A Revelation of Barley

I thought that I was going to epically have one blog post about the "Bride of Christ" on my blog, but I guess God has been pressing on my heart to write about barley. The biblical significance of barley is not something we read into. Let's be honest...it's a kinda random! The Lord has been consistently showing me images of fields of barley being harvested beginning from last year. At one point, I saw "golden barley". I am not sure how I am certain that it is barley and not wheat (because they look almost identical), but I knew that it was barley. Barley, barley, barley, I absolutely did not have a clue what this meant. It got to the point where I grew in frustration, I started to ask people around me what the biblical significance of barley is, but they had no clue. I turned to the Word, and there I read about Ruth and barley and the story about Jesus multiplying the 5 barley loaves and fish to feed a multitude of people. However, I was still clueless, until I finally did some research. I came across an awesome site delivering a thorough explanation of barley. I'll be reiterating and quoting some of the things that stuck out to me.

Simple Truths about Barley

• Barley is sown in November and harvested in April
• It is the first grain to ripen by Spring
• Fields of barley give hope and shows God's faithfulness in each new year's crops
• It shows a new sign of life in the Spring
• Barley was cheap, and easily accessible to everyone
• It resists disease, and is not eaten by worms, bugs, mold and fungi.

God's Special "Barley People"

The writer talks about how there are "three types of disciples".

 "This brought forth another idea: it is easy to see for

ourselves that among professing Christians there are several
distinct levels of commitment to discipleship. As one pastor
said, there are curious disciples, convicted disciples, and
committed disciples. I can see how these types can be compared to
various grains. For example. let's take rye first and compare it
to being a curious disciple. This type of 'inferior wheat,' as it
is often called, is not the find that is in great demand. It is
easily threshed, but it comes to harvest later than the other
grains, for it requires all of the 'latter rains' in order to
mature.
     Then there is wheat - the grain that is called the staff of
life. It is always threshed and ground before it can be best
used. It can take being whipped, flailed, and tossed about
without damage. It is even ground by being bruised, crushed and
reduced to powder. The wheat people make up the greater portion
of the consumed grain. They represent the convicted disciples who
are the real backbone of Christianity.
     Now comes the best for last. God has a small group of barley
people, I believe, who truly are the committed ones. Exodus 21:5
describes these bondslaves as those who love their master so much
that they want to become a volunteer permanent slave. They are
the ones who only require winnowing - being fanned, as opposed to
beaten, by a current of air to separate the chaff from the grain.
These barley people just need to be exposed to the wind of the
Holy Spirit to have the waste material fall off and be blown
away. No heavy bruising, repeated striking or grinding as in the
case of the other grains.
     The barley people have always shown superior character
qualities. They too thrive in cold climates, unfriendly
circumstances, without lots of rain, and they resist the
conditions of disease and filth in their environment. They want
to be pure, holy, righteous - yes, even perfect as is their
heavenly Father......"

Barley as Firstfruits

People considered barley as the firstfruit, as it is the first grain to ripen. During The Feast of the Passover, people offered barley as a sacrifice, because it passed as a sacrifice that is "without spot or stain". Quite literally, barley is perfectly designed to last, and not perish under harsh climates, and will not be eaten by worm or bug. It is designed to have a "near-perfect balance among nutrients". 

Remember, I reiterated the things that stuck out to me..I can't give this article any justice. I encourage you to read the whole article online. Lord, let us flow with the winds of your Spirit. Father, send us out! Let us be the Barley Generation. Amen.

Red Poppies growing in a barley field

Source: http://www.keithhunt.com/bhp.html

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