Farming: The Christian Way

This article was lectured by Mr. Silvestre Kudan, professor at Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet.

In Genesis 1:31, we read: And God saw everything that He made, and, behold, it was very good. God’s creation was described as “very good”. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it (Genesis 2:15). There is no doubt, that Abel, a keeper of sheep, and Cain, a tiller of the ground, had been taking good care of their farms (Genesis 4:2). However, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 7:29 said: Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. The manufacture of synthetic chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides are included to these inventions.

Agricultural chemicals had negative effects to the soil like making it acidic, depletion of organic matter, affecting the microorganisms’ population, thus, plants become sick. Besides, not only the plants are affected but also the people who eat the plants, the environments, and the whole planet earth.

The use of agricultural chemicals is not only profit-oriented but also leading the people away from God especially those who are materialistic. Matthew 6:24 concludes “You cannot serve God and Money at the same time.” Material richness is the focus of many farmers who are not contented of what they have in life.

He based his statement above on the 23,036 text messages he received from farmers. Most of them are depending so much from chemicals and not integrating their faith in God who said:…and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrew 13:5; Joshua 1:5).

 

Most frequently asked question of farmers is:

 

*What should I spray on my plants to hasten its fruition or maturity?

Is this not clear indication of greed and not knowing what the Almighty God can do? Let us examine the following passages from the book of truth:

   I Corinthians 3:6-7 I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow. The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter.  It is God who matters, because He makes the plant grow.

   Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…

Each crop has a number of days to mature. This can be affected by the temperature of the growing area but not the chemicals to be sprayed and farmers should understand this truth.

On irrigation

   Isaiah 30:23  He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful.

   Ezekiel 17:8  It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.

Sunlight

   Deuteronomy 33:13,14  May the Lord bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield;

The problem most farmers are asking is about pest control. This came out because of imbalances in the ecology when farmers use poison/chemicals where the beneficial organisms are eradicated. They practice mono-cropping, use synthetic fertilizers, plant hybrid, etc., which already changed the things made by God “very good” in the beginning. Besides, many farmers are disobeying the Creator, disregarding His laws. Let us consider the following verses:

On Pests…Curses for Disobedience

   Deuteronomy 28:15, 22 However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:…The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish.

   Deuteronomy 28:38, 39 You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it.  You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.

   Amos 4:9  Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord.

   Haggai 2:17  I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord.

   Isaiah 1:19, 20  If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.  For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

   2 Chronicles 24:20 … This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper.  Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you.

   Malachi 3:7  Ever since the time of your fore-fathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, how are we to return?

   James 4:8-10  Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

   We should also understand that the capacity of the land to produce was reduced when the blood of Abel was poured by Cain. Genesis 4:11-12 says, And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength…thus, we need healing of the land.

   2 Chronicles 7:13,14  When I shut up the heavens so there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

You might be asking, how do we seek for the face of God? The Bible is the authority to tell us.

Psalm 17:15  And I – in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Tungkol sa akin, aking mamasdan ang iyong mukha sa katuwiran: ako’y masisiyahan pagka bumangon sa iyong wangis.)

   Deuteronomy 22:9  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. This is a clear prohibition on the production of hybrid and GMO.

Soil

Another aspect which farmers should understand is the improvement of the soil fertility. The soil provides all the nutrient elements for the plant to develop and in the soil the multitude of microorganisms work for making those nutrients to become available for the plant. This makes the soil a “living soil” and not just a “matter” as those doing business on poison look at it.

   2 Chronicles 26:10 He (Uzziah) also built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain.  He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.

   Isaiah 25:10  …will be trampled under him as straw is trampled down in the manure.

   Matthew 13:8  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Other Cultural Practices

   John 15:2  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will even more fruitful.

   Romans 11:19 Thou wilt say then, the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

 

Farmers’ Values

   Proverbs 20:13  Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.

   Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

   Proverbs 23:20-21  Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

   Deuteronomy 19:14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old times have set in thine inheritance, which thou inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.

   Deuteronomy 27:17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.

   Deuteronomy 25:15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

   Proverbs 20:23  Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.

   2 Corinthians 12:14…After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

   Haggai 2:8  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

   Revelation 11:18  The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.