Ship of Fools: Sundry Biblical Question

Thread: Sundry Biblical Question Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Evangeline (# 7002) on :

I stumbled across a worship song from my youth that includes the lyrics "Behold the days are coming, for the Lord has promised when the ploughman shall overtake the reaper", I believe these lines are found in the book of Amos. I have no idea what it means, is there some obvious agrarian illustration I'm missing.

Anyone?

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :

The idea is, I think, more or less the same as the old American joke about the soil being so fertile on the Great Plains that you could plant a kernel of corn, spit on it, and you'd have to jump back before the cornstalk zoomed up and hit you right in the eye. Don't have time to check the Amos passage just now, but I'm pretty sure it's talking about a succession of farming seasons that puts all the emphasis on fertility and harvest--though that would make more sense if it was the harvester overtaking the ploughman! Have to check...

Posted by Sarah G (# 11669) on :

Here it is:

Amos 9:13.

Lamb Chopped has nailed the meaning- the land will be comically fertile.

I rather like the second sentence of the verse, which talks about wine flowing down the hills.

(Regrets choice of living at the top of a hill.)

Posted by Anglican_Brat (# 12349) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Evangeline:
I stumbled across a worship song from my youth that includes the lyrics "Behold the days are coming, for the Lord has promised when the ploughman shall overtake the reaper", I believe these lines are found in the book of Amos. I have no idea what it means, is there some obvious agrarian illustration I'm missing.

Anyone?

Off the top of my head, Amos' central critique of Israel's economic policy is that revenue and resources were being taken from the small farming communities and given to the urban cities engaged in trade with Israel's neighbours, particularly Phoenicia.

Amos, the ever social justice prophet of the Hebrew Bible, is envisioning that in the new kingdom where God will reign, those who plow and farm, those who the work, will receive the fruits of their labor, and that it will not be expropriated for the benefit of others.

Posted by Evangeline (# 7002) on :

Thank-you everyone.

quote:
Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
The idea is, I think, more or less the same as the old American joke about the soil being so fertile on the Great Plains that you could plant a kernel of corn, spit on it, and you'd have to jump back before the cornstalk zoomed up and hit you right in the eye. Don't have time to check the Amos passage just now, but I'm pretty sure it's talking about a succession of farming seasons that puts all the emphasis on fertility and harvest--though that would make more sense if it was the harvester overtaking the ploughman! Have to check...

Yes re your last sentence that was the source of my confusion, it seems to me that if the ploughman was overtaking the reaper then the reaper wouldn't be reaping much at all-it implies a lack of fertility to me.

Thanks Anglican Brat, when I googled-there was virtually no info-Google was not my friend (!) but one vague reference mentioned that "overtake" isn't a very good translation and it meant "will be with" which probably fits-in that there won't be separation of people, everyone will enjoy the fruits of the ground together.

Posted by BroJames (# 9636) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Evangeline:
<snip>Yes re your last sentence that was the source of my confusion, it seems to me that if the ploughman was overtaking the reaper then the reaper wouldn't be reaping much at all-it implies a lack of fertility to me.

On the contrary. In normal circumstances the reaper might expect to cover the ground fast enough to stay ahead of the plough, but the prophecy envisages the reaper so slowed down by the amount to be gathered that he is overtaken by the plough.

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :

We need a lightbulb smiley. [Overused]

Posted by Evangeline (# 7002) on :

Oh, ok makes sense I saw this poor reaper painstakingly trying to gather some grain while the ploughman has gone onto attempting to plant next year's crop. Distance from agriculture I guess. Thank-you!

Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :

Now I'm worrying about the reaper getting plowed over! [Razz]

Interesting that such a passage should appear in a worship song - was it specifically a song for youth? I grew up in a church that would rather quote the Bible than say anything (I recall a missionary's prayer cards that quoted someone in the Bible saying "Pray for me." That seemed kinda silly to me!) So I get that the song would use Bible verses. It just seems that if the people singing will be far enough removed from agricultural labor to have to think it over so much, a different passage might have been better!

Posted by Evangeline (# 7002) on :

It's an old song, but I rather like it.

So Come Worship song.

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