In Deuteronomy 22:9-12 we come to some more laws that seem just a little bit crazy to us. This is simply another case where the logic of today’s world doesn’t understand the logic of the past and/or the logic of God’s ways. Here are the scriptures; read them and see what your first thoughts are:
(Deuteronomy 22:9-12) Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled. 10 Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. 11 Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together. 12 Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear.
FOUR WAYS TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE
This scripture can be broken down to four parts; do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard, do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together, do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together, and make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear.
Do you notice a pattern here?
The “do nots” are all about mixing things together that are not alike.
They seem to promote separation of opposites.
I wonder what this could mean?
A MORAL MEANING AND A PRACTICAL MEANING
In the end, I think a lot of these scriptures have a moral meaning as well as a practical meaning.
If you read further into the chapter after verses 9-12; you will see that those scriptures address some of the laws of morality. God created a moral world. He wants to keep it that way. Thus; Adam and Eve had to leave the garden.
Isn’t this mixture of the moral meanings with the practical meanings just like the teachings of Jesus?
He often starts with a physical illustration that is common to all and leads that discussion up into a spiritual reality that we all need to absorb into our lifestyles.
Perhaps this passage will turn out to be that way too. We will need to understand the physical applications first; then later explore the spiritual applications.
Let’s examine each passage, one at a time in four different articles; then summarize as we finish this chapter in Deuteronomy with a fifth lesson that ascends to more spiritual heights.
DO NOT PLANT TWO KINDS OF SEED IN YOUR VINEYARD
In reality; some things were meant to be separate.
They were never intended to be used together.
Correct combinations of elements are common knowledge in science; but one must be sure to consider that God’s ways ARE science. Science came from God; God didn’t come from Science.
It is scientifically correct (and universally correct from the elements used in the practice of science) that water and oil do not mix. Most people would not try to stir them together because nothing good would come from it. If I added water to the oil I poured into my car to help it run, the water would not increase the oil; but the car would eventually stop running because I defiled the oil with the water and it now cannot carry out it’s best purpose.
Our Creator would be the expert on these things; since He was the one who created everything that exists in the first place.
SOME THINGS WERE NOT MADE TO BE MIXED
But why?
Why can we not mix certain things with other things?
It is deep within our human nature to experiment with such thoughts.
We want logic and reason and proof that by mixing some things with other things we can’t actually even come up with a better; and more-improved product.
Humanity is always looking for a new and better way.
But that logic is human.
God’s logic is the one logic that proves true here. Human logic often heads straight for failure.
IF YOU MIX WHEAT WITH TARES YOU HAVE A PROBLEM
Let’s consider the process of mixing two different kinds of seeds in a vineyard.
This study makes us think of the parable told by Jesus which is found in Matthew Chapter 13. The parable speaks of the wheat and the tares.
As the story starts, the enemy plants weeds among the good seed that the farmer has sown. They all grow up together (the good seed and the tares) and the only way to receive any benefit from the good-seed crop is to separate the wheat from the tares after they have both grown to maturity.
No farmer wants to have to go through this separating process; it only makes sense to plant only one kind of seed.
That way the harvest can simply be completed without having to stop and waste time and energy to separate and remove the bad seed’s products (the tares) from the good seed’s products (the wheat.)
This process would never produce as well as a pure process in which the seeds were not planted together.
Why make extra labor when you don’t have to?
Farming is hard enough.
PLAN FOR A PURE CROP
In pondering this concept, one comes up with the theory that it is best to prepare correctly from the beginning and to plan for a successful end (harvest.)
As mentioned in an earlier lesson; don’t be careless.
Carelessness is a type of sin. It is a sin that creates harm and causes trouble for others.
It is also a very tricky sin.
You might think you are being very careful to sew your crops; but in your haste and enthusiasm you could actually be planting from the wrong bag of seeds.
This could happen because some of us are too careless with our efforts and often we fail to do the proper research in the beginning of our projects.
How many times have you seen social justice gone wrong from good intentions that were not well planned and examined before laws were passed?
You can wind up distributing the very problem that you never intended to deal with.
Be careful not to plant weeds in your garden.
Society is a lot like those two bags of seeds. There is wheat and there are tares.
GOOD FARMERS ARE CAREFUL FARMERS
If we are going to come along side of our Heavenly Father and work on the farm with him; we need to make sure we understand what He wants done.
As for justice in a society; you need to know and understand what produces good results in order to make a good judgement about what to practice and incorporate into civil laws. In watching politicians at work one must learn to question whether or not they actually know or understand the current laws, and how much experience they have seen in implementing them with the people. Many are acting simply on emotional pleas that cause impulsive reactions from voters. Votes should be based on realities; not emotional ignorance.
God patiently instructs us to plant only one type of seed in our vineyards. Most likely the original intent of this law was to emphasize the fact that we should honor God’s role in creation.
God’s handiwork exists exactly as it should be.
Changing God’s original handiwork will always bring us failure and sorrow.
God has provided all that we need in just the way we need it.
When we try to interfere with this perfect process; we defile what God has ordained as blessings for all people of the earth.
GOD IS GOD AND WE ARE HUMAN
Often people tend to forget that God is God and we are human. They try to make decisions that only God should make.
God was telling the people not to mix seeds in a vineyard because they would work against each other, making the land defiled in that it would not produce an abundant crop of the needed and desired fruit and there would be no wine for celebrating an abundant harvest!
We all love that special wine that God provides for us; so why should we mess it up with our humanity and cause the earth to produce something else instead?
But we have to follow God’s rules in order to produce a godly vineyard.
Harvesting isn’t ever an easy project.
We need to focus on the one thing that God has given us all to do; and then learn how to do that one thing very well.
If we, or others bring in another type of seed; we are going to spend a lot of time being distracted with problems that can’t be solved; and eventually our harvest is not going to happen. The vineyard will fall into ruin and failure simply because we humans thought we could improve on God’s best methods of living.
We can’t.
Satan once tried that too; and it hasn’t worked for him either.
Accept that God knows best and learn how to live there.
This is the most beneficial way to live; both for mankind and for God.
Don’t try to rewrite the rules or reinvent the wheel when God has furnished to each of us all that we need and more in abundance.
Instead; let’s find some gratitude and practice thanksgiving for what God has given.
It is and always will be; enough.