Breaking Up the Fallow Ground

The Hardened Heart

Hosea says, “break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord”. A farmer finds that below the topsoil, the ground gets compacted. This is called the plowpan. It creates a barrier for water, air and plant roots. As a result of not being plowed, heavy rains flood and puddle. Breaking up the plowpan allows the roots to grow deep and the water to insure the soil is kept moist. The plowpan seals off the flow of water. The plowpan causes stress on the roots, not allowing them to stretch, confining them to a smaller space. This stress is harmful to both growth and fruitfulness. The stress on the roots increases the vulnerability to disease.

This happens to the Christian who has a hardened heart. The water of the Word just runs off and doesn’t penetrate. The Word that we do meditate on does not take root. We have little or no growth or fruit. We are then vulnerable to the philosophies (disease) of the world. Matt. 13:5

The only way to break up the plowpan is through deep tillage. Hosea says that it is “incumbent upon US to break up our fallow ground”. This is done through accountability and “deep confession”, getting a clear conscience and then a pure heart (a pure heart in Greek is a continual purging).