Biblical Economic Laws and Principles

The economy has been much in the news lately, the last few years especially, as we all know. And this has been seen as the major issue in the political campaign that is going on this year. Did you hear the news recently that in the past four years, the net worth of American families has decreased by 40%? We're going down from somewhere around 130,000 or so to around 70,000 or so. The net worth would be that the possessions that a family has, as far as bank accounts, savings accounts, the value of their home and land, any land, vehicles, and so forth, any assets, then minus debts, mortgages, and money that is owed. The result would be the net worth. It's not encouraging at all when families have lost 40% of their net worth. In the past four years, we have seen things devastating to our national and world economy. We have seen giant bailouts to keep the economy of the nation floating with huge debts, putting us deeper and deeper in debt as a nation. Unemployment rates have remained high and just very stubborn as far as coming down much at all. Interest rates have been held at low levels by the Federal Reserve in order to try to stimulate business.

It's a global economy, and all nations of the earth have been affected by it. The European nations are struggling to save their euro. They met this past week, and they came to some agreements which are supposed to help save their economy. Stock markets have bounced up and down with every turn of news to the good or to the bad.

Banks have had their credit ratings lowered. And so the world's economic system has been severely shaken. As far as here in the United States, many people are quite pessimistic about the economy as far as the future. An article that came out just this past Tuesday in the Ashboro newspaper, the Courier Tribune, says in an Associated Poll that half of Americans say it won't matter much whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney wins the presidential election. It won't really alter the economy that much. James Gray of Snow Hill, North Carolina, is skeptical. It doesn't look to me like the economy or nothing gets better no matter who you've got up there.

I don't know why it is. You know, one thing that America's had in the past, maybe to a greater extent than other nations, is a certain optimism. But that optimism has been waning. This article goes on to say that years of disappointing economic news following the 2007-9 recession have deflated American optimism. And two-thirds of the people still describe the economy as poor, and two-thirds expect unemployment to stay where it is or climb even higher. So there's not a strong confidence or faith is there in the future.

Even young people are having trouble finding jobs. Let me read from another newspaper article that came out in the Currier Tribune in Ashboro on Wednesday, June 20th. The job market is shrinking for teenagers as well. This article brings out that a summer job used to be a way that a young person could have his first job and his important first reference as a worker, first reference from an employer. Employer, if he goes down to get a job somewhere during the summer, the employer, if he puts down the young person, shows up on time, he works hard, he doesn't complain, then that's an important first step on the Currier ladder.

The summer jobs for teenagers, once a rite of passage to adulthood, are disappearing. The employee teens peaked at close to 60% and remained generally above 50% until 2001, but the employment rate of teens 16 to 19 fell to 29.6% last summer, the lowest since World War II.

More than 40% of teenagers who want summer jobs cannot find them or cannot find jobs that give them enough hours. So young people are being affected by it, and of course, as we know, there are even college graduates that have a degree, a university degree, that are having trouble finding a job. So what kind of future is there for young people?

What kind of future is there for any of us as far as that goes? What's the answer to the economic situation that we find ourselves in? It's kind of a mess, isn't it? It's an economic mess. What does the Bible say about an economy or the economy? What about us? What should we be doing? What's our best bet as far as the future and surviving? There are biblical principles on an economy and on money. There are laws and principles that would help to make our economy well if they were followed. And these principles will be followed in the world to come. So let's get into some of these questions today. What is the answer to the economic situation we have in the world?

Are there answers in the Bible? Like always, the answers are found in the Scriptures that would solve our economic mess if we were to follow them. I'd like to first of all ask the question and have us to consider, is it wrong to have money? Is it wrong to have an economy? You know, the Bible has a lot to say about money, actually. And many people think that money is an evil, but many, many Scriptures bring out that money is not an evil unless it is misused.

There is a verse in 1 Timothy 6 that says, many people leave out an important part of that verse, they say, money is the root of all evil. That's not exactly what it says. It says, the love of money is a root of all evil. Or as the New King James translation says, all kinds of evils. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. And it is. The love of money can lead to greed, it can lead to corruption. All kinds of evils result from the love of money. But money itself is not evil at all. In fact, one verse, Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 12, says that money is a defense. How is that? Well, it's a defense when you need a dollar and you can put your hand on one that might save the day for you and help you to get through. So money certainly is a defense. This Scripture just means it's good to have money when there is a need for it. No, it's not wrong to have money. It's not wrong to have an economic system. Let's turn over to Genesis chapter 23. Genesis chapter 23. And in the days of Abraham, we see an economy at work. We see a financial system that was operating, and Abraham operated within that economic system.

