Markets and Wages (3) Poor

The Instructions for Economic Life put two other restrictions on free markets.

The Poor
Everyone with wealth has an obligation to care for the poor within their neighbourhood. Gleaning is an example of a transaction where the free market price did not apply (Deut 24:19-22). The landowner made grain available to poor person at a zero price. The gleaner had to pay with their labour, but the landowner received no return at all. The market price did not apply to these transactions.

Another example was loans to people in financial difficulty. The neighbour was required to make the loan for zero interest. The market interest rate would usually be well above zero, especially when an allowance for the risk of default was built in to the market rate. This is another situation where the free market was constrained, and a free market price was not legitimate. Charging the market rate of interest would be morally wrong.

Famine
Charging free market prices is not legitimate during a famine.

People curse the one who hoards grain,
but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell (Prov 11:26).

Storing grain for tough times in the future is good and prices will always rise when food is scarce. This helps ration out scare supplies. But people who hold back grain and food during a famine just to force the price to excessive levels during a crisis, place themselves under a curse. People with surplus food should be careful about deciding what price they will charge. They must be careful not to just follow the market.

Time of Distress (4) - Black Horse

The Black Horse represents a worldwide famine caused by a serious economic collapse.

Before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine” (Rev 6:5,6).

The cause of the famine is not explained, but the results are very clear. The Greek measure used here is a "choinix". It was the daily ration for a soldier in active service. The coin mentioned is a denarius, which was the equivalent of a day’s wages. John saw a famine so severe, that a daily ration of wheat will cost a day’s wages. Barley was a little cheaper as it was considered to be of poorer quality. The situation will be so severe that ordinary people will have to use all they can earn to buy food.

The wealthy will not be affected. Luxury items like oil and wine are not to be damaged. The main shortage will be basic food items. Zechariah saw black horses moving to the north. In the modern world, the northern nations tend to be wealthy, and poorer nations tend to be in the south. John is warning that people in the wealthy nations may experience famine; something they have not known in recent years.

Earthquakes Wars and Famines

Many Christians believe that earthquakes, wars and famines are a sign that the second coming is close. The belief is based on Jesus statement in Matthew 24:4-7.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

There are two problems with this belief. The first is that Jesus was warning about the destruction of Jerusalem and not the second coming (for more on this see Jesus Big Prophecy). He was adamant these would happen within the life times of his listeners.

I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (Matt 24:34-35).

When Jesus said that “all these things” must take place while the current generation was alive, he was referring back to his statement about the temple and the disciples question.

Do you see all these things… not one stone here will be left on another (Matt 24:2).

Tell us, when will these things be (Matt 24:3)?

The only catastrophe that took place within the appropriate time span was the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, so when Jesus spoke about wars famines and earthquakes, he was not talking about his second coming. He was describing things that would happen before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Jesus warnings were fulfilled, as these things did happen in the period before the Roman armies laid siege and destroyed Jerusalem.

1. War - Rome had enjoyed a long period of peace, but not long after the ascension of Jesus, war and strife became widespread in the empire. Four Roman emperors died violently in a space of eighteen months. A war between the Syrians and the Jews led to the death of 20,000 Jews.

2. Famine - Acts 11:28 records a famine that occurred during the reign of the Emperor Claudius. This famine spread to many parts of the empire and was followed by a pestilence that killed many people.

3. Earthquakes are recorded in a variety of places prior to AD 70. The city of Pompeii was severely damaged by an earthquake in AD 63. Other earthquakes occurred in Crete, Smyrna Miletus, Laodicea, Colossae, Rome and Judea.

The wars, famines and earthquakes that Jesus spoke of have already occurred. They were nothing to do with the second coming.

The second problem is that wars, famines and earthquakes are not a real sign. Before speaking of these things, Jesus actually warned his disciples not to be deceived by them.

Watch out that no one deceives you (Matt 24:4).

The disciples had asked for a sign that would indicate that the fall of Jerusalem was near. Before giving the specific signs, Jesus gave some unreliable signs and warned his listeners not to be deceived by them. The misleading signs were wars famines and earthquake. His followers should ignore these signs when deciding what to do.

Jesus explained why these are unreliable signs. The reason is simple.

See to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen (Matt 24:6).

The reasons they are not to be alarmed is that these types of things are “bound to happen”. Wars, famines and earthquakes have been common throughout human history. Because they happen so frequently, they cannot be meaningful signs. Those who see these things as signs of the second coming will be continually getting false alarms.

There was a good reasons why wars, famines and earthquakes occurred during the last days of the temple system.

All these are the beginning of sorrows (Matt 12:6).

When a people or nation loses the blessing of God, troubles and sorrows always follows. The people of Israel had rejected their messiah, so they lost the protection of God. Sorrows were inevitable. These wars, earthquakes and famines were the just the beginning of the sorrow, that they would experience over the next few thousand years. This is true in all situations. When nations reject God, troubles will follow.

During the last two thousand years, rejection of God has been common, so naturally wars, famines and earthquakes have been common. Things that happen frequently cannot be a sign of the second coming. They are a sign that a culture has lost God’s blessing. Those who read more than that into them will be deceived.

When Jesus spoke about wars, famines and earthquakes, he was not talking about the second coming. Furthermore, he stated explicitly that they are not real signs. The widespread Christian belief that wars famines and earthquakes are a sign of the second coming is a bizarre distortion of his words.