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 some 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’ve mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
Inflation is one of the negatives the Christian would have to confront from time to time, and now, in the current environment we live in the United States it’s important to find out what guidance and instruction The Lord has given us in His word, to guide our feet with wisdom and discretion, as we try to navigate the increasing difficulties that are coming upon the earth.
There is a type of study that is mainly information based, where persons are pregnant with info, but bereft of practical ways and means to apply truth in real-life circumstances. Thus, the knowledge, and the understanding to be found in the word of God should be made applicable, and practical to all.
Things are not scheduled to get any better with the passage of time, the national debt isn’t going away any time soon, and the cost of goods, and services will remain elevated for the foreseeable future, and because of this, dealing with inflationary pressures can reveal whether or not a person has been a good steward all along.
The principles and instructions given in the Bible are designed to enable the believer in God to weather any storm that may come. The information is not for the good times only, it’s also for the bad times when there’s a change of fortune and when the going gets rough.
In the parable of the 3 stewards, the good stewards were first found faithful in their management of the material and perishable things of earth, before they were entrusted with eternal riches. Thus, how the Christian deals with inflation could set the tone for a calm assurance, or a nervous fretting, and worrying about what might come next.
Inflation affects everything downstream, from the price of groceries and gas, to the returning of tithes and offerings, for wherever, and whenever money gets tight because of inflation, persons and families will inevitably begin to skimp, searching for various ways and means to cut costs.
Whatever the financial pressure may be our pledges to God should remain intact, because faithfulness when things are tight prepares the way for God to bless, in response to the giver’s free will offerings.
The counsel to move out into the country is not only because of the predicted mark of the beast, it is also because of the extremely high cost of living which is to be found in the bigger cities, making it difficult in many instances, for your average John Doe to make ends meet. But as it is with all aspects of living, the Bible has counsel that we will do well to observe.
The cost of housing, including rent has been on the rise, especially in Miami, New York, and California, and the astronomical cost of the property taxes and home insurance has caused very many families and individuals to be priced entirely out of the market.
It could aptly be described as a form of financial gentrification, where, because of those monetary constraints, people have no choice but to move out into more rural areas, where prices are not so high.
And there are adverse ripple effects, in that many skilled workers have been forced out of those areas, thereby placing a heavy load, on those who dare to remain. Financial gentrification has become a reality in the big cities of the world and therefore, we must search the word of God for answers and solutions to the many problems, which are incidental to living at such a time as this.
In our first passage we observed that the Jews in the days of Nehemiah were brought very low, so that many of them were forced into insolvency and some were forced to live off of the equity in their homes, until it reached a tipping point, where they couldn’t borrow anymore funds, and many lost their homes to foreclosure as a result. Let’s read:
Nehemiah 5:3 Some also there were that said we’ve mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
4 There were also that said we’ve borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
[Prophets & Kings pp 646] In order to obtain food for their families, the poor were obliged to buy on credit and at exorbitant prices. They were also compelled to raise money by borrowing on interest to pay the heavy taxes imposed upon them by the kings of Persia. To add to the distress of the poor, the more-wealthy among the Jews had taken advantage of their necessities, thus enriching themselves.
Using one’s home as a piggy bank, to live, is a recipe for disaster, and is to be avoided wherever possible, for in the situation which obtained in Nehemiah’s day, the Jews got caught in the deadly cycle of being forced to continually borrow against their assets, without a way to replenish.
And wherever that cycle is to be found, it is just a matter of time before folks will implode financially if radical change is not made. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.
In fact, sooner, or later we the people would have to face the music of the skyrocketing national debt and let none be deceived into thinking that we would be able to print our way out of the problem. Satan uses the principle of gradualism to cook the unwary to a slow death, and by the time things hit rock bottom, it may be too late.
It is quite possible for there to be a repeat of those same dire situations in our day, as when Nehemiah lived, as persons and families scramble to deal with inflationary pressures, which may not be letting up any time soon. And lest the remnant people of fall into arrears, and decay, we should be humble, and willing enough to follow the counsel, and instructions God gives.
To put it plainly, things will become very different as we approach the second coming of Christ, which is a fact that many of us are yet to be fully reconciled to, for great changes to our everyday lives are already on the way, and for this reason, both individuals and families would have to become accustomed to the new abnormal.
