Subsistence or Surplus?
by John Edwards
I can think of a couple of instances where God was sanctioning a
more-than-a-subsistence level lifestyle, and I'd like to submit to
you the way which my thinking is developing, since you're going to be
a father of nations.
One instance is the seven fruitful years which preceded the seven
years of famine in Egypt. During the seven fruitful years, Joseph
bought-up all the surplus corn produced by the Egyptians.
Well if they hadn't been producing enough surplus to sell - and in
their minds make a profit on - then there wouldn't have been any in
store for the coming famine.
So we see that God used their industry, which was motivated by
profit, to save lives.
Similarly, the book of Proverbs actually commends the animal that
gathered its food in summer so that it would have provision for
winter.
That principle can be applied beyond the individual, to a nation - a
nation of individuals producing abundantly above what is immediately
needed for their own families, selling the surplus for a profit - with
the result that the Gross National Product of the nation puts the
nation in a financial position to be able to cope with any future
situation, such as:
winter
famine
war
enabling the nation to lend foreign aid
or to build a great temple to the glory of God's Name
or simply to have a better standard of living for God's purposes
Another instance is where God promised them that He would bless the
produce of the land in the sixth year by 300% - so that they would
not only have enough to eat that year, but also have plenty to eat
during the seventh year in which they had to let their land rest (the
Yeomans might like that), plus enough to eat in the eighth year when
they were allowed to sow their fields again but still had to wait for
the next harvest.
Imagine a modern national economy producing three times its normal
annual Gross National Product in one year!
I tend to think the Bible commends the principle of "laying up in
store for a time to come", both spiritually - by living a life that
prepares us for the world to come; and physically - by preparing our
food in summer to last through the winter.
Another example is that in the year of tithing, when the Israelites were
to travel from all over the nation to the house of the Lord in
Jerusalem bringing the tenth part of all their primary produce which
belonged to the Lord, it says that it was permissible for a person
who lived far away to sell his produce and turn it into money,
because it was difficult for him to transport his livestock all the
way up to Jerusalem.
Now firstly, the nation was obviously producing on a national scale
more than what they needed, or else they couldn't have survived if
everyone gave away 10% of what they produced.
Secondly, they had to be producing more than merely a 10% surplus
because tithing wasn't the only giving the nation did. There were
other offerings such as sin offerings, burnt offerings, peace
offerings and free-will offerings.
In fact, three times a year there were feasts held in Jerusalem when much of the nation had to gather. Imagine the logistics of that on a
national scale - there were possibly as many as 12 million people in Israel at
the time.
As you know, I worked-out that the average per capita value of the
gold, silver and labour that was donated by the Israeli workforce
towards the building of the Temple was $66,666. That's per person.
That represents considerably more than a subsistence lifestyle!
On top of all that, the entire tribe of Levi was given no
land-inheritance in Israel - the Lord and the priesthood was their
inheritance. This meant that to a significant extent, the whole of
the rest of the nation must have been blessed over and above what was
absolutely needed for themselves so that the Levites could eat as
well.
And this wasn't a one-off event like the building of the
Temple - it had to happen year in and year out.
Israel surely had to be one very blessed economy, to be able to
achieve all of that surplus activity beyond mere subsistence.
They were blessed above all people round about them, and more populous too.
The reason God made them so populous and so blessed was so that He
could establish His covenant with them.
I believe God also has a covenant with us that He wants to establish.
And for us here in Australia, God's plans for us will necessitate
that His people grow in population as well as in finances.
God has plans to bless his Body all over the world - so He can use us
and establish His covenant with us.
Thirdly, the very fact that they were able to sell the tenth of their
primary produce, and the fact that this was recommended by the Law,
shows that it wouldn't have been a difficult thing to try to find a
buyer.
This must mean that in any given location, there were always
plenty of people who wanted to buy various primary produce. So
evidently families generally were not completely self-sufficient but
were in the habit of often buying what extra they needed.
What I'm trying to get at is that this particular point of Law (Moses' Law)
presupposes the pre-existence of an economy of buying and selling,
rather than of a 100% self-sufficient, subsistence economy.
In the past you've discussed possible reasons why God would want to
bless his covenant-man with an over abundance - and you suggested one
reason could be for defence.
Kenneth Copeland asks the same question, "What is God's reason for
prospering His people? Is it so we can watch bigger TVs? So we can
buy finer houses and more luxurious cars?"
Based on Deuteronomy 8:18, he answers, "Establishing God's covenant
on the earth and giving to those in need: Those are God's purposes
for prosperity!
...What do you think will happen to the heart of a starving
nation when you bring in a 747 full of food, clothes and medical
supplies to them in the Name of Jesus and His love? The hearts of
those people are going to soften! They're going to be willing to
listen to what we have to say about Jesus.
Don't you ever let anyone tell you it's wrong to want to prosper.
It's wrong for you not to want to prosper when that prosperity can
mean the difference between heaven and hell for millions of people.
Forget about your own little needs. Raise your vision and set your
mind on giving to meet someone else's, on establishing God's covenant
in the earth. Then stand fast in faith and get ready to enjoy the
greatest prosperity you've ever known".
Rushdooney, who wrote "Institutes of Biblical Law" was an Armenian
emigrant to the USA. You are aware of the genocide by the Muslim
Turks against the Armenians. So it is no wonder that Rushdooney's
heart became so open to revelation about godly government and
biblical economy once he arrived in the land of the brave and the
home of the free; and no surprise that he favoured the philosophy of
limiting the role of government while elevating the individual to the
highest level of freedom under God.
Another famous Armenian escapee to America was Demos Shakarian,
founder of the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International.
His story is that just before the genocide, Pentecostal prophets from
Russia arrived in Turkey and Armenia to warn the believers there that
they should flee, due to a coming persecution.
(And this was before Pentecostalism had its "official" beginning.
Just goes to show - God was already pouring out the gifts of His
Spirit in unknown places, before the well-known Pentecostal revival
even started!)
The Armenian church was said to be the oldest surviving Christian
community in the world.
At that time, some of Shakarian's group had a vision of an overseas
destination which they later learned to be America.
Demos Shakarian became the largest dairy farmer in Californian
history. God even supernaturally healed his cows of tuberculosis at
a time when the authorities were slaying infected cows all over
California.
And the ministry he founded had a large role in spreading the Charismatic movement and the faith and healing movement. So praise God for a Christian capitalist like him!
When we forget about the suffering of men like Shakarian and
Rushdooney and William Penn and George Whitefield - suffering which
forged the philosophy of freedom and industry and thinking of the
United States - we can take that freedom and economy for granted and
forget that it all came about because of God's heart, because God saw
the plight of His children, and their newfound freedom was God's plan
all along for His people through the Gospel.
I think Christians who don't believe in prosperity are unaware or
they've forgotten what it was like without prosperity and freedom.
And they seem to be unaware that the prosperity they now enjoy came
about through the Gospel anyway.
And many academics who knock America and Western society forget that
they wouldn't even have the freedom to express that view if it wasn't
for America's and the Allied's role in World Wars I & II for example.
The same can be said about Australia's freedom as has been said about America's.
Nearly 2 million people died in Ireland in the 1800's because of a
combination of the potato famine and the changing land laws which
disadvantaged the small man. Consequently the common Irishman
developed a national character of dissent but with no hope that
anything would ever change.
Enter colonial Australia. Irish immigrants were able to make a small fortune in
Goulbourn gold mines and soon became owners of half a million acres
each. Now their hospitality typically included whole roasted animals and their
guests even took home food to spare. They had weekly dances with live
music. The hopeless Irish small man had now become like kings. They
were now able to influence land laws, and government itself.
Early Australia saved many lives. It lifted people out of the
hopelessness of their European economic and political situation and
gave them opportunities without limits.
The European clash between Catholic and Protestant was much less
pronounced in early Australia. Bushmen just got on with the job of
living together.
Scarcely a greater freedom was ever seen anywhere in the world!
The "currency lads and lasses" developed a personality of tremendous
optimism, cheerfulness and playfulness and carried a sense of health and well-being such as had scarcely been seen anywhere in the world.
And their first chaplain, Rev. Richard Johnstone saw to it that every
one of them had Bibles and received a Christian education.
God's heart is for salvation, health and prosperity!
Look at the prophecies surrounding the birth of Jesus, and see how
many of them speak about peace on earth, good will towards men,
deliverance from enemies, release for prisoners, good news for the
poor, healing the broken-hearted, recovery of sight to the blind.
The Messianic prophecies speak of government, and of cities and
economies being built.
God is as interested in our political freedom and economic prosperity
as He is in our physical health and spiritual salvation. Each of these
aspects of our salvation are inseparable in God's heart.
God's favourite verse (according to Jesse Duplantis):
"Beloved I wish above ALL THINGS that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospers".