The Ploughman

The Lord ploughs the human heart with patience and power. Unless His grace tills us, no holiness grows. Persevere, yield, and let God’s plough prepare your soul for eternal fruit.

“Does the ploughman plough all day to sow?” — Isaiah 28:24 (ESV) Unless fields are cultivated, they yield nothing but briers and thistles. In this we see ourselves.

Unless the great Husbandman tills us by His grace, we will produce nothing good, but only what is evil. If one day I hear that a country has been found where wheat grows without the work of the farmer, perhaps then I may hope to find someone who will bring forth holiness without the grace of God. So far, every land where the foot of man has trodden has required labour and care; and in men the need for gracious tillage is universal.

Jesus says to all of us, “You must be born again.” Unless God the Holy Spirit breaks up the heart with the plough of the law and sows it with the seed of the gospel, not a single ear of holiness will be produced by any of us, even if we are children of godly parents or regarded as morally excellent by those around us.

Yes, the plough is needed not only to produce what is good, but to destroy what is evil. There are diseases that, over the course of ages, wear themselves out and do not reappear; and there may be forms of vice which under changed circumstances do not abound as they once did. But human nature remains the same, and therefore there will always be plentiful crops of the weeds of sin in humanity’s field. Only spiritual husbandry carried out by the Spirit of God can keep these weeds down.

You cannot destroy weeds by exhortations, nor can you tear out the roots of sin from the soul by moral persuasion. Something sharper and more effective must be brought to bear on them. God must put His own right hand to the plough, or the hemlock of sin will never give way to the wheat of holiness. Good never arises spontaneously in unrenewed humanity, and evil is never cut out until the ploughshare of almighty grace is driven through it.

The text guides our thoughts in this direction and helps us practically by asking a simple question: “Does the ploughman plough all day to sow?” This question may be answered in two ways. First, in the affirmative: “Yes, in the proper season he does plough all day to sow.” Secondly, in the negative: “No, the ploughman does not plough every day to sow; he has other work to do according to the season.”

I. The Affirmative Answer: “Yes, the ploughman does plough all day to sow.” When it is ploughing time, he continues until his work is finished. If it takes one day or twenty, he perseveres while the weather allows. The ploughman’s perseverance is instructive, teaching us two lessons.

First, when the Lord comes to plough the human heart, He ploughs all day — and here we see His patience. Secondly, so ought the Lord’s servants to labour with people’s hearts, showing perseverance in their work.

“Does the ploughman plough all day?” So God ploughs the heart of man, and here lies His patience. For some of us, the team was in the field very early in the morning of life; our first recollections involve conscience and the furrows of pain it made in our youthful minds. As little children, we walk in the night conscious of sin. Our parents’ teaching and prayers made deep and painful impressions, and though we did not then yield our hearts to God, we were greatly stirred, and indifference to religion became impossible.

At school, reading a chapter of God’s Word, the death of a playmate, an address at a Bible class, or a solemn sermon often affected us deeply, leaving us uneasy for weeks. The Spirit of God within urged us to think of higher and better things. Though we quenched the Spirit and stifled conviction, we still bore the marks of the ploughshare. Furrows were made in our souls, and certain foul weeds of evil were cut up by the roots, although no seed of grace had yet been sown in our hearts. Some have remained in this state for many years — ploughed but not sown. Blessed be God, it was not so with others of us, for we had not left boyhood before the good seed of the gospel fell on our hearts.

Alas, many do not yield to grace, and with them the ploughman ploughs all day to sow. I have seen young men come to London in their youth, yielding to its temptations, drinking in its poisoned pleasures, violating conscience, yet unhappy all the while. Fearful and restless, they were stirred within, like soil turned up by the plough. In many cases this work goes on for years without result.

I have known men reach middle age without receiving the good seed, their hard hearts never thoroughly broken up. They go on in business without God; day after day they rise and sleep with no more religion than their horses. All the while warnings of judgment and the chidings of conscience ring in their ears, so they lack peace.

