Philosophy View of Sheaves, Grapes and Olives
Sheaves is a bundle of grain stalks laid lengthways and tied together after reaping.
Grapes are berries (typically green, purple, or black) growing in clusters on a grapevine, eaten as fruit and used in making wine.
Olives are small oval fruit with a hard stone and bitter flesh, green when unripe and bluish black when ripe, used as food and as a source of oil.
Biblical Views on Sheaves, Grapes and Olives
We brothers were binding sheaves of grain stalks in the field, and lo, my sheaf suddenly got up and stood upright and remained standing; and behold, your sheaves stood all around my sheaf and bowed down in respect.” Genesis 37:7AM
And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. Numbers 13:20 KJV
Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continual Leviticus 24:2 KJV
Sometimes we as Christians find it hard to get involved in social issues, for example, charity work or church gathering to feed the poor; either we are too busy to get involved or it’s easier to leave it to those who feel “called” to work with them, or even leave the government agencies to handle them. The bible says God cares passionately for the poor, the destitute, and refugee. According to Deuteronomy 24, it tells us that various classes of needy persons are the subjects of charitable legislation. God’s laws are essentially practical.
The widow’s government for example, was a blanketlike piece of clothing used as a cloak by day and covering by night. For the homeless it was the only protection from the cold and night insects. If the widow owed a debt, the person to whom she owed could not take her garment for a pledge, for then we should be without a warm covering. God’s people ought not to take advantage of one another and cause undue harm. Therefore, even as creditors cared in that way for debtors, we should let the same mind be in us as in Christ Jesus, but in modern societies we can be so proud and not want to be seen serving.
God considers such caregiving as if we were doing it for him personally. The Lord gave the Israelites many other practical ways to help care for the underprivileged among them. When the Israelites harvest the fields, the farmers were to conveniently overlook a few sheaves of grain on the boughs and leave the corners of the fields to be gleaned by the poor and the foreigners. They were to leave some olives and grapes on the vines for those who needed them
God wanted His people to be aware of those among them who would enter the Promised Land with them, but would have no inheritance of their own. He looked for a spirit of compassion and love in those who had, and for those who had not, which would give the poor self-respect. He did not legislate handouts but advocated a way of providing work for the disadvantaged whereby they could make a living and support themselves and their families.
The Lord wants us to have the same attitude toward the poor today. We should remember that all that we have is a gift from a gracious God and we are only stewards of it. One day he will hold us accountable for our grain, grapes an olives. The Christian community should be a place where the poor of this world finds plenty to glean.
Comments