Topical Bible: Gifts from God: Temporal: Rain and Fruitful Seasons

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In the biblical narrative, rain and fruitful seasons are depicted as tangible expressions of God's providence and benevolence towards His creation. These temporal gifts are essential for sustaining life and are often used as symbols of God's faithfulness and care for humanity.

Rain as a Divine Blessing

Rain is frequently mentioned in the Bible as a blessing from God, essential for agricultural productivity and the sustenance of life. In the Old Testament, rain is portrayed as a direct gift from God, demonstrating His control over nature and His provision for His people. In Deuteronomy 11:14 , God promises the Israelites, "I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil." This verse underscores the dependence of the agrarian society on divine provision for their livelihood.

The withholding of rain is also depicted as a form of divine judgment. In 1 Kings 17:1 , Elijah declares, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." This demonstrates the power of God to control the elements as a means of calling His people back to faithfulness.

Fruitful Seasons as Evidence of God's Goodness

Fruitful seasons are another manifestation of God's temporal gifts, providing food and sustenance. The cyclical nature of the seasons is seen as part of God's established order, reflecting His ongoing care for creation. In Acts 14:17 , Paul and Barnabas remind the people of Lystra, "Yet He has not left Himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." This passage highlights the connection between God's kindness and the provision of fruitful seasons, serving as a testimony to His existence and benevolence.

The Psalms frequently celebrate God's provision through the natural world. Psalm 65:9-13 beautifully describes how God enriches the earth: "You visit the earth and water it; You greatly enrich it. The stream of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it." This imagery emphasizes the abundance and generosity of God's provision.

Covenantal Promises and Obedience

The provision of rain and fruitful seasons is often linked to the covenantal relationship between God and His people. Obedience to God's commandments is associated with the promise of these blessings. In Leviticus 26:3-4 , God promises, "If you follow My statutes and carefully observe My commandments, I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit." This conditional promise highlights the importance of faithfulness to God as a prerequisite for receiving His temporal gifts.

Conversely, disobedience can lead to the withdrawal of these blessings, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:23-24 : "The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. The LORD will turn the rain of your land into dust and powder; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed." This serves as a warning of the consequences of turning away from God.

Spiritual Lessons from Temporal Gifts

While rain and fruitful seasons are physical necessities, they also carry spiritual significance. They remind believers of God's sovereignty and the need for reliance on Him. The regularity of these gifts encourages trust in God's provision and faithfulness. James 5:7 uses the metaphor of rain to teach patience and perseverance: "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it until it receives the early and late rains."

In summary, rain and fruitful seasons are more than mere natural phenomena; they are divine gifts that reflect God's ongoing care and provision for His creation. They serve as reminders of His faithfulness, the importance of obedience, and the spiritual truths that underlie the physical world.

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Genesis 8:22
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
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Genesis 27:28
Therefore God give you of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
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Leviticus 26:4,5
Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
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Isaiah 30:23
Then shall he give the rain of your seed, that you shall sow the ground with; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall your cattle feed in large pastures.
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Library

Treatise v. An Address to Demetrianus.
... this your obstinacy and contempt, if the rain comes down ... until, when the end of the
temporal life shall ... but to God, shall not receive God's gifts and promises ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise v an address to.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of ...
... an ignorant sot, and that I want those blessed gifts of knowledge ... At these seasons
he would not let me eat my ... do it now, or you will displease God, and despise ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/grace abounding to the chief.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... They carry it even in their most eminent seasons, as if the sense and ... He was a servant,
a servant among the servants of God, and had gifts and abilities ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

Election and Ordination of Bishops: Form of Service on Sundays.
... 3628] and bestow upon them for their temporal things, those ... wilt mercifully look
down upon these gifts which are here set before Thee, O Thou God, who standest ...
/.../constitutions of the holy apostles/sec ii election and ordination of.htm

True Prayer --True Power!
... If you want either a temporal or spiritual mercy ... injunction in coveting very earnestly
such gifts as these ... but seek the spirit of prayer, and God Almighty bless ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/true prayertrue power.htm

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
... for fear lest that grace, and these gifts that the ... wherefore light, even the
illuminating grace of God, especially in ... lo, the winter is past the rain is over ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy city or the.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1836 to the ...
... praise him for any other blessings, whether temporal or spiritual ... therefore, before
he began to exercise his gifts as a ... spread of the gospel of the Son of God. ...
/.../chapter 14 from the close.htm

Christian Behavior
... to the downward, dark, dreary road to misery temporal and eternal ... with God: 'covet
earnestly the best gifts' (1 Corinthians ... be in thee any fear of God, or love ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christian behavior.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... that Bunyan journeyed to that bright and fruitful land of ... other good people had give
them of God;[21] but ... sot, and that I want those blessed gifts of knowledge ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1808, to the ...
... could, while he so applied himself to temporal business as ... which he was eminently
fitted both by gifts and grace ... with outpourings of the Spirit of God, so that ...
/.../chapter 8 from the close.htm