How To Prosper In A Time of Famine - Part II

In the first installment of How To Prosper In A Time of Famine (click here to read Part I) we studied some general rules that govern prosperity in any season, especially famine season. These were the laws of obedience and productivity, and they virtually guarantee that your will be prepared to prosper during famine. The first two laws are about positioning yourself, even after famine has started, to receive God's promised blessings. Now we will look at two individuals who took the final step in Gods plan of prosperity; that is while they were operating under obedience and being productive, they listened for God's voice and followed his plan to the letter. This allowed them to enter into the ever elusive realm of overflow and they both became a blessing to those around them. This process yielded great prosperity and success for these two in times of famine, the man of faith Isaac, and the man of vision Joseph.


Isaac: The man of Faith

We will first look at Isaac whom you may recall was the promised blessed offspring of a very elderly Abraham and Sarah. His mere existence constituted a miracle, (especially due to the high rate of mortality in those times and that a normal late stage pregnancy for anyone in their nomadic desert tribe would have been very rare). Even so, here was Isaac now leader of his own large group, traveling in the same land that his father did, and under the familiar dire circumstances of famine:

Gen 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham.

Isaac had seen this type of thing before as a child, and he had watched his father deal with it successfully. If we've been blessed with strong leaders that have gone before us, we are encouraged to follow in their steps and try to repeat their successes. Isaac had such a leader in his father Abraham, so when famine struck he probably wanted to do what his father did when he experienced a similar famine. When Isaac was young his father Abraham, following the command of God, went down to Egypt and to wait out the famine in that land of plenty. What's important to note here is that God changed the plan for Isaac, and Isaac had a strong enough personal relationship with God to hear him and follow the new directions. Gen 26:1 - 3 tells the story:

Gen 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
Gen 26:2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
Gen 26:3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

Isn't it amazing that God knows your feeble plan even before you do, and He has already charted a new course for success. We just need to follow it. Isaac had the right idea trying to emulate his father, but he picked the wrong thing to copy. He needed to copy Abraham obedience and not necessarily copy his exact steps.

At this point God repeats to Isaac the blessings he'd spoken over his father. Good thing too, because I'm sure that Isaac was at that very moment questioning all the stories his father had told about their destiny. At that moment he had famine on the brain, and was no doubt stressed about the all the mouths he had to feed and all the people that depended on him. This was definitely a faith move. I'm sure it was quite tempting to go down to fertile Egypt and leave the scorching desert that was being racked by famine. Still, Isaac remained steadfast and obeyed God, following his instructions completely. So what was the result of his faithfulness?

Gen 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

100 fold!!! If that number doesn’t get you excited, let me explain further in today’s vernacular. That means that if Isaac were alive today and he took $50.00 out of his first week’s check in January he would receive in that same year $5000.00 by years end from that $50.00. If he were invest $50.00/week all year long (like many of us do when we flush money down the drain through our 401k) that would mean a return of $260,000.00 from his total investment of $2600.00 over the year. Whew!! It makes you rethink where you invest your money. On God's command Isaac planted his seeds where seeds were not supposed to grow, the dry desert. Of our own volition we plant seeds where we see fit; our greedy appetites, our homes, our cars, our 401ks, only to be disappointed by the return. We have to listen for God's direction, even if that means waiting and holding on to some cash until we hear his voice. I wish I would have waited and held some cash OUT of the market, over the last 2 yrs the mattress has been a better investment than the market.

The lesson from Isaac is that he had an ear for God's voice and he harkened to it. Because of his faith he was able to prosper and have overflow for his people. Think about it, it is quite possible that this windfall set the stage for the wealth that would be passed on to the 12 tribes of Israel. Not only was the material blessing important, but a precedent of seeking God in financial matters was set and passed on to Jacob(Israel) and on down to the 12 tribes. This spiritual inheritance exists even until this day where the nation of Israel and its scattered people have remained shrewd stewards of God's wealth over the centuries. This is the type of spiritual inheritance we should all desire to leave: a strong relationship and connection to God that continuously blesses.


