The Threshing Floor

‘One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing-floor.’ Ruth 3:1-2

Naomi's husband and two sons had died and so she returned from Moab to her home town Bethlehem in Israel as a bitter woman 'call me Mara' = 'call me bitter'. Her loving daughter-in-law Ruth had also lost her husband and could have returned to her natural family but instead had given up her old life to be with - and provide for Naomi.

Ruth's unconditional love had gone a long way in helping to heal Naomi's hurt and the bitterness of losing her husband and both sons. So now Naomi wanted to provide for Ruth and she knew exactly how to do that - and the time was right.

Because the barley and the wheat harvesting was finished and it was time to thresh the grain.... It was time to separate the wheat from the chaff!

After the harvesting was done - the sheaves of grain were taken to the threshing floor. This was usually a large flat rock usually located outside the village - in a place exposed to the wind.

The threshing floor could be owned by the whole village or by one family; and because of the relatively flat surface the threshing floor would also used to hold public gatherings.

The sheaves were untied and the grain was spread out in a circle and then threshed. Or as it was originally called - 'thrashed' - the word meaning ' to tramp or stamp heavily with the feet'. In those days threshing was done by the feet of animals - or by a threshing sledge which was pulled by animals - usually oxen.

The threshing sledge was a platform made of flat boards - sometimes with an upturned front end resembling a toboggan - with stones or metal spikes fixed underneath it. It was either weighted down with more stones - or by children who would stand on it! And if necessary Mum would take turns and stand on it!

The oxen were usually tied to a stake or tree and would be walked round and round dragging the heavy threshing board behind them. This would tear the ears of grain from the stalks, and loosen the grain itself from the husks.

After the threshing process the crushed and broken stalks and the grain were collected. Then in the evening it was the master’s job to do the winnowing with a wooden winnowing fork or winnowing fan. The fork or fan was used to throw the threshed stalks and grain into the air - and allow the cool evening breezes to blow on it.

This meant the chaff was blown away, while the straw, which wasn't so light was blown just a short distance away. Leaving the heavier grain to fall down in a pile at the winnower's feet, into a shallow basket or a woven mat. This was then taken up and stored in the barn. The barn was constructed with a board across the doorway in order to prevent the threshed grain from spilling out of the barn. Thus giving the origin of the term thresh...hold!

The straw was next to be gathered up and stored. It was used as - a) Bedding for the animals and for fodder when needed. b) Making bricks - like in the days of the Pharaohs when the Children of Israel were slaves and had to make bricks to build the pyramids. c) Making baskets and mats - using the longer stemmed 'wheat' stalks.

As for the chaff - if it was not blown completely away - it was burned up - as it was absolutely useless!

DARNEL

Before the harvesting and the threshing took place there was another separating out that had to take place. Jesus spoke about it in the parable of the wheat and the tares (referring to the End of the Ages) when the angels gather in the final harvest of saved mankind. Mt 13:24-30; 36-43.

The word translated 'tares' or weeds in some Bible versions refers to a type of ryegrass, called darnel. Darnel resembles wheat especially in its early stages of growth - except the grains aren't golden they are black - and they are poisonous! Once sown, the darnel would grow up with the wheat, taking out the goodness from the land and choking the wheat alongside it. Those listening to Jesus were a farming community and, whether they understood or not what Jesus was actually saying, they would have known all about tares being sown among the wheat by an enemy. Because it was a tactic that could be used by an antagonistic neighbour. In fact in Roman times they passed a law prohibiting the sowing of darnel among the wheat.

But sowing tares among the wheat was also a tactic of war. A neighbouring enemy kingdom would sow darnel among the wheat in order to destroy the harvest - and conquer the people into submission by starvation.

Therefore before the wheat could be harvested and threshed to separate it out from the chaff the darnel had to be removed. Otherwise the food would be contaminated - and the whole harvest would be lost!

The parable of the wheat and the tares shows us that the tares / the darnel is the sin that the enemy uses to contaminate mankind. Where God sowed wheat when He created Adam & Eve in His Image - the enemy, by deception, sowed poisonous seeds of doubt that were accepted took root and grew up into 'tares of sin'.

From that point on the 'wheat' - of being made in His Image - and the poisonous tares of sin have grown alongside each other within man. There is much 'wheat' to be seen in the innocence of little children. But alongside that we can also see evidence of the 'tares of sin' in them. As the children grow - depending on who cultivates them - and how they are cultivated - the tares continue to grow with the wheat. Sometimes it's sad to say, the tares choke the goodness of the wheat thus making it completely unfruitful.

Removing poisonous tares can be equated with our initial salvation. They are removed through repentance and faith in Him - when we are born again. Only when the poisonous tares are removed can God reap the harvest of His original plan for us.

But we still need to be alert to detect the poisonous seeds of doubt and sin that the enemy wants to sew amongst the fruitful wheat of our ongoing lives. Be alert to the seeds that produce the poison of un- forgiveness, bitterness, un-confessed sin, doubting the character of God, etc. We have to keep alert to the enemy's tactics and keep weeding!