According to Elon Musk, and the World Economic Forum, Artificial Intelligence is scheduled to wipe out forty percent or more of all the world’s current jobs, and who knows, Musk’s own job might also be on the chopping block, for these are just the initial stirrings of the tempest that is prophesied to come our way. Let’s read:
Luke 21: 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
As the days of wine and roses come to an end, and a dose of cold reality grips the nation we may have to do a lot of things differently, including scaling down to a more frugal format. This is something persons may be reluctant to do, after having lived at a higher standard, but the Christian ought to be prepared to endure hardness as a good soldier of the cross.
God is more practical and down to earth in the way He instructs us, and therefore, as folks face crunch time, we will need to adapt in many instances. God does not propose to deliver in every circumstance if persons are not willing and humble enough to obey His word.
One of the observations made in our first passage is that the folks back then were forced into living off of credit, a very sorry situation for anyone, or family to be in. And in our day, it is observed that more, and more Americans are living off of credit, or are being forced to dip into their 401ks just to get by. Let’s read:
(From NPR News) Millions Of Americans Skip Payments As Tidal Wave Of Defaults And Evictions Looms. Jonathan Baird and his wife, Nichole, say they have had to decide between making their car payment and buying food since she lost her job in the pandemic. His mortgage and auto lenders told him he didn’t qualify for help.
Therefore, if one sees a trainwreck coming, you and me are to take preemptive steps to avert, or at least stave off the catastrophe if we can, lest persons be found in the same unfortunate situation as many of the Jews back then. Therefore, the following are just a few snippets of what is now transpiring across the U.S., and causing many folks to go into insolvency.
[1] Inflation continues to devastate the livelihoods of Americans, for nearly 1 in 6 U.S. adults could not pay all their monthly bills as demonstrated in recent Federal Reserve data.
[2] Lower-income adults, reported higher instances of not having enough to eat, not being able to cover bills in full, and skipping medical care.
[3] Many Americans would love to buy a home, but they do not have the tens of thousands of dollars to cover a down payment.
[4] As a result, a familiar snare is being set for the feet of the unwary in the form of zero percent down mortgages, the ghost or nemesis of the 2008 crash. Some financial experts are having Déjà vu moments as they recall the nightmares of that financial crisis, that brought the world to the edge of the precipice.
[5] Be very wary of sub-prime mortgages, for in the 2008 crash, it was discovered that some lenders did not expect, or desire persons to pay on time, and in some instances, bets were made against their own portfolios, that families would default.
However, God wants us to know that the Christian can, and should be able to navigate to a large extent the perils of inflation, by adopting the following three things:
[1] Scale down where needed.
[2] Being open to adaptation.
[3] Carefully read your Bible.
Let’s start with the first instruction: [1] Scaling down where needed. Scaling down has to do with getting rid of all unnecessary baggage that you can live without. Over the years, when things were rosier, persons came to believe that certain things were necessities, when in fact they were not.
Therefore, without prying into anyone’s personal finances, individuals and families would have to go through their budgets, and make cuts wherever it is necessary, and warranted. If we are humble enough to ask God, most of us will be surprised to discover, the many things we can actually live without. Let’s read:
Proverbs 3: 4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
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.
Genesis 12: 10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 128>129] Abraham continued to journey southward, and again his faith was tested. The heavens withheld their rain, the brooks ceased to flow in the valleys, and the grass withered on the plains. The flocks and herds found no pasture, starvation threatened the whole encampment. With earnest prayer he considered how to preserve the life of his people and his flocks, but he would not allow circumstances to shake his faith in God's word.
[2] Being open to adaptation. Being open to adaptation has to do with our willingness to adapt to emerging circumstances, where we might have to do things that we would rather prefer not to do. Humility in the real world calls for adaptation as God may lead in this or that direction.
After the children of Israel left Egypt, they struggled to adapt to their new circumstances, in which the previous foods, amenities, and conveniences they had gotten accustomed to in Egypt, were no longer available, and this in turn triggered murmuring and complaints until they took up stones to stone Moses and Aaron.
