"NEW DEAL" SCARCITY AND BIBLE ABUNDANCE

NO SCARCITY

Bible Economics never justifies the limiting of crops, stock, or labor, but announces: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (GEN. 3:19); "Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought... this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat" (II Thess. 3:8). No dole for idleness here. The corollary of these pronouncements obligates the stewards of wealth, individual and national, to furnish work.

REVERSING THE WISDOM OF THE ALMIGHTY

To labor is promised bountiful multiplication, not restraint, of seed sown; abundant, not restricted crops. In fact, the wisdom given to man to plow, harrow, roll, sow the land; to reap and thresh the crops, and to prepare food therefrom, is ascribed to God: "For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him" (Isa. 28:24-29).

"He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth. "Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labor until the evening" (Ps. 104:14, 23).

This beneficent arrangement is ascribed to the manifold wisdom of God who filled the earth with riches, and gives them to man's labor:

"And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

"He blesseth them also, so that they are MULTIPLIED GREATLY; and suffereth not their cattle to DECREASE" (Ps. 107:37, 38). Thus:

"These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season" (Ps. 104:27).

Into this picture enter the young man and maiden. They grow, develop, love, marry and contribute progeny to this normal state. Also, vigorous old men are seen who renew their youth like the eagle's and are hale, hearty, active and productive until the last, still bringing forth fruit in their old age; e. g., Moses died at 120, not from infirmity but because God took him unto himself. His natural force was not abated nor his sight dimmed until the last. There is a way of developing vigorousness instead of dependency in our prematurely old men. Bible health economics would save the government billions.

Wait upon Him "Who giveth food to all flesh" (Ps. 136:25).

What shall be said of a class who defy these laws-corrupters who "speak loftily and wickedly concerning oppression?" So Bible Economics describes them:

"Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish" (Ps. 73:7).

Yet they would thwart the answering of this prayer:

"That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets" (Ps. 144:13).

And would give the lie to this note of praise:

"Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing" (Ps. 145:16).

Restraint of production would close the liberal hand of God, and block the answer of inspired prayers to Him for food.

"That there shall be NO MISCARRIAGE in the stall."

God established the law of animal fecundity for the supply of man's meat -- that every living creature should bring forth according to its kind. Defying these laws puts men on the spot of supreme egotism. Are they wiser than God!

Creating scarcity amidst abundance is a fearful assumption of omnipotent prerogatives. Man cannot create abundance amidst scarcity. Only One "maketh the hinds to calve."

"Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field" (Eccles. 5:9).

"There is a time wherein ONE MAN ruleth over another to his own hurt" (Eccles. 8:9).  THE PRAISE OF FOLLY

"There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:

"Folly is set in great dignity, and [significant of our times] the RICH SIT IN LOW PLACE" (Eccles. 10:5, 6). This policy has set princes afoot; and placed beggars on horseback. Yet only in the prosperity of the rich, rightly used, is the prosperity of all possible.

Trusting in oppression, having pride in robbery, making a throne of iniquity where mischief is framed by law of legislative bodies intended to dispense justice, such rulers cannot by any possible external worship, claim to patriotism, or zeal for reform, have fellowship with Him, the habitation of whose throne is justice and judgment (Ps. 89:14), nor escape, ultimately, the penalty payment of adequate compensation.

He commanded that all of the fruit of the soil, tree, vine, and stock be gathered and preserved. Even the "gleanings" and the "fragments" must be gathered "that nothing be lost." Because, however great the surpluses of plentiful harvests and increases of bumper crop years beyond immediate need, wanton destruction, or willful waste, invited woeful want in the ever-contingent years of scarcity, or of famine.

A BENEVOLENT DICTATOR

Our Egyptologists -- historians and archaeologists-would render a great service against the contingent famine due us for our forgetfulness of God if they discovered the methods of food preservation the godly Prime Minister, Joseph, employed during the seven years of famine in Egypt.

For during each of the seven years the famine lasted, food was eaten that had been in storage for seven years, thus preserving life. (GENESIS 41st to 55th chapters).

Joseph's plan of relief administration was unique. As long as money lasted, food was exchanged for it; then he exchanged food for cattle; then for land, until the Crown owned all of Egypt's land.

The famine over, the land reverted to the original owners, except the single tax of one-fifth [6] which Joseph had imposed during the seven years of plenty, not for idle hoarding, selfish speculation, or inequitable distribution, but storing for the use of the people pro rata to each one's need when the famine struck. This is a side light on the right use of storage.

"He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it" (Prov. 11:26).

What a striking contrastive picture this! The benevolent cold-storage baron who is satisfied with a reasonable return on his investment, happy in his service to the people, and their grateful benediction upon his head, and the marble-hearted profiteer who thinks of his own gain and holds back the corn the people need for unearned price-advance, skulking along under the peoples' curse. I have met, among this class, barons who stole thus millions from the peoples' necessity, and were so far deceived by the devil that they ascribed the proceeds of such theft to the blessing of God.

And, by extension of the right use of the storage principle, the people shall bless the government which forbids the unlawful withholding of corn, food, fuel, and life's necessities, and enforces legislation for equitable distribution.

Fortunately for the famine-stricken Egyptians, Joseph knew not of the modern psychopathic-ward-wisdom that creating scarcity would make for prosperity. Artificially-created scarcity leads not to plenty, but to, poverty.

"There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth," and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but IT tends to poverty" (Prov. 11:24).

6 -- This was a master stroke of economy, circumventing the multitudinous taxes and their bureaucratic administrative cost, under which we groan.