After a powerful sermon they cannot enjoy meals or sleep, asking themselves, “What shall I do in the end of this?” The ploughman has ploughed all day, until evening shadows fall and the day comes to a close. What a mercy it is when the furrows are finally ready and the good seed is cast in to be received, nurtured and multiplied a hundredfold. It is sad to remember how often this ploughing continues until the sun touches the horizon and night dews begin to fall. Even then, the long-suffering God continues His work — ploughing and ploughing until darkness ends all.

Do I address any aged ones whose time is short? Consider your position. What! Sixty years old and yet unsaved? Forty years God bore with Israel in the wilderness; He has borne with you for sixty years. Seventy years old and still unregenerate! How little time remains to serve your Saviour before you go to heaven. But will you go there at all? Is it not terribly likely that you may die in your sins and perish forever?

How happy are those brought to Christ in early life; yet remember: “While the lamp holds out to burn, The vilest sinner may return.”

It may be late, very late, but it is not too late. The ploughman ploughs all day; and the Lord waits to be gracious to you. I have seen many aged people converted, and therefore I encourage other older souls to believe in Jesus.

I once read a sermon in which a minister claimed he had seldom known anyone converted over the age of forty who had been a Gospel hearer all their lives. We must caution against delay, but we must not invent facts.

Whatever that minister thought, my observation leads me to believe that, accounting for the greater number of young people, about as many are converted to God at one age as at another. It is dreadful to remain an unbeliever for so many years; yet God’s grace does not stop at a certain age. Those who enter the vineyard at the eleventh hour shall receive their pay, and grace shall be glorified in both the old and the young.

Come along, old friend — Jesus Christ invites you to come to Him even now, though you have resisted so long. You have been a tough piece of ground, and the ploughman has ploughed all day.

But if at last the sods are turned and your heart lies in ridges, there is still hope for you.

“Does the ploughman plough all day?” I answer — Yes. However long the day may be, God in mercy still ploughs; He is patient, tender, full of mercy and grace. Do not reject such patience, but yield to the Lord who has shown you gentle love.

Perseverance in Seeking God The text not only shows God’s patience but also teaches perseverance on our part. “Does the ploughman plough all day?” Yes, he does. Then if I am seeking Christ, should I be discouraged because I do not find Him immediately? The promise is: “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:8, ESV).

There may be reasons the door does not open at the first knock. What then? “Does the ploughman plough all day?” Then I will knock all day. I may not find at first; what then? “Does the ploughman plough all day?” Then I will seek all day. I may not receive at first; what then? “Does the ploughman plough all day?” Then I will ask all day.

Friends, if you have begun to seek the Lord, the short way is: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31, ESV). Do it at once. In the name of God, do it at once, and you are saved at once. May the Spirit of God bring you to faith in Jesus, and you enter the kingdom of Christ immediately. But if, in seeking the Lord, you are unsure of this or do not see your way, never give up seeking. Go to the foot of the cross, hold on to it and cry, “If I perish, I perish here.

Lord, I come to You in Jesus Christ for mercy; and if You are not pleased to look on me immediately and forgive my sins, I will cry to You until You do.”

When God’s Holy Spirit brings a person to earnest prayer that will not be denied, they are not far from peace. Careless indifference and half-hearted devotion hold people in bondage. They find peace when their hearts are roused to strong resolve; to seek until they find. I like to see people study the Scriptures until they learn the way of salvation, and hear the gospel until their souls live by it. If they are determined to drive the plough through doubts, fears and difficulties until they reach salvation, by God’s grace they will soon find it.

The same is true in seeking the salvation of others. “Does the ploughman plough all day?” Yes, when it is ploughing-time. Then I will work on and on — pray and preach, or pray and teach — however long the day God appoints me, for — “’Tis all my business here below The precious Gospel seed to sow.”

