Eternal Seed

In the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-9) we find the sower sowing seeds on 4 different types of ground; the wayside, stony places, among thorns & thistles, and on good ground.  The seed is described as the word of the kingdom and the ground is our heart.  The Lord gives the interpretation to this parable in Matt. 13:18-23:

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” NKJV

No mention is given in this passage in Matt. 13 as to who the sower is and what type of seeds are being sown.  I don’t think Jesus would just throw seeds around willy-nilly.  And just as unlikely, I don’t believe Satan would waste an opportunity to sow his seed in the most effective place to do the greatest harm.  Therefore, I can only assume the sower is one of us.  Which brings us to the question of the type of seed being sown.

There are basically two categories of seed.  Seed that is of the world (i.e. Good/Bad seed) and seed that is eternal.  “Worldly” seed is carnal and fleshly by nature.  It comes from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  This seed can take root, germinate and grow into something the world would look upon as being “good” however it has no value or worth to the kingdom of God because it is fleshly and carnal by nature and can only produce after its own kind.  However, the eternal seed is sown from the Spirit of God and when it has germinated and grown produces fruit that remains for the purposes of advancing the kingdom of heaven.

So what fruit does the eternal seed produce?  First, it brings forth the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).  It also produces faith, hope and belief.  Another product of this seed is prosperity (which requires stewardship) and kingdom resources (e.g. power, revelation, healing, wisdom, etc.).  Finally, eternal seed releases God’s word (His promises).  Is. 55:11 declares the following:

Isa 55:11
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

God spoke existence into being.  When He speaks His eternal seed goes forth and seeks fertile ground from which to grow and manifest.  He is constantly looking for fertile soil (hearts prepared to receive His word) for His word to germinate and come forth.  However, we must be careful to sow His eternal word in our hearts and not the seeds of the world.  Galatians 6:7-9 speaks directly to this issue:

Gal 6:7-9

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
NKJV

Notice Paul’s final admonition in the scripture above.  If we do not lose heart and we continue to move forward in faith, trusting God that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  As sowers, we can never give up or give in to the world or the plans of the enemy.  Our focus and our faith must continuously be directed toward the Lord believing that His promises are yes, and amen.

Lastly, what will our sowing bring?  It depends on 4 things.

1.   Depends on the type of seed planted.  (i.e. “good” / “bad” or “eternal”)

2.   Depends upon the quality of the soil (our heart condition) the seed is planted in.

3.   Depends upon the effort put forth to cultivate the soil after the seed has been planted.  (e.g. fertilization, watering, weeding, etc.)

4.   Depends upon our expectations for a harvest (Believing faith / Expectant Hope)  -  Heb. 11:1, 11:6

In this season, sowing seed is not enough.  We must be aware of the type of seed we are sowing, even if it appears to be “good” seed.  As we sow into the kingdom of heaven we cannot stop there.  We must continuously cultivate the ground (our hearts) around that seed to make sure it grows into maturity and fruitfulness.  Much darkness and evil seem to be in the world today, however God has a plan to bring forth His eternal word in such as way as to provide a harvest of incredible fruit for the world as a testimony of His greatness.  It’s time to sow our seeds.