Reap the Whirlwind

I knew it wouldn’t last long.  I needed to act quickly so I grasped a handful of dirt and sand, and threw it into the air.  The heavier debris immediately fell to the canyon floor, but the lighter dust particles were captured by the invisible air currents swirling through the passage way of the tight slot canyon.  Propelled by the moving air, the dust floated into the singular shaft of light, and suddenly, the light waves scattered.  The reflecting dust intensified the pillar of light and, in turn, the light magnified the swirling vortex pattern of dust.  A miniature whirlwind appeared right before my eyes.  I quickly captured the image with a button press, and then a smile wiggled across my lips.  “All of nature declares His handiwork,” I mused.  “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also.”  Psalms‬ ‭95:3-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I lingered in the canyon admiring the surrounding beauty and listened to the wind as it flowed through and eddied in and around the eroded and sculptured sandstone.  I inhaled deeply to stimulate all of my senses and to soak up every molecule of the place.  I didn’t want to leave.  I was mesmerized by both the stealthy silence and the cacophony of nature’s architecture.  Yet, the shaft of light had long since marched up the opposing wall and disappeared, not to be seen again until tomorrow.  It’s secretive departure signaled the end of my visit.  With a sigh, I turned and gathered my backpack and supplies.  It was time to head home.

As I zigzagged my way back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I thought a lot about the picture.  I really liked it, but a title eluded me.  It continued to evade me until I thought more about the action of throwing dirt into the air.  I had literally sowed the wind, and then the whirlwind appeared.  Suddenly, it came to me.  With a refresher on the Book of Hosea to reaffirm my fleeting thoughts, I excitedly penned the picture’s title!

In 1940, Nazi Germany unleashed a bombing campaign against Britain called the “Blitz”.  Using the German word for “lightning”, the Nazis believed the Blitz would quickly sever Britain’s strategic arm and thereby cripple Britain’s ability to fight.  Unfortunately, the foolish act of widespread bombing resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 civilians.  The Blitz eventually ushered in the critically important Battle of Britain.  The struggle between the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force for air superiority over Britain was a major turning point during the Second World War.  It was the first real defeat for Germany, and with it came a wave of momentum that pushed the air war to the skies over Germany.  It was then that the Nazis suffered the storm of consequences for sowing the Blitz bombardment.  In retaliation, the Allies implemented area bombing against cities like Dresden that brought about complete devastation.

In a classic and famous speech during the conflict, the Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Arthur “Bomber” Harris, stated, “The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everybody else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw, and half a hundred other places, they put that rather naïve theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now, they are going to reap the whirlwind.”

In that last sentence, “Bomber” Harris was referencing a phrase found in the Book of Hosea of the Old Testament.  In Chapter 8, the prophet Hosea delivers a message to the people of Israel that sounds the alarm of impending judgement.  In Verse 7, he decries, “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.”

That phrase is an enigmatic statement made by a minor prophet that highlights a major idiomatic lesson for us all -- Every action results in consequences.

In Hosea, the phrase is directed at the people of Israel who had, sadly, turned their backs on God in pursuit of idolatry.  Those actions, along with their dependence upon their own knowledge and wealth were likened to planting the wind.  Many times in the Bible, the wind is referenced as foolishness, nothingness, and worthlessness.  So, in effect, the people of Israel were planting worthless and foolish seeds that would eventually produce a storm or whirlwind of consequences.  That whirlwind of consequences came in 722 B.C. when, ironically, the nation of Assyria whom Israel had unwisely formed an ill-advised treaty with for protection, swept through and plundered the land.

Indeed, there are consequences to actions.  Sometimes the consequences are good.  Sometimes they are bad.  It all depends on the seeds that are sown.

I’ve never been a farmer, but there are a couple of principles involved with agriculture that are obvious.  Principle number one is that we reap what we sow.  It’s basically the principle of duplication.  If we plant a thistle, we will not get a rose.  We will get a thistle.  If we want a rose, we better plant a rose.  Principle number two is that whatever we plant usually grows and becomes larger.  It’s the principle of magnification.  Therefore we sow a small seed, and it grows into a large plant or even a tree.  Whatever gets sown has a tendency to return larger and magnified. 

Those two principles at work can produce amazing results or they can bring about heart wrenching consequences.  That is why it is so very important that we give careful attention and thought to our actions and the seeds we sow.  If we foolishly sow the wind with worthless seeds, the principles of duplication and magnification will goto work and amplify our actions into a whirlwind that will consume us and, possibly, even our children and their children.  Many times the whirlwind of consequences is generational (Jeremiah‬ ‭32:18‬).  Just a quick study of King David and the lives of his children will solidify the concept that bad decisions and sin can swirl past us and onto our children.  We may think our seeds and actions are too small to have an affect, but that would be very short sighted.  If we are not careful, we will reap a future whirlwind of disappointment for ourselves and for those around us.

When I threw dirt into the air, I certainly wasn’t thinking about reaping a whirlwind.  I was simply looking to magnify the shaft of light for photography.  The miniature vortex of dust reminded me of a whirlwind and then one thing led to another for this article.  Sometimes, I think that is exactly how some people find themselves amidst a storm of consequences.  They don’t intentionally go out sowing worthless seeds.  They do it for some other reason that seems worthwhile, but then when the whirlwind shows up they realize too late the futility of all their actions.  We have all been there, and that is why I find great comfort in the Book of Hosea.  Definitely, Hosea describes a God that will serve up judgement if needed, but Hosea also describes a God that is merciful, forgiving, loving, and kind.  There is a peace that surpasses understanding that comes from knowing that the storm of consequences can be silenced with humbled repentance.  Just like the personal illustration of Hosea who bought his wife back from harlotry, God forgives and has bought us back from sin with the price Jesus paid on the cross.  All we have to do is believe, repent, and accept Jesus as our personal savior, and then we don’t have to reap the consequences of sin which is, quite literally, the whirlwind from Hell.