In biblical times, the harvest was a significant event, both agriculturally and spiritually. It was a time of gathering the fruits of labor, a period of joy and thanksgiving, and a metaphor for spiritual truths. The harvest season involved various individuals who played crucial roles in ensuring the successful gathering of crops. These individuals were often sustained by the husbandman, or landowner, during their labor.

Biblical Context

The concept of the harvest is deeply rooted in the agricultural society of ancient Israel. The Law of Moses provided specific instructions regarding the harvest, emphasizing the importance of leaving gleanings for the poor and the sojourner (Leviticus 19:9-10). The harvest was not only a time of physical gathering but also a period of social responsibility and community care.

Persons Engaged in the Harvest

1. Reapers: The reapers were the primary laborers in the fields, tasked with cutting and gathering the crops. In the Book of Ruth, we see an example of reapers at work during the barley harvest. Ruth, a Moabite widow, gleaned in the fields of Boaz, who was a relative of her deceased husband (Ruth 2:3-7). The reapers were essential to the harvest process, and their work was often arduous and demanding.

2. Gleaners: Gleaners were typically the poor, widows, and foreigners who followed the reapers to collect leftover grains. The practice of gleaning was a provision made by God to ensure that those in need could find sustenance during the harvest (Deuteronomy 24:19-21). Ruth's account highlights the role of gleaners and the kindness of Boaz, who instructed his workers to allow her to glean freely and even provided her with food and protection (Ruth 2:8-9).

3. Threshers and Winnowers: After the reaping, the harvested grain needed to be threshed and winnowed to separate the grain from the chaff. Threshers used tools like the threshing sledge, while winnowers tossed the grain into the air to allow the wind to carry away the chaff. This process was crucial for preparing the grain for storage and consumption.

Provision by the Husbandman

The husbandman, or landowner, played a vital role in ensuring that those engaged in the harvest were adequately fed and cared for. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus illustrates the generosity of the landowner who provides for his laborers, regardless of the time they began their work (Matthew 20:1-16). This parable underscores the principle of provision and fairness, reflecting the character of God as the ultimate provider.

In the account of Ruth, Boaz exemplifies the role of a righteous husbandman. He not only allows Ruth to glean in his fields but also instructs his workers to leave extra grain for her and invites her to eat with his reapers (Ruth 2:14-16). Boaz's actions demonstrate the biblical principle of caring for those who labor and ensuring they are sustained during their work.

Spiritual Significance

The harvest is often used metaphorically in Scripture to represent the gathering of souls into God's kingdom. Jesus refers to the harvest in spiritual terms, urging His disciples to pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest field (Matthew 9:37-38). This spiritual harvest requires workers who are willing to labor for the sake of the Gospel, trusting in God's provision and care.

In summary, the harvest in biblical times involved a community effort where reapers, gleaners, threshers, and winnowers worked together under the provision of the husbandman. This agricultural practice not only ensured physical sustenance but also reflected deeper spiritual truths about God's provision, care, and the call to participate in His redemptive work.Ruth 2:14
And Boaz said to her, At mealtime come you here, and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Commendation of those who had Laid Aside the Practice of Swearing. ...
... long delay, in order that we might reap the harvest. ... at the beginning, whilst he
was engaged in the ... the most probable account is, that some persons began the ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ix commendation of those.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... grim sides were covered with forests, and whose peaks were snow-crowned during half
the ... did not merely bring with them an army to protect their persons, or to ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

The Pilgrim's Progress
... So He fed them, and washed their feet, and set them in the way of His
steps, according as He had dealt with her husband before. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the pilgrims progress.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... of their own, are not the persons contained in ... The husbandman, says Paul, that laboureth,
must first be partaker ... in another; and he desired 'to be fed with the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

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What is the meaning of gleaning in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Harvest: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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