If the poison is not removed it will ruin the crop, making us unfruitful. Making it impossible for us to fulfil God's purpose for our lives - in feeding the hungry!

But through repentance we can receive His mercy and grace - allowing Him to take that sin and even sow a new crop if needed & begin again. His mercies are new every morning! Lamentations 3:23

CHAFF AND WHEAT

Separating the tares from the wheat is a completely different thing than separating the chaff from the wheat. Chaff is often used in scripture as a symbol of that which is worthless. But in its original state, as the hard husk around the fruitful kernel of the wheat, it is a necessary part of the plant. The wheat needs the husk around it in order to survive the various weather conditions it has to endure as it grows. The husk is there to keep the kernel of wheat safe and secure inside.

The husk is needed - BUT ONLY FOR A SEASON!

Once the grain is ready and it's harvested, the husk is no longer needed...... it is no longer relevant! Beyond its designated usefulness, the husk is an obstacle to extracting or releasing the goodness that’s contained in the wheat kernel. Therefore the husk has to be threshed and blown away OR the effort of growing and harvesting - will be wasted! The people will be denied bread, denied the staple food for life.

Threshing releases the fruitfulness that is contained within our lives! The staple food of His life within - the bread of relationship with Him & others.

Life, circumstances, the enemy can all be instrumental in the threshing process of our lives.

Are you feeling threshed by your immediate circumstance? Are you feeling there is an ongoing crushing through what is happening in your life or by people?

If so, then no matter who or what does the threshing, remember - you have the Rock of Christ underneath you! It’s the Master that does the winnowing afterwards! And all is offered up to the wind / the breath of the Holy Spirit - Ruach H' Qadosh. Because only He can separate the wheat from the chaff. Once threshed no man could physically separate the wheat from the chaff. Nor can we spiritually. Only He knows what is irrelevant and what is useful.

The chaff - that which is irrelevant and worthless He blows away. The straw - which is useful and has purpose - will be kept and stored. The grain - that which will feed and benefit many - will fall at His feet!

It will be gathered up and placed in our spiritual storehouse / storeroom ready to bring out at any appropriate time for any appropriate situation. Ready to be brought out and given away to help and feed others.

“Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” Matthew 13:52

'..that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.' 2 Cor 1:4

Jesus obedience to His Father meant He never had to have the darnel / the tares removed. But He was certainly threshed - not just in the physical scourging that took place. He allowed Himself to undergo the pain of misunderstanding, the hurtful words, the rejection, the unjust treatment. And all this at the hands of those He had healed, feed and taught, and much, much more. Jesus understands the Threshing Floor - and it is there that we meet with Him

2 Samuel 24:18-24 & 1 Chronicles 21:18-25

[David had sinned and the consequences were destructive for the people. So David repented and asked that the consequences of his sin to be upon him and his descendants only.]

'... And Gad (the prophet) came that day to David and said to him, "Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite." So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.... Then Ornan (Araunah) said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people."...... "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 50 shekels of silver' It was on that threshing floor, that the Lord appeared to David - and where later, under his father’s instructions - Solomon built the Temple.

2 Chronicles 3:1

'Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite.'

With sin removed and the chaff blown away, the threshing floor becomes the Temple - the place where we gather - the place where the Presence of God is - the place where we honour and worship the Lord.

The place where we can lie at the feet of 'our Boaz'. In surrender, like Ruth, trusting Him to take care of us and arrange the ongoing plan for our lives - as His Bride.

Being threshed is not a prospect we look forward to. But if it happens God knows that - the threshing will not destroy us!

In fact if we understand the principle of the process involved, that threshing floor will become a memorial, a temple, a place of worship. As we remember and thank Him for how He brought us through. How the fruitfulness of our lives has been released in ways we could never have imagined at the time. Because it had been hidden under that 'husk' - that protective exterior.

It's easy to worship when circumstances are great, or even just OK. But it's the worship we give in negative circumstances that is so valuable - so precious to Him.

Jesus is our Rock underneath us, and He is situated in a High Place, which has released the Holy Spirit to come as the Wind & blow upon us.

And as we ‘remain’ on the Rock (abide in Him) on the threshing floor - despite what’s going on - trusting in Him. We'll know the knowledge of His presence, with us there.

Later, as we look back, we'll say, “I never want to go through that again.” But there will be a tinge of wistfulness as we remember the sense of His Presence in it and through it.

There will be many harvests to gather from our lives over the years - we hope. And that means allowing Him to separate the wheat from the chaff. But I believe there is another way that the Holy Spirit uses to separate the wheat from the chaff in order to feed the hungry ...

‘For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’ Hebrews 4:12

The grain must be threshed, or to use another analogy - the gold must be heated to refine it. But how much better to be 'threshed' and 'refined' by the Word of God and allow it to expose the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. Enabling it to release what will become the Bread of Life in us!

So don't neglect reading his word! And make it a priority to go to the place of worship!

Remember - we need both the personal and corporate worship. So don't neglect meeting together for worship. Allow the word of God to come to life in fresh ways through the messages you hear.

Finally don't neglect to lay at His feet in surrender. Allowing Him to arrange the ongoing plans He has for us - as His Ruth - as His bride.