Topical Bible: Famine: Sent by God

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In the biblical narrative, famine is often depicted as a divine instrument used by God to achieve His purposes, whether as a form of judgment, a means of testing faith, or a catalyst for significant events in salvation history. The Bible presents numerous instances where famine is directly attributed to God's sovereign will, serving as a reminder of His control over creation and His desire for His people to turn back to Him.

Famine as Judgment

One of the most prominent themes in Scripture is the use of famine as a form of divine judgment against sin and disobedience. In Leviticus 26:19-20, God warns the Israelites of the consequences of breaking His covenant: "I will break down your stubborn pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze, so that your strength will be spent in vain; for your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit." This passage underscores the connection between covenant unfaithfulness and the withholding of agricultural bounty.

Similarly, in Deuteronomy 28:23-24, God outlines the curses for disobedience, including famine: "The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. The LORD will turn the rain of your land into dust and powder; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed." These warnings highlight the conditional nature of Israel's prosperity, contingent upon their adherence to God's commandments.

Famine as a Test of Faith

Famine also serves as a test of faith and reliance on God. In Genesis 12:10, Abram faces a severe famine in the land, prompting him to go down to Egypt. This event tests Abram's trust in God's promise to give him the land of Canaan. Similarly, in Genesis 26:1, Isaac encounters a famine, and God instructs him not to go to Egypt but to remain in the land He will show him. These narratives illustrate how famine can be a means through which God refines and strengthens the faith of His people.

Famine as a Catalyst for Divine Purpose

Famine often acts as a catalyst for significant events in the biblical account, leading to the fulfillment of God's purposes. The famine in Egypt during the time of Joseph, as recorded in Genesis 41, is a prime example. God reveals to Pharaoh through dreams that seven years of abundance will be followed by seven years of severe famine. Joseph, endowed with divine wisdom, interprets the dreams and is appointed to oversee the storage of grain. This famine ultimately leads to the migration of Jacob's family to Egypt, setting the stage for the Exodus and the formation of Israel as a nation.

In the book of Ruth, a famine in Bethlehem prompts Elimelech and his family to move to Moab, where Ruth, a Moabite woman, becomes part of the lineage of David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ. This narrative demonstrates how God can use famine to orchestrate events that align with His redemptive plan.

Prophetic Announcements of Famine

The prophets frequently announce famine as a consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness. In Jeremiah 14:12, God declares, "Although they fast, I will not hear their cry; although they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will finish them off by sword and famine and plague." This pronouncement emphasizes the seriousness of Israel's rebellion and the inevitability of divine retribution.

Ezekiel 5:16-17 also speaks of famine as a tool of God's judgment: "When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you, I will intensify the famine and cut off your supply of bread. I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will bereave you. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken."

Famine in the New Testament

In the New Testament, famine continues to be recognized as a significant event. Acts 11:28 records a prophecy by Agabus, who predicts a severe famine that would spread over the entire Roman world. This famine occurs during the reign of Claudius and prompts the early Christian community to provide aid to the believers in Judea, demonstrating the unity and compassion of the early Church.

Throughout the biblical narrative, famine is portrayed as a multifaceted instrument in the hands of a sovereign God, used to accomplish His divine purposes, whether in judgment, testing, or the unfolding of His redemptive plan.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 10:16
The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Joseph and his Brethren.
... Joseph told Pharaoh that the dreams had been sent by God, to show him that after
seven years of great plenty had passed there would come seven years of famine. ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/joseph and his brethren.htm

How the Hebrews were Delivered from a Famine when the Gibeonites ...
... this, when the country was greatly afflicted with a famine, David besought God ... as
the king understood that this it was which God sought, he sent for the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 12 how the hebrews.htm

God Sent Me to the Desert Wild,
... He sent me to a desert drear,. Now flowers and luscious fruits appear. IV. O God,
when by the path of sin,. We reach the land where famine reigns; ...
//christianbookshelf.org/brownlie/hymns from the east/god sent me to the.htm

Whether the Grace of God Precedes or Follows Our Good Will.
... death of their brother provision might be made for them against the famine to come ...
that ye sold me into these parts: for for your salvation God sent me before ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xi whether the grace.htm

How Cyrenius was Sent by Caesar to Make a Taxation Of
... also, a man of the equestrian order, was sent together with ... They also said that God
would not otherwise be ... and sometimes on their enemies; a famine also coming ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how cyrenius was.htm

Acts xi. 19
... it says, "came and had seen the grace of God,""not the ... well ordered, that not they
speak of the famine, but the ... did not take it amiss that they sent not the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxv acts xi 19.htm

Saul's War with the Amalekites, and Conquest of Them.
... Some they starved out with famine, and some they gained by other methods; and ... the
fine appearance of the enemy to the memory of what God had sent him about ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 sauls war with.htm

Sovereignty of God in Administration
... In such a case there would be a world-famine of wheat and corn! Take the work of
the post office. ... An evil spirit is sent by God to stir up rebellion in the ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter three sovereignty of god.htm

Concerning the Famine that Happened in Judea and Syria; and How ...
... CHAPTER 9. Concerning The Famine That Happened In Judea ... were derived from the anger
of God, or whether ... elaborate skill of the artificers, but sent the money to ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 concerning the famine.htm

Conclusion.
... During the Irish famine agents were sent from England to the distressed ... else than
this"that they certified that Christ was sent from God; they were at ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xxvi conclusion.htm