Judgments: Different Kinds of Famine
Jump to: Torrey'sLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical narrative, famine is often depicted as a divine judgment or a test of faith, serving as a significant theme throughout the Scriptures. The Bible presents various kinds of famine, each with distinct causes and purposes, reflecting the multifaceted nature of God's interaction with humanity.

1. Famine as a Result of Sin and Disobedience:

One of the most common reasons for famine in the Bible is the sin and disobedience of God's people. In Leviticus 26:19-20 , God warns the Israelites of the consequences of disobedience: "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 type of famine serves as a direct response to the people's failure to uphold the covenant with God.

2. Famine as a Test of Faith:

Famine can also be a test of faith, prompting individuals and communities to rely on God's provision. The account of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:8-16 illustrates this. During a severe drought, God instructs Elijah to seek sustenance from a widow, who, despite her dire circumstances, demonstrates faith by sharing her last meal with the prophet. Her obedience results in God's miraculous provision, as "the jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word of the LORD spoken through Elijah" (1 Kings 17:16).

3. Famine as a Catalyst for Divine Intervention:

At times, famine serves as a backdrop for God's intervention and deliverance. The account of Joseph in Genesis 41-47 is a prime example. God uses a seven-year famine to elevate Joseph to a position of power in Egypt, ultimately preserving the lives of many, including his own family. Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams and his subsequent management of Egypt's resources demonstrate God's sovereignty and provision during times of scarcity.

4. Famine as a Consequence of Natural Events:

While many famines in the Bible are linked to divine judgment, some are depicted as natural occurrences. In Ruth 1:1 , a famine in the land prompts Elimelech and his family to relocate to Moab. This narrative does not explicitly attribute the famine to sin or disobedience, suggesting that not all famines are direct acts of divine retribution. Instead, they can be part of the natural order, used by God to fulfill His purposes, as seen in the eventual redemption and restoration of Naomi's family through Ruth.

5. Famine as a Symbol of Spiritual Hunger:

Beyond physical scarcity, famine is also used metaphorically to describe spiritual deprivation. Amos 8:11 declares, "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD." This spiritual famine signifies a period when God's word is scarce, highlighting the importance of spiritual nourishment and the consequences of turning away from divine truth.

Throughout the Bible, famine serves as a multifaceted tool in God's hands, used to discipline, test, and ultimately draw His people closer to Him. Each instance of famine, whether physical or spiritual, underscores the necessity of reliance on God's provision and the importance of obedience to His will.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Deuteronomy 28:38-40
You shall carry much seed out into the field, and shall gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Amos 4:7-9
And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city: one piece was rained on, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

On the Formation of the Character of Believers, and on Giving of ...
... He was not unable to produce different kinds, so neither ... He disdained to exercise
a different providence towards ... and unsearchable in Thy judgments; whose life ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec ii on the formation of.htm

Acts xi. 19
... is twofold: a severe famine, a famine not of ... Let us set to work all the different
kinds of almsgiving. ... doing their part (in executing God's judgments upon the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxv acts xi 19.htm

Penitence, as Explained in the Sophistical Jargon of the Schoolmen ...
... by departing from thy precepts and thy judgments," (Dan.9:5 ... have overlooked, that
there are two kinds of divine ... the correction of David a very different form of ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 4 penitence as explained.htm

Selections from the Work against Heresies by Irenaeus, Bishop of ...
... of God; how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways ... and wine who, because of
the famine that took ... men of diverse nations, and of different kinds of behavior ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/selections from the work against 2.htm

The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
... At destruction and famine be unto thee an ... He blends together the different kinds
of parallelism as he ... the present time, foretelling the mighty judgments of God ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxi the poetical books.htm

Doctrinal and Moral Treatises. Index of Subjects.
... Famine, provided against, [1266]471. ... Gifts, are all from God, [1384]432; prayed for,
are not of ourselves, [1385]433; of different kinds, [1386]434; spiritual ...
/.../on care to be had for the dead /doctrinal and moral treatises index.htm

2 Cor. I. 6, 7
... the commandments of God nor keepeth His judgments, then he ... mournings, to be visited
with famine, to have ... he refers to trials of different kinds, and especially ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily ii 2 cor i.htm

Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews.
... daily warfare, [2632]392, [2633]393; different parts of ... 2856]502; repletion worse
than famine, [2857]ib ... then taken of purity, [3170]476; Judgments mentioned in ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homilies on the epistle to.htm

An Essay on the Scriptural Doctrine of Immortality.
... this life, whether caused by the three scourges, war, pestilence, and famine, or
what ... Timothy 2:3, 4). It should be observed that the different kinds of human ...
/.../an essay on the scriptural.htm

Chaldaean Civilization
... and to protect the garrison from every emergency, except that of treason or famine. ...
ziz; as an ideogram it was used for a score of different concepts: that of ...
/.../chapter iiichaldaean civilization.htm

Resources
What are the seven trumpets of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Great White Throne Judgment? | GotQuestions.org

Is Richard Dawkins' caricature of the God of the Old Testament accurate? | GotQuestions.org

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Judgments

Judgments are Frequently Tempered With Mercy

Judgments are from God

Judgments are in all the Earth

Judgments are Sent, As Punishment For: Despising the Warnings of God

Judgments are Sent, As Punishment For: Disobedience to God

Judgments are Sent, As Punishment For: Idolatry

Judgments are Sent, As Punishment For: Iniquity

Judgments are Sent, As Punishment For: Murmuring Against God

Judgments are Sent, As Punishment For: Persecuting Saints

Judgments are Sent, As Punishment For: Sins of Rulers

Judgments: Adam

Judgments: Ahab and Jezebel

Judgments: Ahaziah

Judgments: Cain

Judgments: Delayed

Judgments: Delivered: Into the Hands of the Assyrians

Judgments: Delivered: Into the Hands of the Chaldeans

Judgments: Denounced Against Disobedience

Judgments: Denounced Against Solomon

Judgments: Design of

Judgments: Different Kinds of Abandonment by God

Judgments: Different Kinds of Blotting out the Name

Judgments: Different Kinds of Captivity

Judgments: Different Kinds of Continued Sorrows

Judgments: Different Kinds of Cursing Men's Blessings

Judgments: Different Kinds of Desolation

Judgments: Different Kinds of Destruction

Judgments: Different Kinds of Enemies

Judgments: Different Kinds of Famine

Judgments: Different Kinds of Famine of Hearing the Word

Judgments: Different Kinds of Pestilence

Judgments: Different Kinds of The Sword

Judgments: Egyptians, the Plagues and Overthrow

Judgments: Eli's House

Judgments: Eve

Judgments: Executed by Human Instrumentality

Judgments: Gehazi

Judgments: Hananiah, the False Prophet

Judgments: Inflicted Upon: All Enemies of Saints

Judgments: Inflicted Upon: False Gods

Judgments: Inflicted Upon: Individuals

Judgments: Inflicted Upon: Nations

Judgments: Inflicted Upon: Posterity of Sinners

Judgments: Jeroboam

Judgments: Manasseh

Judgments: Manifest the Righteous Character of God

Judgments: May be Averted by Forsaking Iniquity

Judgments: May be Averted by Humiliation

Judgments: May be Averted by Prayer

Judgments: May be Averted by Turning to God

Judgments: Miriam

Judgments: Misunderstood

Judgments: Nadab and Abihu

Judgments: No Escape From

Judgments: On the Serpent

Judgments: Preservation During - Exemplified: Elijah

Judgments: Preservation During - Exemplified: Elisha

Judgments: Preservation During - Exemplified: Joseph

Judgments: Preservation During - Exemplified: Lot

Judgments: Preservation During - Exemplified: Noah

Judgments: Preservation During - Exemplified: Shunammite

Judgments: Saints: Acknowledge the Justice of

Judgments: Saints: Pray for Those Under

Judgments: Saints: Preserved During

Judgments: Saints: Provided For, During

Judgments: Saints: Sympathise With Those Under

Judgments: Sennacherib

Judgments: Sent for Correction

Judgments: Sent for the Deliverance of Saints

Judgments: should be a Warning to Others

Judgments: should Lead to Contrition

Judgments: should Lead to Humiliation

Judgments: should Lead to Learning Righteousness

Judgments: should Lead to Prayer

Judgments: Sodomites

Judgments: The Antediluvians

Judgments: The Forty Years of Wandering, a Judgment

Judgments: The Prophet of Judah, for Disobedience

Judgments: Upon Abimelech

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Achan

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Ahab

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Ananias

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Belshazzar

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Cain

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Canaan

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Elymas

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Gehazi

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Herod

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Hophni

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Jeroboam

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Jezebel

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Korah

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Nebuchadnezzar

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Saul

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Uzzah

Judgments: Upon Individuals - Exemplified: Zacharias

Judgments: Upon Nations - Exemplified: Amalekites

Judgments: Upon Nations - Exemplified: Egypt

Judgments: Upon Nations - Exemplified: Israel

Judgments: Upon Nations - Exemplified: People of Ashdod

Judgments: Upon Nations - Exemplified: People of Bethshemesh

Judgments: Upon Nations - Exemplified: Sodom

Judgments: Upon Nations - Exemplified: The Old World

Judgments: Upon the Canaanites

Judgments: Upon the Israelites for Complaining

Judgments: Upon the Israelites for Worshiping Aaron's Calf

Judgments: Uzzah

Judgments: Zimri

Related Terms

Inflict (25 Occurrences)

Standards (14 Occurrences)

Kicked (9 Occurrences)

Judging (141 Occurrences)

Executed (39 Occurrences)

Execute (83 Occurrences)

Observed (84 Occurrences)

Whither (151 Occurrences)

Kick (8 Occurrences)

Rejoices (30 Occurrences)

Recounted (12 Occurrences)

Desecrated (17 Occurrences)

Multiplying (23 Occurrences)

Marvels (21 Occurrences)

Changeth (10 Occurrences)

Confidently (32 Occurrences)

Marvellous (36 Occurrences)

Commanding (79 Occurrences)

Commands (216 Occurrences)

Polluted (80 Occurrences)

To-day (208 Occurrences)

Marvelous (30 Occurrences)

Learned (70 Occurrences)

Wondrous (41 Occurrences)

Despised (96 Occurrences)

Courts (59 Occurrences)

Wickedly (34 Occurrences)

Judgment (430 Occurrences)

Smitten (215 Occurrences)

Joyful (83 Occurrences)

Walks (51 Occurrences)

Uttered (60 Occurrences)

Ethics

Judgment-seat (10 Occurrences)

Multiplied (109 Occurrences)

Setting (82 Occurrences)

Wonderful (71 Occurrences)

Pronounced (63 Occurrences)

Refused (89 Occurrences)

Perform (155 Occurrences)

Judicial (2 Occurrences)

Pronounce (47 Occurrences)

Miracles (65 Occurrences)

Observe (216 Occurrences)

Vengeance (63 Occurrences)

Law (670 Occurrences)

Horror (51 Occurrences)

Prostitute (83 Occurrences)

Despise (64 Occurrences)

Therein (269 Occurrences)

Justice (212 Occurrences)

First-born (110 Occurrences)

Learn (76 Occurrences)

Utter (111 Occurrences)

Hellenism

Hellenist

Worshipped (81 Occurrences)

Desolation (131 Occurrences)

Wonders (111 Occurrences)

Nehelamite (4 Occurrences)

Zion (169 Occurrences)

Manifest (74 Occurrences)

Established (200 Occurrences)

Mighty (514 Occurrences)

Yearns (8 Occurrences)

Voluntary-offerings (4 Occurrences)

Vomiteth (4 Occurrences)

Vehement (10 Occurrences)

Zidonians (11 Occurrences)

Zo'an (7 Occurrences)

Neck (97 Occurrences)

Nebuchadrez'zar (31 Occurrences)

Numbering (35 Occurrences)

Noisome (7 Occurrences)

Untraceable (2 Occurrences)

Unfathomable (3 Occurrences)

Unsearchable (8 Occurrences)

Obadiah (21 Occurrences)

Outstretched (40 Occurrences)

Judgments: Different Kinds of Enemies
Top of Page
Top of Page