Topical Bible: Famine: Caused: Grief and Mourning

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Famine, a severe shortage of food resulting in widespread hunger, is a recurring theme in the Bible, often depicted as a divine instrument of judgment or a test of faith. The emotional and spiritual ramifications of famine are profound, leading to grief and mourning among those affected.

In the Old Testament, famine is frequently portrayed as a consequence of disobedience to God's commandments. The Book of Deuteronomy warns the Israelites of the dire consequences of turning away from God, including famine: "The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish" (Deuteronomy 28:22). This passage underscores the connection between spiritual infidelity and physical suffering, with famine serving as a catalyst for grief and mourning.

The account of Joseph in Genesis illustrates the widespread impact of famine and the resulting sorrow. When famine struck Egypt and the surrounding regions, it led to desperation and fear. Joseph's brothers, driven by hunger, traveled to Egypt seeking relief, unaware that they would encounter the brother they had betrayed. The narrative highlights the emotional turmoil and eventual reconciliation that famine precipitated: "And there was famine in all the countries, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food" (Genesis 41:54). The famine not only caused physical hardship but also brought about a profound emotional and spiritual reckoning.

The Book of Ruth provides another poignant example of famine-induced grief. Naomi, along with her husband and sons, left Bethlehem due to famine, only to face further tragedy in Moab with the deaths of her husband and sons. Naomi's lament upon returning to Bethlehem is a testament to the deep sorrow caused by famine: "Do not call me Naomi... Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me" (Ruth 1:20). Her mourning reflects the personal and communal anguish that famine can inflict.

In the prophetic literature, famine is often depicted as a harbinger of divine judgment, leading to national mourning. The prophet Joel describes a devastating locust plague that results in famine, urging the people to lament: "Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, for the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God" (Joel 1:13). This call to mourning emphasizes the spiritual dimension of famine, urging repentance and a return to God.

The New Testament also acknowledges the reality of famine and its associated grief. In Acts, the prophet Agabus predicts a severe famine that would spread across the Roman world, prompting the early Christian community to respond with compassion and aid: "One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. (This happened under Claudius.)" (Acts 11:28). The response of the believers highlights the importance of solidarity and support in times of crisis.

Throughout Scripture, famine is a powerful force that brings about grief and mourning, serving as both a physical trial and a spiritual test. It compels individuals and communities to confront their dependence on God, often leading to repentance, reconciliation, and renewed faith.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Joel 1:11-13
Be you ashamed, O you farmers; howl, O you vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of the Miseries and Ills to which the Human Race is Justly Exposed ...
... human condition and the common misery,"what fear and what grief are caused by
bereavement ... Have not the fierce pangs of famine driven mothers to eat their ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 22 of the miseries and.htm

Chapter l
... an oath" of him (Hebrew: "he caused me to ... the Canaanites noticed was that the inner
grief really appeared ... descendants and household preserved in famine as an ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter l.htm

Compassion for Souls
... is a famine of bread compared with that famine of the ... of any other person may have
been partly caused by your ... by my mother's example," what a grief will this be ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/compassion for souls.htm

The Resemblance Between the Old Testament and the New.
... Famine drives him from the land of Canaan; his wife ... How deep the sorrow caused by
his death he himself ... the meantime, what vexation, anxiety, and grief, must he ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 10 the resemblance between.htm

Homilies on the Statues.
... Famine, relieved by the people of Antioch, [1040]456 ... Grief, a wound, how to be treated,
[1246]381; for ... guarded is not robbed, [1320]439; of mourning and feasting ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/homilies on the statues.htm

Again on the Calamity of the City of Antioch. ...
... going forth as from a long famine and a ... not insult over those who have occasioned
us grief. ... a passion for dice-playing hath often caused blasphemies, injuries ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xv again on the.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire --(Continued)
... A sacrifice, an offering, a prayer, and a fresh outburst of grief ensued; the ... and
"rations of wheat were given to us daily." Famine was not caused only by ...
/.../chapter ithe close of the.htm

Now Saul Upon God's not Answering Him Concerning the Fight with ...
... asked him why he had disturbed him, and caused him to ... when he had recovered himself
out of his grief, and had ... who was almost dead with want and famine, [for he ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 14 now saul upon.htm

Acts vii. 6, 7
... On account of famine"such preparations is he making""with ... grief also: and to be without
grief here, is to go ... Iakob is omitted by an oversight caused by the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xvi acts vii 6.htm

Book ii.
... and pains of this life, which are caused either by ... some one remains unharmed, free
from grief, in uninterrupted ... death of his son, he endured famine, when dead ...
//christianbookshelf.org/ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/book ii.htm