In the context of adjusting to inflationary pressures, the you and me in the here and now may have to do jobs that we would prefer not to do, under normal, or under different circumstances. The apostle Paul had found it necessary to use his trade in order for him to support himself, and even though he greatly preferred to be preaching, yet, if and when it became necessary, Paul was humble enough to work with his hands. Let’s read:
Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;
2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.
3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
This leads us to our third and final instruction which is to: [3] Read your Bible very carefully.
Now, some persons may be wondering what reading your Bible carefully has to do with how the Christian handles inflation.
For answers, let’s turn to the Scriptures and observe something that you might have missed. In many of the prophecies, pertaining to the last days, you will see these words occurring very often: Perplexities, Perilous, Grievous, Troublous, Pestilences, Fearful, and terrible. Let’s take a few examples:
Luke 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in different places and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?)
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?)
Revelation 13:16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?)
To the surface reader the end time prophecies can be pretty scary, for they speak of wars, and rumors of wars, perplexity of nations, tsunamis, flood, fire, and a host of weather-related events that can really put persons on the edge of their seats, as they begin to count the cost and the collateral damage that will ensue. So, here’s a question for you:
Does God intend to scare persons when giving out those prophecies? The Scriptures seem to suggest otherwise. Let’s read:
Luke 21: 9 But when you shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
2nd Timothy 1: 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
So, if Jesus is telling us not to be terrified, then what is the purpose of God, in revealing to us these dire things that will take place?
Answer: God is revealing these things so that every-one who believes in Him could position themselves intelligently, based upon the information revealed in the prophecies. The problem is that we may not be reading our Bibles very “carefully”. Let’s take some examples:
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceives you.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in different places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso reads, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Sounds pretty scary, but after a close examination of the facts it is discovered that the warning of coming adversities was given so that all who believed would position themselves intelligently. And so said so done because not a single Christian perished in the destruction that overran Jerusalem, no not one. Let’s read:
[Spirit of Prophecy bk 4 pp 32] Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. Christ had given his disciples warning, and all who believed his words watched for the promised sign. After the Romans had surrounded the city, they unexpectedly withdrew their forces, at a time when everything seemed favorable for an immediate attack.
In the providence of God, the promised signal was thus given to the waiting Christians, and without a moment's delay they fled to a place of safety, the refuge city Pella in the land of Perea beyond Jordan.
Here it is again, as the same thing is occurring when God gives to pharaoh a very disturbing dream, and Joseph gives the grim interpretation with instruction on how to avert the coming crisis. God did not give the dream to scare anyone, but that those who will believe could position themselves intelligently.
When God through Joseph, informed pharaoh that a devastating famine was coming upon the land it was not meant to scare either Joseph, or pharaoh, but it was designed to make them consider very carefully, how they would navigate the situation.
Therefore, Joseph took the necessary steps in order to avoid a national crisis, and it became evident that the wisdom given him by God was sufficient to keep Egypt from going off the rails, as the grim prophecy began to unfold across the land. Let’s read:
Genesis 41:28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he shows 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.
32 And because the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
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.
The prophecies given in the Bible pertaining to the last days of earth’s history were not meant to scare the remnant people of God, but rather are intended for us to position ourselves intelligently to meet the difficulties that are coming upon the land, in short order.
The prophecies which pertain to the last day events of earth’s history, contain very valuable information, so that the remnant people of God could navigate the difficulties, until such time when we are bidden to let go and let God, since we are all instructed to occupy until Jesus comes.
In other words, there are spiritual components to the end time prophecies, as well as temporal ones, which, if we were to dig below the surface, we will unearth very valuable information that is written in dark sentences, as it were, to the casual reader.
And Just for your clarification, a dark sentence in the Bible is one in which the deeper meaning isn’t readily apparent, which means you will have to read your Bible very slowly, taking time to digest, and to understand what God is really saying to us.
For instance, in the end time prophecies of Isaiah, in which he accurately predicts a significant increase of heat, and global warming, he is not only giving us a sign; he is also telling us which industries and trades would do well during that era for after close analysis of the predicted famine in Egypt it is discovered that Joseph did pretty well.
