Not a Corny Story

There are over 100 references to corn in the KJV of the Bible. 25 of them have reference to corn and wine within the same passage. One such reference is Zechariah 9:16,17 16)And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. 17)For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids. 

 Hosea 14:4-9 Verse 7 reads thus: They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. 

Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: Joel 2:19 The entire chapter speaks of repentance and its rewards.

I realize that each of these references are but small parts of the great prophecies given in the Old Testament days. While I could expound on the prophecies themselves, this post is meant to be topical observance of the symbols of the corn and the wine. Their presence in a land was for the most part a sign of prosperity. They were elements most often removed when a nation rebelled against God. In the 3 references I have given, they were physical signs that God had heard the prayers of the penitent.

Deuteronomy 11 See verses 13 &14 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 

These verses not only encouraged the original hearers, but they are an encouragement to us today. It was hard for me to sketch out this post because I found myself entangled in the full message of the prophecies. God's word is so rich, it is difficult to absorb the fullness of a text when time is limited. So I know that as you blog along you may read no more than what is actually printed here. But for an added blessing, follow the links and read the entire contexts.