Micah 6:15
Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Israel's history illustrates this pattern. During the judges period, when Israel sinned, God allowed enemies to plunder harvests (Judges 6:3-6). Assyrian and Babylonian invasions devastated agricultural infrastructure—vineyards destroyed, orchards burned, populations deported. Amos 5:11 prophesied: "Ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them." Zephaniah 1:13 warned: "Their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof." These weren't random calamities but covenant curses executing Deuteronomy 28. When the Church abandons faithfulness, God withdraws blessing—ministries become barren, efforts fruitless, resources wasted.
Questions for Reflection
- In what areas of your life are you "sowing but not reaping"—investing effort without seeing fruit—possibly due to disobedience or misaligned priorities?
- How does recognizing that fruitfulness requires God's blessing guard against both presumption (assuming success) and despair (when efforts falter)?
- What changes in obedience or priorities might God be calling you to make so that your labor bears lasting fruit for His kingdom?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine. God continues describing covenant curses—futile labor. "Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap" echoes Deuteronomy 28:30-33: "Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her...thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof." Invading armies would harvest what Israel planted. Hosea 8:7 warned: "They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind." Agricultural language illustrates divine judgment: investments produce no returns, efforts bear no fruit.
"Thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil" (זַיִת תִּדְרֹךְ וְלֹא־תָסוּךְ שֶׁמֶן, zayit tidrokh ve-lo-tasukh shemen)—olive pressing was labor-intensive; oil was used for anointing, cooking, lamps. "Sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine" (וְתִירוֹשׁ וְלֹא תִשְׁתֶּה־יָּיִן, ve-tirosh ve-lo tishteh-yayin)—wine production required planting, pruning, harvesting, pressing, fermenting. To labor without enjoying the fruit is covenant curse. Why? Because prosperity requires God's blessing. When He withdraws favor, human effort proves futile. Haggai rebuked post-exilic Jews: "Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough" (Haggai 1:6). The remedy: obedience.
This principle extends beyond agriculture. Paul wrote: "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully" (2 Corinthians 9:6). Yet the converse applies: sowing in disobedience reaps judgment. Galatians 6:7-8 warns: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." Fruitfulness requires divine blessing obtained through obedience.