14/10/2020
GOOD VINEYARD BAPTIST CHURCH, PARAFA,
Sanctuary of God’s Love and Favour
2/4 Akinboboye Street, Rolu Estate, Parafa, Ikorodu,
e-mail: [email protected]
Bible Study Wednesday, October 14th, 2020
Text: Matthew 13: 1 – 9; Mark 4: 1 – 9, 13 – 20; Luke 8: 4 – 8
Topic: The Parable of the Sower
Introduction
The parable of the sower would be our focus for interpretation in our study today. The farmer sowed the seed through broadcast or spreading to various ground, but the focus of the story points directly to the seed that survives the hurdles of growth on the pleasant or good land. The reception given to the seed suggests the kind of soil described and the eventual outcome. This parable can also be found in the other synoptic gospels, thus we need to pay attention to it for our spiritual profit, and probably the Lord is saying something that we should not miss.
The interpretation of the Parable
The same seed was sown, but the land on which the seed was sown was different. The seed that was sown along the footpath are people in which the word was planted, some fell on the stony ground without much earth, it sprang up and after experience some weather elements; including the scorching heat, without root, it dried off. The ones planted among the thorns are those, in which the word was somehow confusing to them, the word grew for a while without fruit, and was choked to death. Also, the seed fell on the good ground, grew up and produced fruits in an increasing manner.
The seed is God’s Word, while the crops that was brought forth consists various classes of people. The birds in the parable stands for Satan or his agents, the thorns represents human cares or the love of this world, such as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of this world (1 John 2: 15 – 17) which choked the Word and died. The stony ground suggests people who received the Word and allows various afflictions and persecutions to uproot it in them. The focus of the parable is on the surviving seeds that fell on the good ground.
One of the traditional interpretation in the early church was that the parable was told by Jesus as an encouragement to the disciples in their work and which suggests a reflection of the success Jesus had up to that time. Also, Jesus was probably speaking about the rich harvest that would happen if His message of the kingdom was appropriately received. Apart from the traditional thought, it is suffice to say that the different soil suggests the types of people that hear the Word today. The kind of heart you have will determine the level of God’s pe*******on into your life or heart (Hebrews 4:2). Some people comes to church, hear the Word and allows the devil to steal what they have received as a result of their worldliness, some seared their heart and became reprobate, while others permits their pursuit in life to draw them away from their creator (Romans 1:28; James 4: 13 – 15; Titus 1:16).
The parable shows a pragmatic reality of the human hearts, and there is a need for everyone to check their heart and find out the reason why the Word is not profiting in their lives. Some people have a wanderer heart which is located at the pathway, situations, events, and circumstances of life easily trampled upon their heart. For some others, they are very rigid, and immovable. Their heart is very stony, and refused to yield to the nudging of the Holy Spirit about the conditions of their heart. There are individuals that are so worldly, name it, worldly fashion, music, slang, some will even go and modify their skin, body shape and structure among others to feel among or on top of the world. Brethren the Lord is calling us to repentance and to jettisoned the ungodly pathway and embraced the ancient path of holiness, sobriety, and righteousness among others.
Conclusion
Hebrews 3:15 says, “As it has been said, if you hear His voice today, do not be stubborn like those who rebelled” (combined translation). Rebellion is a grave sin before the Lord, according to 1 Samuel 15:23a “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry”. Think about this, what do you intend to gain when you refused to heed God’s warning about your sinful lifestyles, and what do you think it would be your eternal reward before him.
