God often allows experiences to come our way so that we may learn sacred truths and be better able to understand why certain principles of His kingdom are given to us. And it is only as we thus learn those lessons well that we are able to glorify God on such and such points. This is the reason why Solomon wrote that reproofs of instruction are the way of life, meaning that we are to be constantly learning the ways and will of God, throughout our lifetime.
This is with the intention, and purpose of us not repeating the same mistakes, but instead living with an intelligent understanding of God’s revealed will, for it is thus that His name is glorified in our lives. At such times, and experiences where we pass through a learning curve, it is His will that we learn the first time around, because repeat offenders will discover that additional lessons on the same point become more difficult to bear with every passing round.
Hence the reason why the easiest and best way to learn is not by experience, but from the rise and fall of those who have gone before, so that we may not have to pass through bitter experiences ourselves in order to learn the hard way. In learning lessons on managing credit, it isn’t best to run up cards in the red; instead, we can learn of the good and the evils by studying closely the experiences of those who have gone before, while applying right principles in our own experiences.
It was not necessary for Adam and Eve to learn to obey by first disobeying, for it was never the will of God that they should have never experienced evil first hand. Therefore, the instructions, principles, and laws written in the scriptures, together with the experiences of God’s people in times past, are the beacons of light, shed abroad on our pathway, so that we who are living in the last days may make straight paths for our feet, the first time around. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep thy father's commandment.
21 Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck.
22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.
This leads us to study one such lesson which took place not too long ago, and which is to be repeated in a much more severe manner, sometime in the future. Great, and important biblical principles were taught us during the great crash of 2008, and those of us who lived through that terrible crisis were to learn our lessons well. But before we dig further in our search, we must first study the lessons given to God’s people in times past.
A terrible dream is given to pharaoh, it is doubled twice to him as a confirmation, and he awakes from slumber sweating bricks, having no clue as to what such a dream might mean, nor the interpretation of what he had seen. Finally, in his search for answers, Joseph is brought before him to give him the good, and the bad news.
The bad news is that a terrible famine, with all of the adverse consequences will be coming soon. The good news is that proper preparation can be made to avert the coming crisis if pharaoh believes God, and takes the necessary proactive steps to avert the catastrophic event. Let’s read:
Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favored kine and fat-fleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4 And the ill-favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
Genesis 41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
The dream which God gave to pharaoh was not an entirely unique occurrence, for throughout history there have been times of plenty when some nations basked in the sunshine of much surplus, followed by a period of steep decline where the excess was then wiped out, essentially putting millions on the bread line. This is because of the fact that what goes up must come down, and the higher the climb, the lower will be the fall.
Even in the history of the Hebrew people, whom are described as God’s chosen, there were times when the very same phenomena occurred, with famine, drought and dearth taking a deadly toll on man and beast. Thus, the records show that even a Christian nation is not immune to catastrophic failures, and this is most often a result of the violation of spiritual and natural laws, in places high and low, since the laws of sowing, and reaping are quite often allowed to run their natural course.
During those times of plenty, people splurged, and indulged in buying and selling, with little regard to the cyclical highs and lows, and therefore, when the times of famine came most were caught off-guard. From the days of Joseph and pharaoh, to the times of Nehemiah, from the days of Elijah, to the days of Claudius Caesar, peoples and nations have suffered the catastrophic cyclical effects of much surplus and then famine. So, let’s certify these deductions from the Bible before we move on. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
1st kings 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
Nehemiah 5:1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore, we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
2nd Kings 4:38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.
39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
Jeremiah 14:1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
2 Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.
3 And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded and covered their heads.
4 Because the ground is parched, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.
5 Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
6 And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.
7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.
Acts 11:27 And in those days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
Therefore, because as we have stated several times before, that God is very practical and down to earth in His instructions, He guided Joseph to do the wise and sensible thing in the land of Egypt, by making provision for the rainy day, thus teaching all those who would follow after, that good stewardship isn’t merely optional, it’s a must.
