A Share of the Crops

A Share of the Crops
Words of Faith 7-13-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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2 Timothy 2
[6] The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. [7] Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Paul wrote in an agrarian culture. Even in the big city of Ephesus, the people were not far from farm life. So Paul compared the Christian ministry of Timothy to farming. This was a good comparison.
This was not the first time Paul made reference to farming. To the church at Corinth, he sent this reminder that "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
God makes things grow, but it requires hard work. The image here is clearly lifting up the hardworking farmer, not lazy or idle workers. That hardworking farmer trusts in the faithfulness of the Lord to make things grow. The pastor must sow the seed and cultivate the growing plants.
But there is another point here that Paul wants to make. The hardworking farmer should receive a share of the crops. This was a typical understanding for those who worked in farming. Paul recommends that Timothy should reflect on this. Apparently, this was not the case for some working in ministry and possibly not for Timothy. There should be provision for the shepherd, the soldier, the athlete, and, yes, specifically, the hardworking farmer who labors for the work of the Lord.
"The Lord will give you insight into all this." If Timothy thought about it, he would realize that his time would be most effectively used when applied to the Word of God, prayer, and ministry duties such as caring for those in need and comforting those who mourn. The word may have come to Paul that Timothy was providing for himself by tent-making or doing other work. While this was noble, he must consider and weigh the use of his energy and time.
This was not a new concern. Paul had written to Timothy in the first letter, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages" (1 Tim. 5:18). Paul reminded Timothy that a pastor called to leadership, preaching, and teaching should be held in double honor (1 Tim 5:17). This includes making sure that financial needs are cared for.
Few things undermine a pastoral ministry as much as financial worries. Don't muzzle the ox. The worker is worthy of a wage. Don't make the pastor feel like a charity case where everything is some special gift. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

Lord, help me highly value Your servants' work in the church's ministry. Help me to value the hard work of those soldiers called to duty for Christ, those athletes running the race, and those farmers working hard for Your harvest. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.