Jehovah Provides Plenty in the Midst of Famine

A FAMINE? What kind of famine? Of course, many persons see little evidence of a literal famine in their own countries. However, throughout the world there is a serious food shortage, a famine as regards spiritual food. More than 2,700 years ago an ancient inspired Hebrew prophet foretold this famine: “‘Look! There are days coming,’ is the utterance of the Lord Jehovah, ‘and I will send a famine into the land, a famine, not for bread, and a thirst, not for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah.’”​—Amos 8:11.

Why should such a famine afflict also Christendom, where year after year the Word of Jehovah, the Bible, is a best seller? A prominent factor is the attitude of so many of its religious leaders toward the Bible. Typical is Lutheran professor Robert H. Smith, who holds that every Christian is as much inspired as is the Bible. And according to a professor of Christian ethics, J. C. Hough, Jr., “The Ten Commandments were not given as direct pronouncements from God Almighty; they were the deliberations of a very brilliant man,” Moses.​—The Christian Century, January 29, 1969.

That such opinions are typical and widespread is recognized by other leaders of Christendom. Thus the executive editor of Christianity Today (June 6, 1969) complained: “In looking over the advertisements of major theological seminaries in America, one observes that with few exceptions theological education today might be said to major in the world’s secular and material needs. Who will enter in to help the spiritual needs of the people?” In a like vein a New York editor lamented the fact that the World Council of Churches at a recent gathering had been preoccupied with mundane “issues of the day rather than with a far greater human hunger​—the spiritual starvation of mankind.”

But perhaps someone will ask, If the famine is due to the teachings of such men, why does the Bible say that God is sending this famine? He can be said to send it in that he does not permit these faithless religious leaders to understand and appreciate the truths of the Bible. As Jesus told such men in his day: “How can you believe, when you are accepting glory from one another and you are not seeking the glory that is from the only God?”​—John 5:44.

In the midst of this spiritual famine Jehovah has provided plenty. Where? Among his faithful Christian witnesses. This is even as he foretold: “Look! My own servants will eat, but you yourselves will go hungry. Look! My own servants will drink, but you yourselves will go thirsty.”​—Isa. 65:13.

FORETOLD IN A PROPHETIC DRAMA

This contrasting situation was accurately foretold by a prophetic drama enacted some 3,700 years ago, and it is recorded in the Bible book of Genesis, chapters 37 through 47.

Due to envy, his ten half brothers sold Joseph, the specially loved son of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob, into slavery. Eventually he became the slave of Potiphar, an Egyptian official, who placed Joseph over all his household. Then, because of not cooperating with the immoral desires of Potiphar’s wife, Joseph was unjustly accused of immorality and was cast into prison. It was while he was in this prison that Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt, had two dreams, which none of his ‘wise’ men were able to interpret. This circumstance caused Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer to remember that while he was in prison Joseph had correctly interpreted two dreams. So the chief cupbearer told Pharaoh about this. The Egyptian ruler promptly summoned Joseph to appear before him.

Just as Joseph had earlier observed that “interpretations belong to God,” so now, too, he directed honor to God, thereby showing himself to be a true witness for his Maker. (Gen. 40:8; 41:16) Upon being told the dreams, Joseph explained that they foretold that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He counseled Pharaoh to put a man in charge of storing grain during the years of plenty in preparation for the years of famine. Impressed by this obviously correct explanation of his dreams, Pharaoh made Joseph his prime minister and put him in charge of that work. During the seven years of plenty “Joseph continued piling up grain in very great quantity.”​—Gen. 41:49.

Eventually Joseph’s own half brothers also came down from the land of Canaan to Egypt for grain. Some twenty years having passed since they sold Joseph into slavery, the ten brothers did not recognize him. Besides, Joseph spoke to them through an interpreter to hide his identity.

Then Joseph skillfully contrived matters so as to put a real test upon his brothers. However, these men now showed that they had repented of the wrongs they had done to Joseph and his father. He then revealed himself to them and arranged for his father and all his large household to come to live in Egypt. As the famine continued, peoples from many lands came to Egypt for grain, and the Egyptians gradually exchanged all their belongings and even sold themselves and their land to Pharaoh for grain.

Were all these detailed events recorded solely to give us Bible history and to illustrate Bible principles? No, they were also recorded because they constituted a prophetic drama of things that were to occur many centuries later. That such events of ancient times might have prophetic significance is repeatedly noted in the Christian Scriptures.​—1 Cor. 10:11.

For example, the inspired apostle Paul shows that the two wives of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, were prophetic. Hagar, the bondwoman, and her son were typical of the fleshly nation of Israel, which was in bondage because of inability to keep the Law covenant. Sarah and her son were typical of Jehovah’s heavenly organization and Jesus Christ, together with his anointed footstep followers, who, like Sarah and her son, are free persons.​—Gal. 3:16, 29; 4:21-26.

THE CAST OF CHARACTERS

In the drama there were certain characters who played the more prominent roles, and there were also many lesser prophetic roles. Since Joseph was a faithful and obedient son who was instrumental in saving the lives of so many persons, whom would Joseph picture? He would well picture Jesus Christ, the most faithful and obedient Son of God and who is the Savior of humankind. (1 John 4:14) And since Jesus stated that that which was done to his followers was as done to him, we find that in this drama at times Joseph pictures Christ’s anointed footstep followers.​—Matt. 25:40.

Whom would Jacob, the Hebrew patriarch and father of Joseph and his brothers, picture? He would well picture the great Father of Jesus Christ and of Christ’s followers, namely, Jehovah God.​—John 20:17; Rom. 8:15, 16.

And what about Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt? He would well picture Jehovah God. How so? In that he was the one who empowered or authorized Joseph to serve as prime minister and food administrator, even as Jehovah God authorized and empowered Jesus Christ to be spiritual Food Administrator, giving life to the people. And did not Pharaoh also provide a daughter of a priestly family to be the wife of Joseph, even as Jehovah is providing a priestly bride for his Son, the Greater Joseph, Jesus Christ? Most assuredly!​—1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 14:1, 3; 20:4, 6.

What about Joseph’s ten half brothers who bore him an envious hatred and who brought so much suffering to their father? Would they not well picture those who at one time persecuted the Greater Joseph himself or his anointed footstep followers, but who then had a change of heart? That also would be a reasonable conclusion.

THE DRAMA UNFOLDS

The drama unfolds with Jacob sending Joseph to see how his half brothers are doing in the work of caring for his father’s flocks. So also Jehovah God sent the Greater Joseph, Jesus Christ, to earth to look after his Father’s interests. Similarly, in modern times God has sent out Christ’s anointed followers world wide to care for God’s interests.​—2 Cor. 5:20; Matt. 24:14.

The ten envious half brothers conspired to put Joseph to death, but then sold him into slavery. They thought that they had gotten rid of Joseph for all time. Those to whom Jesus came might be said to be his half brothers in that Jesus was born of a Jewish mother, though God was his Father. They behaved toward Jesus in a manner similar to that of Joseph’s half brothers. Out of envy the Jewish religious leaders successfully conspired to put Jesus to death and so thought that they had gotten rid of Jesus for all time.​—Mark 15:10.

Similarly, in modern times many in Christendom were envious of the favor that Jehovah bestowed upon his faithful anointed servants and conspired to get them out of the way. When these religious opposers succeeded, back in 1918, in causing the leading ones of Christ’s true followers to be put in prison and their work stopped, they thought they had gotten rid of Jehovah’s true servants and they would never hear of them anymore.​—Rev. 11:7-10.

In ancient times Jehovah God so maneuvered events that Joseph was exalted to become the prime minister of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. Likewise, in the first century of our Common Era Jehovah God caused Jesus to be raised from the dead and exalted to the highest place in the universe, second only to Jehovah himself. (Phil. 2:9-11) And in a similar way in modern times God caused the anointed remnant of Christ’s followers to arise from their deathlike and captive condition to become free and exalted to a position of favor with God for all to see.​—Rev. 11:11-13.

In the prophetic drama the seven years of plenty were followed by seven years of famine. However, in the fulfillment the years of plenty and famine run contemporaneously. Why this difference? Because while all people who suffer from a literal famine are keenly aware of their lack of food, this is not so with most of those afflicted by a spiritual famine. Only a few, comparatively speaking, of all of earth’s thousands of millions who are suffering from a spiritual famine are conscious of their spiritual need.​—Matt. 5:3.

For those who are aware of their need for spiritual food Jehovah God has provided plenty in the midst of earth-wide famine. The Greater Joseph, Jesus Christ, has upon earth a “faithful and discreet slave” organization through whom he is dispensing “food supplies at the proper time,” just as was foretold.​—Matt. 24:45-47; Luke 12:42-44.

And even as in the prophetic drama “people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy [grain] from Joseph,” so today a “great crowd, . . . out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues” have come to Jesus Christ the Greater Joseph for spiritual grain or bread. As a result, it is true of them, even as foretold: “They will hunger no more nor thirst any more, . . . because the Lamb [the Greater Joseph], who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them, and will guide them to fountains of waters of life.”​—Rev. 7:9-17.

And as the ten half brothers of Joseph were restored to his favor upon their manifesting true repentance and were provided with an abundance of food, so also in apostolic times. Some who had at one time persecuted Jesus and his followers became believers, such as “a great crowd of priests” and Saul of Tarsus. And similarly in modern times, some of those who had once persecuted Jehovah’s faithful servants have repented of their misdeeds and have been brought into the favor of Jesus Christ. Now they, too, no longer hunger from spiritual famine but rejoice in plenty of spiritual food.​—Acts 6:7; John 10:16; Gal. 1:23; Rev. 7:9.

The fact that the Egyptians finally sold their land and themselves, Joseph buying them for Pharaoh, so as to get food from Joseph is of striking prophetic significance. (Gen. 47:23) Thus all those today who would get life-sustaining spiritual food from the Greater Joseph must dedicate themselves and all that they have to Jehovah God. They must make a complete and unequivocal vow to do God’s will and to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. They thereby become Jehovah’s bond servants even as the Egyptians back there became the bond servants of Pharaoh.

Does the fact that those who today come to the Greater Joseph to dedicate their all to Jehovah mean that they will ever after be fed spiritually without any effort on their part? By no means! Jehovah’s principle ever is: “If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat.” (2 Thess. 3:10) In fact, God provided that Adam should work.​—Gen. 2:15.

And so it is in this prophetic drama of how Jehovah provides plenty in the midst of famine. Back there the Egyptians were given seed by Joseph so that they could plant and till their land. Upon harvesting their crops they were permitted to keep four-fifths of it and return but one-fifth for the seed and the use of the land​—a most equitable arrangement. Likewise today, those who have been spiritually fed by the Greater Joseph have the obligation to help others who are also conscious of their spiritual need.

No doubt about it, today there is a spiritual famine world wide. But Jehovah has provided an abundance of spiritual food through his dedicated, faithful servants, the anointed Joseph class and their devoted companions. Happy are all those that come to them to get their spiritual hunger and thirst satisfied! Still happier are all those ministering to the hungry and thirsty ones!​—Acts 20:35; Isa. 25:6.