Joseph did what was right, because he feared The Lord, meaning that he reverenced the prophecy and then took the necessary steps to avoid the coming catastrophe, and the rest is history. The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and will translate into practical, sensible actions on the part of those who receive and believe His word. Let’s read:
Genesis 41:33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
But apparently, many of the Egyptian people did not take the word of God seriously. They must have seen all those new warehouses being built across the land, and they must have observed that corn, and food was being stored at alarming rates, thus, if they did not have the facility to store food for many years, they could at least have saved, to be able to purchase groceries when the well ran dry. But sadly, this was not the case. Let’s read:
Genesis 41:53 And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
Genesis 47:13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
The fear of the Lord has to do with our regard for His word, and ultimately, leads us to take concrete steps and actions, commensurate with revelations given, especially when God warns us of things to come. This is what He did just before the blistering plague of fire and hail was let loose. There were those who believed, and those who mocked, as it will always be when God sends warning. Let’s read:
Exodus 9:18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
20 He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses.
21 And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
Even here in America, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, it has been seen that we too are not immune from those cyclical phenomena of ups and downs, highs and lows. In 2006>2007 when cracks in our economy were beginning to appear, it was the premonition of several analysts that a turn for the worse was on the horizon, but many chose to indulge in what Fed-chairman Allan Greenspan described as irrational exuberance.
Buying and selling continued frantically, with little or no regards to the warning signs, and many folks across the land continued to bury their heads in the sand, as if all things must continue as they were in times of plenty. Then came 2008, when the market sputtered and crashed with a big bang, and many in almost every state began losing their houses, jobs, and lives in several instances. Let’s read:
“About 8 million people lost their jobs in 2008, and 4 million homes were foreclosed on every year for about six years, bringing the total to about twenty-four million homes repossessed. And the crash also took a human toll, because more than ten thousand people committed suicide, since they saw no way of getting out of their predicament. And even as we’re speaking today, many folks are still recovering from the adverse effects of those dark days”.
We came too dangerously close to the brink of an international meltdown from which we may have never recovered, but for the mercies of God. Here we are once again, reveling in irrational exuberance and hoping against hope that what goes up will stay up. Financial delusions have gripped the hearts of many, while others continue to hope against hope that things will continue as they were.
Therefore, it is essential for us to learn our lessons well, in lieu of the fact that history often repeats itself, and even though many Christians may not be entirely immune from the adverse fallout of such a crisis, yet God states that He will satisfy our souls in times of drought. But that does not mean we may spend without thought in times of plenty, but like a faithful steward, should make some provisions for those cyclical phenomena of Plenty and Empty.
Lesson # [1]: Wherever possible or warranted, try to avoid buying items just because they are on sale. If we do not really need them, let us exercise caution and godly wisdom. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
1st Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Let’s read:
Lesson # [2] Try to avoid buying on credit, if we do not have the reserves to repay that which we have borrowed. Indulgences in December often result in depressions in January. Let’s read:
Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Deuteronomy 15:5 If thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
6 For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow.
Lesson # [3] Pray before spending. Don’t be afraid to invite Jesus with you to the shopping mall. When the Bible says “In all thy ways acknowledge Him” it means that no area of our life should be off-limits to God’s wise instructions. Let’s read:
Proverbs 3: 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Lesson # [4] Every Christian who fears God should be a faithful steward, returning to God His own, being of help to those in need, and managing wisely the blessings and resources God has lent to us, for the unfaithful steward was removed out of the kingdom because of his mismanagement of The Lord’s goods. Saving from principle is wise, and to be encouraged, for God is greatly dishonored when His chosen people face financial embarrassment unnecessarily. Let’s read:
Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
As we enter the holiday shopping season, and as the spirit of excess and indulgences take hole of the multitudes, let the people who fear God have their heads on, thinking soberly, reasoning from cause to effect, and like Joseph of old, taking proactive steps to avoid embarrassment to God’s cause, when the times of empty begin to take root. We’ll therefore close with a passage of scripture, encouraging us to have the fear of The Lord ever before our faces. Let’s read:
Psalms 112:1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that fears the Lord, who delights greatly in his commandments.
3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endures forever.
5 A good man shows favor and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely, he shall not be moved forever.
7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid.
10 The wicked shall see it and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away.
God Bless!