And just as we strive today to operate within the economic system that we are in. In Genesis chapter 23, the setting for this chapter is that Sarah had died, and Abraham was looking for a place where he could bury his wife. He came to ones in his area around Hebron.

In verse 9, he wanted this cave of Machpelah, which is at the end of his field. He said, Let him give it to me at the full price. Abraham wanted to pay the full price. He wasn't asking for a handout. As property for a burial place among you. Now, Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heath, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heath, all who entered at the gate of his city.

And he said, No, my Lord, hear me. I give you the field and the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people.

I give it to you. Bury your dead. And Abraham bowed himself down to the people of the land. He realized it really would not be the best to have this just as a gift. He wanted to not be indebted to them in some way. He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people, and he said, If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.

So Abraham insisted upon paying for this piece of property. Ephron answered Abraham, saying, My Lord, listen to me. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? It's not a big deal to us. So bury your dead.

Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out silver. For Ephron, which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, 400 shekels of silver. Notice, currency of the merchants. This was standard money that was used in doing business. They had a standard economy, or currency, in that particular area anyway. So he weighed out 400 shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field in the cave which was in, and all the trees in the field, the surrounding borders were deeded to Abraham as a possession.

Was it a written deed? I wouldn't be surprised. Or was it just a handshake? Either way, it was witnessed by many. It was deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. And this, Abram buried Sarah, his wife, in this cave. And so, verse 20, the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place. You know what? This seems like a pretty standard transaction that would be very similar to what we would do today. We want a certain property, we ask about it, we get a fair market price on it, and then we hand over the money, we write a check, we do whatever, and the property is deeded to us.

It's very much like we would do business today. So there was an economy that was in operation at that time, and Abraham was working within that particular economy. The shekel was a weight of money that Abraham used, in this case, 400 shekels, whatever that would be in our weight today, of silver to buy this piece of property.

So actually, humans then have been doing business like pretty much the way that we do business today, down through history. There are some differences today. We've not always had paper money, like we've had in more recent years, more recent times, but there have been ways to do business down through human history. I'd like to read from the World Book Encyclopedia article, Money. In the earliest times, men have used odd kinds of money.

They often have chosen goods which were hard to get and highly desired, such as salt and nails. That's where, whether you're worth your salt or not, actually gets its origin.

Giraffe tails have been used as money in one part of Africa. Giraffe tails. Whale's teeth have served as currency in the Fiji Islands. The importance of cattle and shells as money still can be seen in our language. The word pecuniary means monetary, coming from the Latin word picus, which means cattle.

Our expression to shell out money means to pay, and it comes from the use of shells, such as calorie shells, as money. The Maya Indians used cacao beans as currency. As civilizations became more complicated, men realized how difficult it was to carry on trade by barter and by using bulky goods as money.

They began to use gold, silver, and jewels as money, and they began to make conveniently shaped coins from metal. The earliest and known coin was from Asia Minor in 700 BC, but there certainly may have been some type of coins even before that. In earlier systems of money, the value of coins was determined by the weight and the purity of the metal.

The shekel, which is mentioned in the Bible, was originally a weight, as was also the talent. So, you know, doing business using money has been pretty standard practice down through most of human history since the very beginning. Again, money is not an evil. It's the way that it is used, or can be used, that can become evil and wrong. It's not wrong to have an economy. And so certainly there's much reference in the Bible to commerce and doing business, the spending of money, shekels of silver, shekels of gold, much mention of money and an economic system in the Bible.

So certainly then it's not wrong to have an economy today, but what are some of the important principles as far as money and an economy that need to be considered? Certainly you would say love for neighbor, fairness and honesty, no corruption and greed. That would all be a very vital part of any economy. I want to give you at this point some principles from the Bible that would, some laws actually and principles that God gave to ancient Israel that would have a huge impact on an economy.