Brother worker, are you becoming a little weary? Never mind. Stir yourself and keep ploughing on for the love of Jesus and for dying people. Our workday has only its appointed hours, and while they last, let us fulfill our task. Ploughing is hard work, but there will be no harvest without it. So let us put forth all our strength and not grow tired until we have done our Lord’s will and, by His Holy Spirit, brought conviction to people’s hearts.

Some soils are very hard and cling together, making the labor discouraging. Others are like uncultivated wasteland, full of roots and tangled brambles. They need a steam plough, and we must pray that the Lord makes us equal to such work, for we cannot leave them untilled. Therefore, we must exert even greater effort so that the task may be completed.

I once heard of a minister who tried to visit a dying man but was refused entry. He returned the next morning, and another excuse prevented him from seeing the man. He came again and was still refused. He continued until he had called twenty times without success. But on the twenty- first visit, he was finally admitted, and by God’s grace, a soul was saved from death.

“Why do you tell your child something twenty times?” someone once asked a mother. “Because,” she replied, “nineteen times is not enough.” When a soul needs to be ploughed, even hundreds of furrows may not be enough. What then? Keep ploughing all day until the work is done. Whether you are ministers, missionaries, teachers, or personal soul-winners, do not grow weary.

Your work is noble, and its reward is eternal. The grace of God is seen in allowing us to engage in such holy service. It is magnified in sustaining us in it, and it will be most clearly displayed when He enables us to persevere until we can say, as Jesus did, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4, ESV).

We value what costs us labor and service, and we will treasure even more those who are saved through our efforts. It is good for us to learn the value of our harvest by going out weeping at the time of sowing. When you think of the ploughman working all day, let it move you to steady, earnest effort in winning souls. Seek— “With cries, entreaties, tears to save And snatch them from the fiery wave.”

Does the ploughman plough all day for a little oats or barley? And will you not plough all day for souls who will live forever—either to adore the grace of God if saved, or to remain in outer darkness if not? By the reality of coming judgment and the glory yet to be revealed, strengthen yourselves and keep ploughing all day.

I urge every member of our churches to keep their hands on the gospel plough and their eyes straight ahead. Does the ploughman plough all day? Then let Christians do the same. Start close to the hedge and go all the way to the end of the field. Plough as near to the ditch as possible, leaving as little untouched ground as you can. Even if there are fallen women, thieves, and drunkards in the surrounding slums, do not neglect them. If you leave any stretch of land to weeds, they will soon spread into the wheat.

When you have gone from one end of the field to the other, what next? Turn around and go back to where you began. And after that? Go up and down again. And again. You have visited that district with tracts—do it again, fifty-two times a year. Multiply your furrows. We must learn to continue in doing good. Your eternal calling is to go on doing good forever, and it is wise to rehearse that calling now. So keep ploughing and expect results as the reward of faithful perseverance.

Ploughing is not done with sudden bursts of energy. It requires steady, consistent effort. Flash and excitement may be suitable elsewhere, but not in ploughing.

The work must be regular and persistent. Some give up quickly—it wears out their gloves, blisters their soft hands, tires their bodies, and makes them earn their bread with more sweat than they prefer. But those whom the Lord fills with His grace will continue year after year, and truly, they will receive their reward. Does the ploughman plough all day? Then let us do the same, confident that one day every hill and valley will be tilled and sown, every desert and wilderness will yield a harvest for our Lord, the angel reapers will descend, and the shouts of harvest joy will fill both earth and heaven.

But now, briefly, the question may also be answered differently: Does the ploughman plough all day in order to sow? No. He does not plough forever. After ploughing, he breaks up the clods, sows, reaps, and threshes. As the chapter shows, there are many other tasks in farming. The ploughman has more to do than plough. There is progress in his work. This teaches us that there is progress in God’s work—and there should be progress in ours.

First, consider God’s work. Does the ploughman plough all day? No. He moves on to other tasks.