Joseph: The man of Vision

We also have an outstanding example in Joseph. Just two generations removed from Isaac, Joseph (one of the 12 sons of Jacob) utilizes God's principles of obedience and productivity to navigate a personal trial, imprisonment in jail and then slavery, then prepares the most powerful nation in the world for a crippling famine.

We know the story of Joseph from Genesis 37. He is a dreamer who God has ordained to rule, but he shares his dream with his jealous brothers who sell him into slavery and leave him for dead. Miraculously he finds himself the slave of a wealthy and powerful man and is given charge over his entire estate. As a slave he remains obedient and productive, and is greatly blessed but God has a bigger plan for him. He allows Joseph to be thrown into jail on the false testimony of his master's wife, who was making improper advances towards Joseph. But even in jail he became as powerful as the warden of the prison and was able to use his gift of interpreting dreams to help a man very close to Pharaoh. Alter when Pharaoh is tormented by dreams he sends for Joseph whose reputation had been made known in the royal court. What is particularly important to note is how Joseph reacted to Pharaoh’s request and confidence in his gift:

Gen 41:16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

This is the same humble spirit resident in all true men of God. He immediate gave God credit so that there would be no mistake in who was the source of powerful gift. At this point God give Joseph the revelation of Pharaohs’ dream:

Gen 41:29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
Gen 41:30 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;
Gen 41:31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

God also gives Joseph the master plan on how to deal with the coming famine, a plan that Joseph freely gave to Pharaoh. Store up the surplus during the seven years of plenty, and use that surplus during the seven years of famine. Scripture says “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump", so Joseph was careful not to add or subtract anything from God's words. Remember that Joseph at this point is still a slave, a nobody, and now he has Pharaoh in a bind. Joseph could just as easily have held the solution for ransom from Pharaoh, in exchange for his freedom perhaps or maybe in exchange for some land and money. Because of Joseph's reverence for God's word and his faith look at what Pharaoh does:

Gen 41:41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

Gen 41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Talk about rags to riches! And they said his dreams were useless!!! Joseph, through his faith and obedience quite literally saved thousands upon thousands of people from starvation. When there is no food it doesn't matter how much gold you have, or how big your home is, our how many cars you drive. During famine a full stomach is worth more than all those things. It’s no different now than it was then.

Joseph stuck to God's plan and it made him very powerful and put him in position to save his family who were just one of the many countries that “came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn". He became the most powerful man of his time, even more powerful than Pharaoh himself. And all he had to do was listen to God and carry out the plan. Could it really be that simple? YES! It is us who complicate God’s plans with the leaven of our doubts and fears and backup plans.


Why were these two singled out and so overwhelmingly blessed?

These stories beg the question: Why were these two men so miraculously blessed above others in those times of famine? I'm sure there were others who were faithfully blessing God with increase and being productive with their God given talents and acquired skills. So why these two? 3 reasons.

1. They both had strong personal relationships with God

2. Their prosperity was less about blessing themselves and more about blessing those they led and served

3. They were both children of inheritance and legacy

We have the same opportunity to be extraordinarily blessed because we share the same traits. In Christ we are co-heirs to the blessings of Abraham, so we are also children of inheritance and legacy. Because just as Christ before us we are called to save others, our surplus is always earmarked for redistribution to God's people according to His purpose. The overflow is never about just us. And because we have the Holy Spirit living in us, we have a direct line of communication to the Almighty, a personal relationship with the Living God.

So there you have it! There is no need to be afraid or apprehensive during this deep recession. If we simply follow the plan and bless God with our increase no matter how small or large, if we continue to be productive with our God given gifts and talents, if we refine our skills and invest in cultivating new skills, and if we follow God's plan for us, a tailor made plan for us, we will have the same the success. God is no respecter of persons, but he does respect and respond to faith. Isaac-like faith and obedience will produce an Isaac-like blessing, the same with Joseph-like faith, no matter what point in history we live.

Isa 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land


Copyright © 2009 Jason Lamb All Rights Reserved

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