Noah: Seedtime and Harvest

“While the earth goes on, seed time and the getting in of the grain, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, will not come to an end.”
— Genesis 8:22 (BBE)

This verse reveals the receptive mind as the ever-fertile earth, continuously productive and fertile. The “seed time” symbolises the inner act of assuming a new state, while “the getting in of the grain” represents its inevitable outer manifestation. The cycles of cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, portray the fluctuations of external conditions.

Neville Goddard teaches that despite these changes, the creative law remains steadfast: what is assumed in feeling will surely be reaped in form. This is the eternal rhythm of creation, echoing the wisdom of Ecclesiastes:

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (KJV)

The cycle of assumption and manifestation is as constant and unending as the seasons.

The New Self-Concept and Its Dominion

“And God gave his blessing to Noah and his sons, and said, Be fertile, and have increase, and make the earth full.
And the fear of you will be strong in every beast of the earth and every bird of the air; everything which goes on the land, and all the fishes of the sea, are given into your hands.”
— Genesis 9:1–2 (BBE)

Following the cleansing flood—a symbolic purification of old assumptions—this blessing confirms a renewed self-concept. “Be fertile, and have increase” speaks to the proliferating power of a sustained assumption. When you embody a renewed “I AM,” its effects multiply across all facets of your experience.

The “fear of you” in beasts and birds reflects mastery over subconscious impulses. These forces, once wild and untamed, now bow to the authority of your imagined reality rather than overpowering you.

Wholesome Nourishment and Sacred Limits

“You may now eat anything that lives and moves. Before, I gave you the green plants to eat. Now I give you everything to eat as your food.
But flesh with the life-blood in it you may not take for food.”
— Genesis 9:3–4 (BBE)

The “green herb” symbolises pure, life-sustaining assumptions—simple, wholesome ideas that nourish new realities without confusion or conflict.

The permission to “eat anything that lives and moves” reflects the creative power to incorporate all inner thoughts and feelings into your assumed state. Yet, the prohibition against consuming “flesh with the life-blood” warns against becoming entangled with external circumstances as if they were the ultimate reality.

Here, the “life-blood” symbolises the vital essence of imagination and consciousness—the core of your “I AM.” It cautions not to let your imagination be bound by the appearances of the outside world or to confuse fleeting conditions with your true creative power.

Maintaining the purity of this “life-blood” means holding steadfast to your inner assumption regardless of outer fluctuations. Do not surrender your creative power by investing belief in the seeming facts of the external world. Instead, honour the divine self-awareness animating all manifestation and preserve your imaginative vision as the ultimate source of your reality.

The Law of Mental Reciprocity

“And for your blood, which is your life, will I take payment; from every beast I will take it, and from every man will I take payment for the blood of his brother-man.”
— Genesis 9:5 (BBE)

Every inner assumption carries its own accounting. “Taking payment” indicates that negative or harmful beliefs yield an equal harvest against yourself.

“Brother-man” here symbolizes facets of your own mind—closely related aspects of your consciousness. When you deny or harm these internal parts through guilt, envy, or resentment, your subconscious mirrors this violation back to you.

Honouring the Divine Self-Concept

“Whoever takes a man’s life, by man will his life be taken; because God made man in his image.”
— Genesis 9:6 (BBE)

“Man” represents your awareness of being, the living “I AM” within you. To “take a man’s life” is to attack that sacred inner awareness through self-doubt, self-criticism, or projecting negativity.

The creative law is clear: what you assume with feeling returns to you. Honouring the “image of God” means protecting and uplifting the divine self-concept in every aspect of your mind.

The Final Charge to Abundance

“And now, be fertile and have increase; have offspring on the earth and become great in number.”
— Genesis 9:7 (BBE)

The passage concludes with a reaffirmed blessing of abundance. “Be fertile and have increase” confirms that the richer and more sustained your inner assumption, the more plentiful your outer harvest.

The cycle of seedtime (assumption) and harvest (manifestation) is irrevocable. Guard your imagination, cherish your “I AM,” and witness your world transform in harmony with your chosen identity.