It may be that the Lord has been using painful means to plough your heart. You feel the terrors of the law, the bitterness of sin, the holiness of God, the weakness of the flesh, and the shadow of coming judgment. Will this continue forever? Will it last until your spirit fails?

Listen: Does the ploughman plough all day? No. He ploughs in preparation for sowing. So the Lord deals with you. Be encouraged—there is an end to the wounding and the humbling, and better things lie ahead.

You may feel poor and needy, seeking water and finding none, your tongue parched with thirst.

Yet the Lord says, “The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst; I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them” (Isaiah 41:17, ESV). He will not contend forever, nor will He always be angry (see Psalm 103:9, ESV). He will turn again and have compassion. He will not always make furrows by rebuke. He will sow the precious seed of comfort, water it with the dew of heaven, and shine upon it with the sunlight of His grace. Then there will be growth—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear (Mark 4:28, ESV). In due season, you will rejoice as at harvest.

You who feel deeply wounded, does God always send terror and conviction? Hear this: “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19, ESV).

And what is God’s call? “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31, ESV).

You will be saved now. You can find peace now, if you stop relying on yourself and your own works and turn instead to the One who paid your ransom on the cross.

The Lord is gentle and compassionate. “He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever” (Psalm 103:9, ESV). Many of your fears arise from unbelief, from Satan, or from your own weakness—not from God. Do not blame Him for what He has not sent. His purpose is your peace, not your distress. He says, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1, ESV). And again, “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22, ESV).

He has struck, but He will heal. He has wounded, but He will bind up. He has brought low, but He will raise up. Therefore, turn to Him and receive comfort. The ploughman does not plough forever, or he would never reap a harvest. God is not always breaking hearts; He also comes to heal them.

There is progress in God’s work. He moves from painful preparation to fruitful growth. The furrows will not always remain visible—the corn will cover them with beauty. As a woman forgets her anguish for joy that a child is born, so you who are under conviction will forget your sorrow when grace bears fruit in your soul. You will also advance to joy. The ploughman may not own much, yet he whistles as he works because he looks forward to harvest. He ploughs in hope. And dear soul, God will rejoice over you when you believe in Jesus Christ, and you too will be filled with joy. Be encouraged—the better portion is ahead. Gospel sorrow leads to gospel hope, faith, and rejoicing, and that rejoicing has no end.

God will not discipline all day. He will lead you from strength to strength, from glory to glory, until you are made like Him. This is the progress in God’s work among people: from painful preparation, to fruitful grace, to joyful experience. But what if the ploughing never leads to sowing? What if your conscience is stirred, yet you continue resisting? Then God will move forward—but in judgment. He may set aside the plough and command the clouds to withhold their rain. The land will be left barren, and its end will be to be burned. There is nothing more terrifying than for a soul to be abandoned—to be left uncultivated by God Himself. Surely that is hell. “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy” (Revelation 22:11). Character becomes fixed forever. The merciful hand will no longer till the soil of the heart. What could be worse than that?

This progression is also a lesson for us, because we too must move forward. Does the ploughman plough all day? No. He ploughs in order to sow, and in due time he sows. Some churches seem to think their whole duty is ploughing—or at least talking about ploughing. There is much discussion, much planning, much outlining of grand programs. It sounds impressive. But does the ploughman plough all day?

You may create large plans and promise great results—but do not stop there. Do not spend all your time making furrows. Move on to sowing. Those who promise the most often accomplish the least.

People who truly accomplish much often begin without elaborate plans. By God’s grace, their work grows out of inward conviction and action. They do not merely propose—they perform. They are like the servant in the parable: “A sower went out to sow” (Matthew 13:3, ESV).