If a nation were to follow this, if this type of instruction was followed, and we'll see this as we develop it, it would tend to more evenly distribute wealth. Today in our own country, you can read articles and do research. A very small percentage of people own a vast majority of the wealth. In other words, they're very rich. A very few people are very, very, very rich. And the rich are actually getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. So this instruction that God gave ancient Israel would tend to more evenly distribute the wealth and it's an economy that would be based upon the ownership of land and real estate.

Something that is very tangible. Let's go to the book of Leviticus, chapter 25. I want us to spend a little bit of time considering the laws and the principles that are brought out in this chapter. I personally wonder if this will not be the economic basis for the millennium, for the world tomorrow. That God is going to let this be put into effect because it's an economy that would actually spread the wealth to everyone. If the earth has plenty of riches and plenty of wealth, if everyone gets his fair share, there would be plenty for everyone.

A person, after all, doesn't need to make billions and billions of dollars, does he? Let's put it in terms of our present economy. Does a person need millions and millions of dollars to have a good standard of living in the USA? No, he doesn't. A person can have a very good quality of living, far, far, just a small percentage of a million dollars. So, it can take 50 or 50,000 dollars. It just depends upon where you are, what part of the country, and just how the money is used and managed. That makes a person to have a very nice standard of living. Let's notice here in Leviticus chapter 25, beginning in verse 2.

You shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself. Okay, seven times seven years, and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you 49 years. Okay, seven of those 49 years will be land rest years, every seventh year, including number 49. Then, verse 9, you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, and on the day of atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year. So, on that day of atonement they would make this trumpet to sound, and they would consecrate, set aside the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty through all the land to all its inhabitants.

It shall be a Jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his possession. What does that mean? And each of you shall return to his family. Notice that they went back to their possessions, they went back to their families. Well, let the Scriptures go on to explain what is happening here. That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you, in it you shall neither sow nor reap, what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. For it is the Jubilee, it shall be holy to you.

So this is like a year that is holy, and set apart for special purposes. You shall eat its produce from the field. In this year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession. Again, what does that mean? It will be explained as we read on down. If you sell anything to your neighbor, or buy anything from your neighbor's hand, you shall not oppress one another. You know, that's one of the major laws of a healthy economy. You shall not oppress one another.

You shall not be greedy. You shall not mistreat anyone in an economic way. There shall be no corruption in your economic dealings. You shall not oppress one another. According to the...let's read on down. If you sell anything to your neighbor, then, or buy anything, you will not...shall not oppress. You'll establish a fair market price, is what that means. According to the number of years after the Jubilee, you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you. We'll see that this is more like leasing out your land.

According to the multitude of years, you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years, you shall diminish its price. For he sells to you according to the number of years of the crops. You lease it out the number of years until the next Jubilee.

If you lease out in a 50-year span of time, there would be 42 years that you could have crops. Eight years would be sabbatical years. Every seventh year plus the Jubilee. Eight out of 50. So 42 crops, if you sold someone the lease of your land, all 42 crops, he would pay more money. And if you're part of the way through the 50-year period and only have less years, he would pay less because there are less number of crops he can grow.

That's what that is talking about. Verse 17 again emphasizes, you shall not oppress one another. You are to then try to get more out of him than is fair and right and honest. To be honest and fair with each other in your financial dealings. You shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God. We see a lot of things that impact the economy already. Let's read on down. You shall observe my statutes and keep my judgments. And God will provide these next few verses, and you will know that God will provide enough food to tide them over the years in which they were to have a sabbatical.

Really, when you think about it, that doesn't sound too bad, does it? You work hard for six years, and then God blesses you so much in the sixth year you have enough for the seventh year and the eighth year until the crops begin to come in again. So that doesn't sound too bad at all to have a break like this. In verse 23, we begin to have an explanation about the land that has profound economic impact. The land shall not be sold permanently. Farm land was just to be to remain in the...

it belonged to the family to whom it was apportioned or given. It shall not be sold permanently, for the land is mine, for you are strangers and sojourners with me. In all the land of your possession, you shall grant redemption of the land. What does that mean? Redemption of the land. Well, it means this, verse 25, if one of your brethren becomes poor and has sold some of his possession he's sold out the crops for a certain number of years ahead, and if his kinsman, Redeemer, comes to redeem it, wants to buy it back for him, then he may redeem what his brother sold.