Thus, the people of God in the last days, should be able to position themselves intelligently to navigate the crisis, and like faithful Joseph, they too can, and should do pretty well. Let’s read:
Isaiah 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
Isaiah 4:6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Those two prophecies about the last days tell us in no uncertain terms that the temperature of earth is scheduled to increase significantly and therefore, by default, the Christian who might be looking for work and those who are wondering how to deal with the inflation, would find employment in industries and trades which deal with counteracting the disasters contained in the prophecies.
Thus, industries, and trades in air conditioning, and cooling systems will do well. Firefighters would also do well during that time, because of the excessive heat. As the earth warms, and breaks heat records, many fires will be ignited, and thus the service of all firefighters would be greatly needed, and they will not be out of work, anytime soon.
Electricians will also do very well, for whenever any tornado, hurricane, or wild fire passes through, as is predicted by Isaiah, and Christ, the resulting power outages will render electricians as an indispensable, and very valuable asset to restoring electricity that was lost.
Also, any industries associated with climate change mitigations, as well as industries dealing with the supply of water, would also do well. Because of the predicted increase in the frequency and severity of storms, and tornadoes, roofers would also do well.
It’s all there in the prophecies pertaining to the last days, but they are there in dark sentences, so that the cursory reader will most likely miss the point.
Again, let us reiterate: God did not give the dream in Joseph’s day, to scare anyone, because, as the Bible says: “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” Thus, the dream was given so that folks who would listen and believe could navigate the crisis. Let’s read:
Matthew 24: 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Psalms 91:3 Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Pestilences means that doctors and nurses, and all those saints who may be involved in the care of the sick and dying, won’t be out of work any time soon. And to those who may be currently wondering what field of expertise they should go into, the Scriptures tell us with certainty where you will find work.
During Covid, a very severe shortage of nurses, and doctors became evident, and during that pestilence, the wise were able to do pretty well financially, as travelling nurses and doctors went to and fro, caring for the sick, and the dying. The job openings are all there in the prophecies pertaining to the last days.
We are told to occupy until He comes, meaning that the Paul model, by which he preached, and worked to sustain himself, should and could be followed.
Persons who work in the gathering of information, and all associated industries would do well. In the book of Revelation, the mark of the beast can only be implemented after a significant amount of your personal information is gathered.
It is only by knowing all about individuals, and their whereabouts, that the beast would be able to cause almost all to take the mark, even though there will be exceptions in those who choose to rely entirely on God.
Therefore, industries that deal with gathering your personal info, industries that deal with tracking our data, and navigation industries will also do well. In the not-too distant future, artificial intelligence will wipe out many of those job openings, and thus, the wise in heart will do wisely, while the opportunity still lingers. Let’s read:
Revelation 13: 16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Now, no one is saying that you should not go ahead and get your education. You should, whilst you can, but due consideration must also be given to “Paul’s model”, by which he employed the three-pronged approach, and that approach is as follows:
[1] Paul was educated.
[2] Paul could preach.
[3] Paul had a trade.
With this approach you can never go wrong, for on the one hand, you can present the gospel to kings, highly educated folk, and to persons in the higher or lower echelons of society, and yet, if things were to take a turn for the worse in the economy, you could always fall back on your trade.
In this way Paul was able to fulfill the commission Jesus gave us, to preach the gospel to every nation, tongue, and people, and at the same time he could support himself financially, so that he could be thus independent of those constraints which are at times incidental to preachers who are on payroll.
In other words, because he could work with his own hands and provide for himself, Paul did not have to worry about being politically correct, or whether he would violate establishment rules. He didn’t need to preach smooth things, for fear of backlash, or any economic boycott.
Therefore, God is calling on those to whom it may pertain, to get your hands dirty. With the hurricane season already on the way, wildfires, already raging, and heat waves scheduled to bake millions, there is great need of roofers, firefighters, and air condition technicians and a host of other valuable jobs, trades and skills that are in short supply.
Trade is honorable, and education is also honorable, but the time is now and the place is here when you would have to adapt to an increasingly changing world, and some may have to do things differently.
Never forget that Joseph did very well financially, during the fulfillment of a very grim prophecy, and you can too, for God never gave the prophecies to scare His people, but rather, that His people would position themselves intelligently. In harmony with this fact, we’ll end with a passage of Scripture which asks of us, a pertinent question. Let’s read:
Matthew 20: 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, why stand ye here all the day idle?
God Bless!