the oxen while it treads out the grain. Paul argues that this was written for our sake and not because God was worried about the oxen. We note however that when the law is obeyed, both the farmer and the oxen benefit. The ox gets to eat while he works, and the farmer gets to build character.

It would be easy for the farmer to calculate how much grain the oxen are eating while the threshing is going on, and to reach some conclusion about profit and loss. The oxen, after all, could eat a lesser grain, the farmer might calculate, and so the profit would be better with the muzzle in place. But, there is that law. Why did the Lord have to go an make that one? Are you sure Moses didn't sneak that one in to have a good laugh? Building character goes against our sinful instincts. Sharing with the oxen doing the work does not come easily to us. If we won't share with the beasts though, how will we learn to share with the neighbor?

How do we plow in hope without that character God builds in us? The man with character farms in the hope of sharing God's bounty, confident that God will provide the rain, the sun, and nutritious soil. The one who plows without hope farms with a heavy burden of expectations of hail, fire, pillagers, and other calamity on his mind. Little wonder that what survives he is not willing to share even with his faithful beasts for he has already destroyed his crop in his hopeless mind.

We may not see the harvest this morning, but plow and thresh in our great hope, Jesus!
Bucky