Somebody can come along and help their brother to get back on his feet again. Verse 26, if a man has no one to redeem it, but if he himself becomes able to redeem it, he saves up his money and he wants to buy back the years that he sold. Then let him count the years since its sale and restore the balance to the man to whom he sold it. That he may return to his possession so a person could always come back to his land.

He could just pay for the number of crops remaining and he could have his land back. But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the year of Jubilee. And in the Jubilee it shall be released and he shall return to his possession. If a man sells, we'll stop right there in just a moment. So this is the law concerning the sale of farmland. The farmland was not sold permanently.

It stayed in the name of the family. It could be leased out according to the number of crops until the next Jubilee, for more or for less. Okay, let's get to the... what about a house in the cities? Alright, and what about a house in the small towns in the countryside? Okay, those are covered next. Verse 29. If a man sells a house in a walled city, this would be a larger city, then he may redeem it, he can buy it back to himself within a whole year after it is sold. Within a full year, he may redeem it.

Maybe he has a change of mind. He'd like to hang on to this house and not sell it permanently. Verse 30, if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it throughout his generations.

So it permanently becomes a permanent property of the buyer. It shall not be released in the Jubilee. It's permanent. It belongs now to the new... to the buyer. After one year. In verse 31, However, the houses of villages that have no wall around them, this would be more smaller towns out on the countryside, shall be counted as the fields of the country.

They may be redeemed and they shall be released in the Jubilee. So houses in these smaller villages in the countryside would have the same laws as the land itself. But the cities of the Levites and the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time. If a man purchases a house from the Levites, then the house that was sold in the city of his possession shall be released in the year of Jubilee.

The houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. But the field of the common land of their cities may not be sold. It is their perpetual possession. There are some different special rules that apply to the Levites. And let's go on down. We want to come back and more fully explore the economic impact of these principles and these laws that God gave Israel.

In verse 35, though, if one of your brethren becomes poor and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him like a stranger or a sojourner that he may live with you. Take no usury or interest from him, but fear your God that your brother may live with you. Try to help him. Give him a helping hand. You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit. You have to try to help him then to get back on his feet again. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

There were laws also for those who became so poor they could no longer make it on their own. They wanted to become a servant to someone like a slave, but it was more like a hired employee. Beginning in verse 39, if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor and sells himself to you, he comes to you and says, I want to work for you.

You shall not compel him to serve as a slave, but as a hired servant, like an employee that is working for you and a sojourner, he shall be with you and shall serve you until the year of Jubilee. And then he shall depart from you, both he and his children with him, and return to his own family, and he shall return to the possession of his fathers. And you can read on down that in verse 43, you shall not rule over him with rigor, but you shall fear your God to be good to him as an employee that is working for you.

And not be harsh on him. In the last part of verse 46, regarding your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with rigor. So somebody becomes poor and is in need of just working for you, you're not to make it hard on him. And again, it says in verse 53, he shall be with him as a yearly hired servant. He shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight. So again, all of this has a lot of application as far as an economy is concerned. I want to read to you, going back to the Jubilee and the land arrest and how the land was restored to the owners and the family in the Jubilee, I want to read from the Palubitz Bible Dictionary, the article, Jubilee.

And it brings out the laws connected with the Jubilee, embraced three basic points. Number one is the rest for the soil. The land would lie fallow every sabbatic year, and then on the 50th year it would lie fallow one more year. Number two, the reversion of landed property. The freehold of agricultural land could not be sold outright, for in the Jubilee every piece sold reverted to the owner or his heirs.

The nominal sale amounted to a lease for the number of years to elapse before the next Jubilee year. And number three, the manumission of those Israelites who had become poor and become hired servants for some reason, were set free and they went back to their possession. But brethren, did we realize how this would impact an economy and why I believe myself this will be the way that land is going to be dealt with in the millennium? Here it is in the Bible, and it would be a system that works.

And it would tend to provide a standard of living for everyone and more evenly distribute the wealth to everyone. This article in the Palubis Bible Dictionary goes on to say the reasons for the institution of the Jubilee. And listen carefully, it was to be a remedy for those evils which accompany human society and human government.

And had these laws been observed, they would have made the nation the most prosperous and perfect that ever existed. Number one, the Jubilee tended to abolish poverty. It prevented large and permanent accumulations of wealth. It gave unfortunate families an opportunity to begin over again with a fair start in life. It particularly favored the poor without injustice to the rich. It favored the poor, those who need some favor, but it did no injustice to the rich. Number two, the Jubilee tended to abolish slavery, and in fact, it did abolish the slavery of the poor Hebrews, removing once the terrible and incubus of a lifelong bondage with its accompanying hopelessness.

So it gave hope to people. Number three, as an agricultural people, the Jubilee would give much leisure to the people. They would observe the Sabbatic spirit of the year by using its leisure for the instruction of their families in the law and for acts of devotion, maybe for mending fences, building some buildings, maybe some travel. It's a year, then, without having to tend to the crops. Number four, the Jubilee, by which the right heir could never be excluded, was a provision of great wisdom for preserving families and tribes perfectly distinct.

It kept families together, or if they became scattered or separated, it brought them back together again. And their genealogists faithfully recorded the land that was in their name in order that all might have evidence to establish their right to the ancestral property. Hence, the tribe and the family of Christ were readily discovered at His birth. So there are so many blessings and so many economic, such a huge economic impact that the Jubilee had. It would abolish poverty. Wealth would not end up in the hands of just a few rich. It was more evenly distributed to all.

It tended to keep families together. It brought them back together if they were scattered. It added to the quality of life with a break every seventh year and every fiftieth year. You know, contrast that with today, a person gets his education, then what does he do? He gets into the job market, his career.

He works year by year by year by year. There's no break. He gets a couple of weeks, two or three weeks vacation during the year. And finally, when he gets old and decrepit, he is able to retire. But as the old saying goes, when you finally get to greener pastures, you find you can't climb the fence. So you're too old to enjoy doing some of the things and going to some of the places you'd like to go to. But God's system gives them some very much appreciated breaks and needed breaks along the way.

Will this be the economic system for the world to come? You know, God is going to apportion land to the nations. All nations are going to have land, good land. Of course, God is also going to turn deserts into very fruitful places and bring the rain, all the climate.

Everything is going to bless the earth so abundantly. But land will be apportioned to every nation. Then every nation will apportion land to their families, and every family of them will have land where they can have their own fig tree and their own vine, as it says. Let's notice that in Micah 4. So every family implied in this verse is going to have some land and property, a few acres of land that he can have a garden, maybe have a few animals, have his own milk, and his own eggs, and his own fruit trees and nut trees, maybe several acres of land.

Did you know that there's plenty of land on the earth to do this, even today? The earth is 30% land and 70% water, the surface of the earth. 30% land. Most of that 30% would be suitable for producing food if it had enough rain and the climate would produce for a family. 30% land. This means the earth has 57 million square miles of land. That's a lot of land. 57 million square miles. That means 34 billion, that's a B, 34 billion acres. That's a lot of real estate. So there's enough land for everybody to have quite a number of acres, every family.

And in the millennium, we believe that every family then is going to be given some land. We do believe that some will live in cities. I'll get to that in just a moment. In Micah 4, verse 1, it shall come to pass in the latter days to cut through this. God's kingdom, the mountain of the Lord, God's kingdom will be set up. People, verse 2, will come to it to be taught God's laws.

The law will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. In verse 3, they will disarm, beat their swords and the plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. And nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. In verse 4, but everyone shall set under his vine and under his fig tree. You know, even people who live in cities, perhaps, will have enough land that they can have a fig tree and a vine and a small garden.

Certainly that is possible that everyone, even in the cities, will have a bit of land in which they can grow some of their own food. So everyone will sit under his vine, under his fig tree, and none will make him afraid. This certainly implies that there will be land ownership by everyone. So we believe that God's system is going to be set up in such a way that it's going to tend to bring people back to the land. It's going to tend to help them to be self-sufficient, at least to some degree, in their needs. And if the laws of Leviticus 25 are used, then everyone is going to be able to share in the great wealth that will exist in the millennium.

It's going to be a wonderful time. We believe that there will be cities. We believe there will be commerce that is going on. Let's notice the commerce that is mentioned in Isaiah chapter 60. There will be transactions of business, and there will be commerce and trading that is going on, as indicated in this chapter.

Isaiah chapter 60 and beginning in verse 1. A rise shines, for your light has come. It's talking about when Christ is reigning from Mount Zion. You can check the previous chapter after Christ returns. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people. But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around and see.

They all gather together. They come to you. Your sons shall come from afar. Your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Maybe some of the returning Israelites that have been in captivity. You shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you.

The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. It then refers in the language of commerce and business being done. The multitude of camels will cover your land. They will bring, skipping on down, they will bring gold and incense. They shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. The blood of the blood of the Lord shall be gathered. The rams of Nebioth shall minister. They shall ascend with acceptance on my altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. In skipping on down in verse 9, the wetlands shall wait for me.

The ships of Tarshish will come first to bring your sons from afar. So there's commerce being done with ships. They're silver and they're gold with them to the name of the Lord your God and to the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you. So we see commerce and business, even including on the land and also in boats on the ocean.

The sons of foreigners shall build your walls. So here's construction going on. Tell you what, there's going to be a lot of construction in the millennium, a lot of building. Their kings shall minister to you. In my favor I've had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall be opened continually. Verse 11, they shall not be shut day or night. That man may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles and their kings in procession.

For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined. It goes on to talk about the wealth and the riches that will exist The beautiful buildings that will be built. In verse 17, instead of bronze I will bring gold. You've got to bring plenty of gold forth to be used in buildings. Instead of iron I will bring silver. Instead of wood, bronze. Instead of stones, iron. I'll make your officers peace and your magistrates righteousness. So it's going to be a wonderful, wonderful time in the millennium. Let's notice also Ezekiel 36.

There's going to be a lot of construction and rebuilding the old waste places. My wife has really enjoyed restoring things, so she might be in charge of restoring the old waste places. We all like to take things and make them beautiful. It's amazing what can be done with things that maybe just simply need to be restored. In Ezekiel 36 and verse 33, earlier in this chapter we see land ownership referred to, that people are going to come back and they're going to possess the land. I guess we could pick up some of those verses, beginning in verse 11, I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and bury young.

I will make you inhabited as in former times. It's talking about the land of Israel. And do better to you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Yes, I'll cause men to walk on you, my people Israel. They shall take possession of you, so there will be land possession.

You shall be their inheritance, that is the land. No more shall you be bereaved them of their children. So the Israelites come back and they are given possessions in the land that God gave to Abraham, skipping on down to verse 33 in this chapter. We see there will be a lot of construction. A lot of trees will be cut down and the lumber will be used in restoring and building. Verse 33, thus says the Lord God on the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities and the ruins shall be rebuilt.

The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So they will say the land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden. The wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited. It talks about God rebuilding in the next verse the ruined places and have planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, I will do it.

I tell you, in the millennium we will have an economic system that is based on, first of all, the first principle of having a healthy economy is just simply obedience to God. Deuteronomy 28, 1 to 14 says, if you obey my commandments and keep them, then I will bless your grain, I will bless your fruit, I will bless your land, I will bless your cities, I will bless everything. The basis of a healthy economy is obedience to God. Part of that is paying God his 10%.

As Malachi brings out, God will open the windows of heaven. When the whole earth is obeying God's laws, he will bless every area of the earth with rain, with favorable climate. He will certainly open the windows of heaven. So that is the beginning of a healthy economy. Of course, after that, apportioning out the land to everyone, that's a part of also a healthy economy.

Everybody has a piece of the economy, everybody has wealth. Nobody is super rich more than they need to be, but everybody has abundance. What a wonderful time that is going to be. And so God's laws, when they are put into motion, will heal the economic situation that we have in the world today. We believe that farming and construction will certainly be huge in the millennium. No doubt, very much at the backbone of the economy. But you know what about people of the cities? Maybe they'll have their own fig tree and their own vine, but what will they be doing?

Will there be little family-friendly, family-oriented businesses, more family businesses than we have today? You know, think about it, the last few hundreds of years, the Industrial Revolution has tended to divide families. Dad goes off to work early in the morning, returns sometimes at dark and after long hours. He has little to give to his wife and children. Sometimes today also the wife goes off to work. The children sometimes become latchkey kids along the way.