Ministers of Christ must also follow this pattern of progress. We must move from preaching the law to preaching the gospel. The ploughman does plough—he would not sow without preparing the soil first. Robbie Flockhart, who preached for years in the streets of Edinburgh, said, “It is in vain to sew with the silk thread of the gospel unless you use the sharp needle of the law.” Some shrink from preaching about eternal judgment and its terrors. But that is a false kindness. To hide danger is to ruin souls.

You cannot sew without a needle, and you cannot reap without disturbing the soil. You cannot save souls if you never warn them of hell. We must declare what God has revealed about sin, righteousness, and judgment to come. Yet we must not plough forever. The law prepares; the gospel saves. The heart of our ministry is the proclamation of good news. We are followers of Jesus Christ, not merely prophets of warning. We are heralds of grace.

Do not be content only with revival meetings and emotional appeals. Teach the doctrines of grace fully and faithfully. After ploughing comes planting and watering. After reproof comes consolation. First make disciples, then teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded (see Matthew 28:19–20, ESV). Move from foundations to building upward, from basic truths to deeper instruction.

Now let me speak to those who are only hearers. You must move forward as well—from hearing and fearing to believing. Some of you have heard the gospel for years. Will you remain in that state forever? You have been stirred deeply. Recently you nearly left broken-hearted.

Surely your heart has been ploughed enough. Yet you have not received the seed of eternal life because you have not believed in the Lord Jesus.

It is dreadful to stand on the brink of eternal life and never enter it. To be almost in heaven and yet shut out forever—that is terrifying. It is like arriving at a train station just as the train pulls away.

To miss it by a second is deeply frustrating. If you continue as you have for years, you may have your hand on the latch of heaven and still be shut out. Within a hair’s breadth of glory—yet covered in eternal shame. Beware of being near the kingdom and yet lost. Almost saved, but not saved.

May God forbid that you be among those who are ploughed again and again but never sown.

It will not help at the last day to say, “We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets” (Luke 13:26, ESV). You may say, “We attended church, joined prayer meetings, participated in Bible classes, distributed tracts, gave generously, gave up open sins, prayed daily, read Scripture faithfully.” All these things may be true; yet without saving faith in Christ. Take care lest the Lord reply, “I tell you, I do not know you. Depart from me” (Luke 13:27, ESV). If Christ truly knows a person, He always knows them. He will never say that to one who has come to Him in humble dependence. Some of you have done many good things—but you have never truly trusted Christ, never rested in Him, never known Him personally. How tragic your condition.

Will it always remain so?

Finally, to those who are being ploughed and feel deeply troubled about your souls: move at once to believing. If people only understood how simple faith is, surely they would believe. Yet its very simplicity makes it seem difficult. The difficulty of believing lies in the fact that there is no difficulty in it. “If the prophet had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?” (2 Kings 5:13, ESV). Yes, you would have done it gladly. But when the command is simple “Wash, and be clean”—pride resists. If you are willing to lay aside pride and do whatever the Lord commands, then there is nothing more to prepare. Believe in Jesus now.

May the Holy Spirit make you weary of self and ready to accept the gospel. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Romans 10:8, ESV). Let it be believed. With your heart believe in Jesus, and with your mouth confess Him, and you will be saved (see Romans 10:9, ESV).

A vital part of faith is giving up all other confidences. Abandon every false hope. I once tried to explain faith by quoting Isaac Watts: “A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, On Your kind arms I fall; Be my strength and righteousness, My Jesus and my all.” I described faith as falling into Christ’s arms. Afterward, a young man said to me, “Sir, I cannot fall into Christ’s arms.” I answered, “Then tumble into them. Collapse into them. Faint into them.

Even die into them—only get there.”

Many people talk endlessly about what they can or cannot do, and they miss the central point. Faith means stopping all talk of what you can do and leaving everything to Christ. He can do all things.

You can do nothing.

Does the ploughman plough all day in order to sow? No. He moves forward from ploughing to sowing. Go and do likewise. Sow to the Spirit the precious seed of faith in Christ, and the Lord will give you a joyful harvest.