It Grows Up and Becomes! (Matthew 13:4)

Matthew 13:4 says, "... and when he sowed, some (of the seeds) fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them."

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

This portion of scripture, known as the parable of the Sower, or more aptly, the parable of the different kinds of soil, is repeated 3 times in scripture (Matthew 13; Mark 4; and Luke 8). There seems to be a principle in scripture, that when something is repeated more than once, it is because it is very significant to God (Gen. 41:32), and therefore significant to our lives.

This parable, with the interpretation, offers foundational principles to our Christian walk, that if ignored, could greatly limit our concept of God, our Father, and how He functions.

The primary focus of this word study, is the word "devour".

DEVOUR

There are at least 7 different Greek words or phrases, that could have been used, in this scripture, to convey the idea of eating something up. This particular word, is a compound word, the root of which already means to eat something up, but there is a prefix that is added to the root word. 

The prefix does two things:

1) It intensifies the meaning of the word.

2) This prefix used, originally meant, " from the top to the bottom ", and conveys the meaning of, "completely".

THE WICKED ONE, SATAN, THE DEVIL

In the interpretation of this parable, Jesus said, that "the wicked (one)" (Matt. 13:19); "Satan" (Mk.4:15); or "the devil" (Lk.8:12), is the one whom the fowls represent. Though initially this verse would seem to be a commentary on the devil, nothing could be further from the truth.

When anyone hears the word of God, Satan has to come immediately, and "devour" the word that they have heard. He has to totally eradicate any fragment of what was spoken. There can not be even a "crumb" or the tiniest remnant of the seed sown. He has to "completely", one way or another, get every morsel of the word out of your life. This is the meaning of the word "devour".

GOD'S WORD

God's word is so powerful, that for him to allow even the most minute particle to remain, lends the risk of "the seed" growing up to become whatever type of "word seed" it is. The scriptures say that the word (seed), brings forth fruit in our lives, from the day we hear it. (Col. 1:6).

Years ago, John Osteen (the father of Joel Osteen), spoke a message based on Mark 4:30-32, emphasizing the phrase, "...when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes...". The devil has to "devour" the word sown into the lives of people or it will "... grow up and become...".

All of the word...not somebodies ideas of what the word says, but the actual word... spoken to you, is alive and well in you, and it is growing up to become the type of word seed that it is. You cannot lose. Receive the word into the soil of your heart, and sow the word into the lives of others.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours!