A Famine in the Land: Christians and people, in general, are unaware of what’s taking place on our earth currently. They are unaware of what’s to come in some years. In actuality, what I’m talking about has already taken place beginning when God sent the tribe of Judah (the remaining tribe of Israel) into the prophesied worldwide captivity. He refrained them from being a nation, especially one with His name.
In 70 A.D. after the Roman-Jewish wars, the nation of Israel was now completely removed from the land of Israel and removed from their priestly duties. The children of Israel were originally set up to be the priest of God and administer God’s Word and law to the rest of the nations (Exodus 19:5-6).
With the children of Israel carted off into captivity around the world, they couldn’t do their job or they couldn’t do it as effectively. This is like a CEO being fired and thrown out of the world’s leading company.
Status and Influence
As a bum of the street or working in the mailroom or kitchen of another company, he still may have CEO knowledge and skills (if his confidence hasn’t been kicked rotten). However he certainly doesn’t have the status and stature, and most importantly, the influence he once had as a CEO.
This status influence and stature makes it easy to listen to someone. I mean who would we rather take information from when it comes to selling retail online, Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, or Mike Tyson, former heavyweight boxing champion?
The children of Israel lost this status as priests of God. To be a priest or leader that requires expert status, the status and stature are important for influence. With Israel out as leaders, this left the Word of God in the hands of the rulers of the world at that time. These world leaders, for the most part, used the Word of God as a means to control the people.
Jesus Warned of a Famine in the Land
The word of God, the oracles, the covenants, and the giving of the law was originally given to the priest of God. The priest of God is the children of Israel. When the nation went into captivity, their writings, what we call the Bible, fell into the hands of the heathens (the nations).
When Israel fell into a prophesied captivity, Jesus (Yashawasha-the paleo Hebrew script of His name) warned the world about a famine in the land. This is not a famine of food or water, instead, this is a spiritual famine.
And the land is not speaking of a particular nation or country, instead, it is speaking of the entire earth. As we follow this in its entirety in this study topic, we will learn that the famine is of the Word of God.
God’s Kingdom Coming to the Earth
There will come a time where the Word of God will be very famished on the earth. Looking at it today, we can see that a famine has already indeed taken place. We can tell because the commands in the Bible are completely ignored by today’s teachers of the Word of God.
It is 2018 and the Christian world at large is still under the belief they are going to heaven as opposed to God’s Kingdom coming to the earth. People of Christian Biblical faiths still believe the dead are in heaven as opposed to scripture that says the dead are in their graves. They are awaiting the resurrection, which takes place at the coming of Jesus Christ.
I certainly wish I could express this without hurting feelings, and the only way I can come close to that is to ask all of us to remove our feelings. The Lord operates in matters of law and order. None of us can go before a court with no documentation and no witness.
Documentation Alleviates Things…
We cannot go in on all emotion and feeling and think the court would grant us anything. Our rights and privileges as humans are in the pages of the Bible. This is where we must study. The scriptures will lead us to other areas of sovereignty and dominion, things we can use wisdom and understand. Documentation will alleviate the famine.
So let us go and look at some documented scriptures that will point things out clearly. We should learn that this famine in the land is not speaking of physical food or drink. Instead, we are speaking of the word of God.
In St. John chapter 21:14-17.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Feed My Sheep and Lambs
The scriptures above recount a moment where Jesus returned to His disciples after His resurrection and gave them their final instructions and witness. The instructions were they were to go out into the world and deliver the word of God to His lost sheep.
It was the third time that Jesus showed Himself to His disciples. This was after He’d risen from the dead and He was speaking with Simon Peter. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. Simon Peter confessed, “of course, you know that I love you.”
Jesus responded, “if you love me then feed my lambs.” After that Jesus asked Peter a second time saying, “Simon son of Jonas do you love me,” and again Simon Peter said “Lord, you know that I love you.”
Peter Grieved in His Heart
Jesus again commanded Peter to “feed my sheep.” The third time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, and Peter was kind of grieved. He was grieved that Jesus would have to ask him three times if he loved Him. Nevertheless, Peter went ahead and said: “Lord you know all things and you know that I love you.”
The Lord asked him again to feed his sheep. Jesus referred to His people as “His sheep” and referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. In St. John chapter 10 in verse 14, Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd and He knows His sheep and His sheep know who He is.
Jesus has His sheep of the main fold, the House of Jacob. The main fold is the physical sons and daughters of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob). A subject most the world have famished themselves on, the true physical sons and daughters of Abraham.
Sheep of Another Fold
However, Jesus has another set of sheep, which are not of ‘this’ fold, and this additional set of sheep speaks particularly to the nations that are not physical children of Israel (Isaiah 56:6-8). The other nations are also part of the sheep who Jesus must bring and they will hear His voice and be His sheep. Together they all will be one fold and have one shepherd, Jesus the Messiah.
Therefore in pleading with Peter to feed His flock, Jesus was commanded Peter to teach His people. Peter has to teach the Word of God so they can deliver themselves. My mother pleaded with me and my brothers growing up to learn to cook for ourselves. This was so so that we would always be able to eat.
This is what Jesus pleaded with Peter; teach my people to cook (read study and do) so that they can always feed upon the Word of God! This study topic will explore more of the depth to this subject, the famine in the land!
Selah
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