PRAY FOR THE EARLY RAIN
Farming in the day of Yeshua
September 22 2007
by; Simantov Allalouf
In September of 2007 I attended the weekly meeting of a local
house church in the Galilee. I went to hear a particular friend speak a word
he felt he received from the Lord. As a result of him giving this word I felt the
Lord speak some things to me. The illustrations given by David in his
message said much. I would like to try and share a part of the word I felt
the Lord was speaking.
David in the midst of his message began to say that he does
not agree with all of the recent prophecies that have been floating around
calling for a great move of God in Israel which will result in a gigantic
harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God. In the past ten years there have
been numerous prophetic words declaring that this was the year for Israel's
salvation, (or words to that effect). But those years came and went, even
though there are many in the body of Messiah that want to believe this great
harvest is about to come. The methods of initiating revival have left out
the ways and desire of the Lord. The illustration David gave was that he has
lived in a farm community in the Galilee region for many years, and has made
an observation of various modern farming techniques and compared them to
farming in the days of Yeshua two thousand years ago.
David continued by saying in the days of Yeshua farmers
ploughed the soil with an Ox and a simple wooden plough. And knowing that
after the long hot dry summers of Israel the soil becomes very hard and dry
and pretty much impossible to plough. Which made it absolutely necessary to
wait for the early rains before the plowing could begin. In ancient Israel
it was not uncommon to begin to pray for those early rains asking the Lord
for rain. They knew and understood that for the earth to yield its fruit
required the kindness and favor of the Lord. The Lord was very much a part
of the process of planting and the rain watering, so that the Lord could
give the increase.
In David's illustration we begin to see that this natural
illustration of planting and sowing also has a spiritual application. That
as we wait on the Lord in prayer, crying out for His mercy He sends the
early rains to soften the foul ground of the hearts of man so that the seed
of the gospel can enter in and bring about the growth of God's Kingdom in
men's hearts. As I considered all of this the Lord began to speak to me and
show me that in today's agricultural in Israel we have gigantic tractors
pulling massive ploughs of steel. That even in the great heat and dryness of
Israel's summer, these large "man made" machines can plough up the dry hard
ground.
And again I began to understand how in many churches in
today's (western) world, man has devised a way to bring a harvest of people
into the church. Using ideas such as the "prosperity gospel" and the
Me..Me..Me kind of teaching that portrays God as an end to our selfish
desires. Some churches have organized "Foot Ball Nights" with beer and
popcorn and wrestling matches inside the church, all in a attempt to lure
the masses of people to come in. These people are somewhat like what these
new man made techniques are producing in our modern day farming techniques.
With all of this early planting and accelerated growth products and
pesticides man has produced vegetables that look real and somewhat taste
real, but they lack all of the goodness and nutrients that once were in our
vegetables. They have a form of and look like real vegetables but lack the
goodness. Kind of sounds like scripture doesn't it?
"This know also, that in
the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors,
heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:1-5
God is saying NO! I will not allow this brand of, or this
kind of planting or false harvest to be gathered in Israel. True revival
will come as His people (body of Messiah) come to a place of knowing the
heart of God for the lost house of Israel. And then with a pure heart enter
into travailing intercession, that the Lord would send the early rain. A
rain in the spirit that will begin to soften the foul ground of their
hardened hearts in preparation for the plowing and planting of the Lord.
It will be in this kind of soil that the seed of the true gospel will be
planted. A gospel that brings men to a place of revelation, of who God is.
That He is the King of Glory and worthy of all praise and honor and glory,
even if our eternal destiny is hell. Where the Lord can bring conviction of
sin, which leads to repentance, a repentance which invites the heart of stone
to be removed and replaced with a heart of flesh. The Lord desires to redeem
the call of Israel to be a light to the nations. And Israel needs to know
that the only true source of this light is Yeshua the Messiah of Israel.
As you pray for this true revival to come to Israel In
God's Time and His way. May there also be an awakening in your nation.
That those people who have been tricked into a false sense of salvation
through a man made gospel, will see the light of Jesus and turn from their
wicked ways and embrace the way of the cross which produces the righteous
life that is "in Christ Jesus".