And so the family is very divided in our economic setup today. What about family-friendly, family-oriented businesses? Those who live in cities might very well go more along that route. The jobs may be kept closer at hand. They won't be outsourced abroad. There will be employment for everyone.

The teenagers and children that come along will have jobs. Maybe we'll be working right in the family business with dad and mom. That's what I did. I came up in a family business. My dad and mom were farmers. They worked side by side together, and the children worked beside them. It was a family business. Everybody was important to it. So what about businesses that are very likely smaller in scope, but yet very efficient and get the job done and are family-friendly and family-oriented, where mom and dad and the kids are together, even in the family business, all day?

That would seem very ideal compared to what we've had in the industrial revolution of our time. So there are many changes that are going to be made, and the economic system needs to certainly have a whole different structure and a whole different foundation and basis than what we have today. Today's foundation is cracking. It's not working. And so what lies just ahead? What lies in the next few years as far as our own national economy? Let me just say a word or two about that.

We know that prophecies indicate—all of us have read these prophecies about the time of Jacob's trouble. And so we believe that our national economy is going to eventually falter. It will hold up as long as God wants it to. But ultimately it will falter, and the time of Jacob's trouble will begin. Read the last chapter of our booklet in the United States and Britain in Bible prophecy. And there are many verses that are referred to in that chapter. We believe also that over in Europe, ten nations are going to form.

And maybe the economic mess that we're in today is pressuring the European nations. And of course, the problems they're having with their own economy, the euro, is pressuring this to award a federal union. And scriptures indicate ten nations are going to unite. Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, Daniel 13 and Daniel 7—Revelation 13 and Revelation 17 are chapters that certainly indicate that. And out of Europe is going to develop a strong type of trading and commercial system described in Revelation 18.

And yet to participate in this economy, Revelation 13 brings out about the mark of the beast. And you have to have the mark of the beast. That is, you have to go along with false religious worship in order to buy or sell. So there's going to be a short but strong economy that will develop in Europe, where the whole world is going to be drawn into doing business, perhaps using whatever their currency will be, whether the euro or something that will yet develop in the future. So we know that those things are prophesied to develop.

And finally, this system, which is very oppressive, which forces false religious worship, is going to come to its end. And Christ will return, and He will set up God's kingdom. And then we believe that God will begin to apportion land to nations. Nations will apportion land to families. Perhaps those laws we have in Leviticus 25 will be put into motion. This land will be permanently in the hands of families, and a very prosperous and wealthy age begins to develop.

And everyone has plenty and more, and the wealth is more evenly distributed, and there is no poverty. We believe those verses that apply to poverty will not apply in the millennium because people are going to be taught to manage wealth and to be blessed, and that will be necessary in that world. So what a wonderful time that is going to be. So we look forward very much to that time. Meantime, let's ask you and me right now, here, 2012, what do we do to survive this year yet and next year, the immediate future?

What do we do? I want to give you four things to consider, and the most important is number four. Number one is to work hard. Work hard, be diligent, apply yourself, try to be a good worker on your job, try to increase your job skills every way that you can. The Scriptures say, six days shall you work. So work hard and apply yourself and do your very best effort, and ask God to bless you in the work of your hands.

Number two is to be faithful in tithing. We know that when there is increase from our labors, that the first 10% does belong to God. And the second 10% we say for the festivals to go to God's Holy Days. Be faithful in tithing matters because we come under God's blessings, and He promises to bless us. Notice in Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 9. Proverbs chapter 3 and verses 9 and 10. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase.

So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. This does not put a time element. It doesn't say that God is not able to do this in bad economic times like we have. No, God can bless under any economic circumstances. Let's also read Malachi chapter 3. We just don't want to ever then steal from God.

And that's what we would be doing if we are unfaithful in tithing matters. Young people, this applies to you. You want to be successful, then certainly work hard. And with your increase, be sure to pay God his tithe. In Malachi chapter 3 and verse 8, will a man rob God? Will someone steal from God? But you've robbed me.

But you say, in what way have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You're cursed with a curse. For you've robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And prove me now, in this, says the Lord. God challenges us, even. Prove me if I will not open to you the windows of heaven, and pour out to you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.

