Break up the unplowed ground (Hosea 10:12).

A plow or a plough is a tool used for initial cultivation of the soil in preparation for seeding or planting and is considerd one of the major advances in farming. Plowing has been practiced for thousands of years in most, if not nearly all, parts of the world. Plowing turns over the soil, so that fresh nutrients from the deeper parts of the soil are brought to the surface and weeds and stumps on the surface are buried deep for decomposition. In addition, the soil is aerated and becomes better able to hold moisture. Any good farmer would not even imagine planting seeds without first plowing the ground.

In Matthew 13, we read about Jesus' parable of the sower. Some seed fell along the path, some fell on rocky places, some among thorns, and some on good soil. Though in different forms, the path, rocky places and thorns all represented unplowed ground where the seed could not produce a crop. Only the good soil produced a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.

Different types of soil represent different states of the hearts. The path belongs to one who hears the gospel message, but does not understand and loses it. The rocky places belong to one who hears it and receives the message with joy, but quickly falls away from it when trouble or persecution comes. The thorns represent one who hears the word, but is not able to bear fruit because of worries of this life and deceitfulness of wealth. In contrast, the good soil represents one who not only hears the word, but understands it and produces a crop. Everyone hears the message, but only the good soil understands it and produces a crop.

What understanding is there, when the soil is plowed and seed is planted in the plowed ground? What does the Lord mean when He tells us to break up the unplowed ground (Hosea 10:12)?

The first part of understanding as the heart that is broken up and plowed hears the word is, I think, that he is a sinner. In II Timothy 3:16-17, it says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in rightesousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." As one is taught by the word, one is rebuked and convicted of the sin he has committed. The psalmist of Psalm 19 confessed his sinfulness and his faults, when he witnessed God's glory in His creation and encountered God's law and precepts. After catching such a large number of fish that the nets began to break, Peter fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man." (Luke 5:1-11). With the gospel message, we are called to repentance of our sins (Matthew 4:17, Matthew 3:2, Acts 2:38, Acts 17:30). We are taught to turn away from our former way of life and put off our old selves corrupted by deceitful desires; instead we are to be made new and put on new selves, created anew to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24). The former way of life, however glorious it might have appeared in the past, is now no better than rubbish (Philippians 3:8) and pales in comparison to the heavenly inheritance (Hebrews 11:24-26). Without sparing, the old self is to be put off.

What should then follow is training in righteousness and maturation as men of God. We should not stay as infants in Christ (I Corinthians 3:1-3). Rather than being stagnant or dormant, we are called to grow and mature, until we attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). After all, Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers (Hebrews 2:10-13); shouldn't brothers be alike? Not just a little bit, but in totality? We are to have the mind and attitude of Christ (I Corinthians 2:15-16, Philippians 2:5).

"We shall be like Him: O wonderful thought!
Blessed the hope the assurance hath wrought;
Changed from the sorrow and trials of years,
We shall be like Him, when Jesus appears.

We shall be like Him, O how the promise cheers!
We shall be like Him, when Jesus appears." (C. H. Gabriel)