Day 106: Signs of the Harvest 4 (SoS 2:13a)

 The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away! (Song of Songs 2:13)

Today we look at the sixth sign of the harvest:

6. The fig tree puts forth her green figs.

The word translated as put forth also means to mature and ripen. It seems more appropriate when we consider how figs bear fruit.

Fig trees are one of the choice plants of Israel. They take time to cultivate and will not bear fruit until about 2-6 years after planting. Their fruit according to Judges 9:11 is very sweet so it makes them a favorite of the people. 

Figs produce two sets of fruits with their seasons interwoven so it's rare to find a bare fig tree unless it is unhealthy.

The late figs grow on newly formed branches as spring and summer progress and ripen at different times in the summer. The late figs that do not ripen till winter comes are preserved even as the tree sheds its leaves. These fruits can survive cold winter months and take about four months to ripen because they only begin to ripen in spring. These are the ones referred to as early figs. As the fig tree regains its vegetation, these early figs ripen.

So the green figs referred to in our text today are the early figs.

It makes sense now why Jesus cursed the fig tree in Mark 11, though it was not yet the season of figs. The fig tree with luxurious leaves was supposed to be a sign of ripening fruit. It was a warning against hypocrisy. As believers, we are not to put on a show with Christianity but labor to bear fruit for God's pleasure.

The fig tree in the scriptures symbolizes prosperity, security, peace, and health. When it's spoken about it's often used to refer to Israel's health as a nation. We see examples of this in 1 Kings 4:25, Jeremiah 24, Micah 4:4, and many more.

To truly decode what this sixth sign of the harvest is, however, we must look at the most significant symbolism of fig fruit in the Bible. Hosea 9:10 (Message Translation):

 “Long ago when I came upon Israel, it was like finding grapes out in the desert. When I found your ancestors, it was like finding a fig tree bearing fruit for the first time...

Finding Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants, a people dedicated to God through whom God's plans for the earth could be executed was a delight to God's heart. 

In Matthew 24:32 Jesus gave signs of the end times and said these signs are like when the fig tree puts forth leaves as a sign that summer is near. The signs He gave signify that the kingdom of God is near.

Paul in his epistles always emphasized that there is no nationality difference to God. All who accept Jesus by faith are accepted by God. One such scripture is Galatians 3:7:

 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 

In Ephesians 2:11-22, he said God broke down the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. Romans 11:11-24 says gentile believers are wild olive branches grafted into cultivated Israel. It's why the church has been called True/Spiritual Israel. Not because God is done with the physical nation of Israel, but because He chose to extend the invitation into His family to every race.

So, we can conclude that the fig tree represents the universal church of Christ consisting of both Jews and Gentiles. It is said that figs get bigger as they mature and ripen, so the green figs ripening represent men and women maturing in the knowledge of God in His church. 

Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16 says God gave gifts of men (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers) to His body for their equipping and maturity.

We can testify that as time progresses, the universal church of Christ gets more prosperous and fruitful. Never in the church's history has there been as many ministry gifts as now.

The church age and the world as we know it is nearing its end. The church is putting forth mature men despite her imperfections. Her leaves are showing forth. It's prospering and cannot be ignored by the world anymore. But there are still many fruits to be cultivated before the Lord of the Harvest comes.

It is not only the Ministry Gifts who play a role in the church's maturation. Paul said in Ephesians 4:16 that the church of Christ grows and progresses as everyone supplies their share. Every believer has a gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul lists them in 1 Corinthians 12. We have to discover our gifts and cultivate them so that they mature, ripen and produce sweet and not sour fruits. Fruits that edify the body of Christ.

So in summary, the sixth sign of the harvest is the church of Christ maturing. Many believers are discovering their gifts, stewarding them right, and using them to edify the body of Christ. As our efforts add men to the church and disciple them, our lives bear mature fruits. We can't have one without the other.

PRAY WITH ME:

Dear Lord, show me my place in the body of Christ. Reveal to me the gifts You have given to me to edify Your church and teach me to steward them right. Amen.

REFLECT & ACT:

• Read Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12, and Romans 12:3-8. Note the gifts of the spirit and Paul's guidelines for their operation.
• What spiritual gifts do you have? Are you using them to edify the body and bear fruit for the Lord?