So take God up in his word. Work hard, and then be faithful in tithing, in good times and bad times. And number three, be a good manager. God wants his children to learn to manage their economic affairs well. A good principle is to live below your means. Have a savings, a reserve available.

Avoid debt as much as possible, though sometimes there may be a need for debt, such as a debt made in the long run, like buying a house, may be a wise thing to do. You just have to weigh that very carefully, whether debt is wise or unwise. Generally, home ownership and land down through the years have been a good investment.

But invest wisely and be a good manager. There should be a budget. You should constantly stay right on top of your financial affairs. What is your net worth? And how do you manage and control that net worth? Always, then, strive to be a good manager.

Work hard, number one. Be faithful in tithing, number two. Be a good manager of what God does bless you with, number three. And number four, the most important one, always seek God's kingdom first. Always keep the physical things in the right perspective to our goal and our purpose. In Matthew 6, let's just read a few verses out of this very important chapter. Matthew 6. Jesus here said in verse 19, Lay not, or do not lay, up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy. Isn't that true? Inflation is one of those moths that will destroy value and has destroyed value. Where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

And Jesus went on to say in verse 25, Do not worry about your life. In verse 31, Do not worry what shall we eat, what shall we drink, what shall we wear? Because our Father, in verse 32, knows that you need all these things. God knows our needs. But, verse 33, seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. So, brethren, we need to keep a spiritual perspective, don't we, in the days that we're living in.

We need to let the stress in our lives not be on the economy. That's what so much of the news is about money and things and stuff in the economy. So much. That's what people are thinking about. That's what they are worrying about. It's been said this election is all about the economy. No doubt there's a lot of truth in that in this world today. But always remember that the first thing in our lives is to focus on God's kingdom and why we are here, why we exist, and how to live, and how to attain that purpose for which we are here.

In the times that we're living in, and the years ahead, then how do we survive them? We survive them spiritually. I can't promise you that we will survive economically. But we should be prepared not to survive economically.

I want to conclude with some verses in Philippians 4. And this is a good passage here. But we want to survive spiritually. That's the survival that matters only. You know, surviving economically is not the important thing. And the Apostle Paul said something here very important. These will be the final verses we'll read today. Philippians 4, verses 10-13.

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again. Though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. They were helping Paul with his ministry. Not that I speak in regard to need. For I have learned, and this is something very important that we all learn, I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. What about us? Have we learned whatever state we are in to be content, to be still happy? Doesn't take away from the joy of life, whatever state we're in. Verse 12, Paul went on to say, I know how to be a based, how to just have nothing. And I know how to abound to have everything. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry. Both to abound and to suffer need. I think this is very important that we all learn. And we have abounded, no doubt, in years past. In our lives we are recipients of the birthright blessings. We've not had to worry so much about many of the physical things, though people do worry about them. But we have been very, very blessed in many, many ways. We have abounded. I would think most of us would agree. But we may, at the end of this age, have to learn to be a based and have nothing. And so we have to learn to be hungry, as Paul said, and to suffer need. We might be hungry and suffer need. And we look to God and we read earlier, He knows what we need. We need things to eat and things to drink. God knows our needs. So we have to learn to abound and we also have to learn to be a based. So, in conclusion, then, I hope this has been helpful to us in thinking about the leading topic on the market today in the news, the economy and money and stuff and things. And I hope it helps us to keep it all in a proper perspective and to understand more about the system that God is going to use in the millennium. It will be a system that spreads out the wealth evenly to everyone. It will be a system based on honesty, on fairness, on love your neighbor as yourself. That is a successful economic system. When you obey God and keep His laws and you love your neighbor as yourself and do to Him as you would like to have others do to you. I tell you, that's the basis of a successful and healthy economic system. Well, let's always remember that people in the millennium are going to have all this wealth and abundance, everyone. There won't be any poverty like we have today. But guess what? They're not going to be looking at all the physical things, all the animals and all the stuff they have. They're going to be taught to look at the spiritual things, just like we are being taught now. And they, like we, will understand and know that the purpose of an economy, the purpose of money, should be to further spiritual values, to help us to learn how to live a life that is more pleasing to God, develop holy, righteous, perfect character, and prepare for entry into His kingdom.