Inflation is one of those words in common usage today but that the Bible does not use. In the context of economic issues, inflation is an increase in overall prices and a corresponding decrease in the purchasing power of the money in circulation. During times of inflation, money is worth less than it was before the inflation hit.<\/p>\n
While the Bible does not use the word inflation, the concept of sustained price increases\u2014and the misery they cause\u2014exists in the pages of Scripture. For example, when the Aramians attacked Israel during the days of Israel\u2019s King Jehoram, the Israelites experienced extreme inflation.<\/p>\n
The siege of the capital city led to a lack of goods and, as we would say today, out-of-control inflation: \u201cThere was a great famine in the city [of Samaria]. The siege lasted so long that a donkey\u2019s head sold for eighty pieces of silver, and a cup of dove\u2019s dung sold for five pieces of silver\u201d (2 Kings 6:2, NLT). Inflation was so bad that food and fuel were unaffordable\u2014and people were eating donkey\u2019s heads and burning dove\u2019s droppings, if they could get them.<\/p>\n
Under those harsh conditions, King Jehorham was ready to give up and surrender to Aram. In fact, he blamed the situation on God rather than on his own wickedness: \u201cThis disaster is from the Lord ,\u201d he said (2 Kings 6:33). But Elisha the prophet gave him hope to hold out one more day: \u201cElisha replied, \u2018Listen to this message from the Lord!<\/p>\n
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This is what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver\u2019\u201d (2 Kings 7:1, NLT). God\u2019s promise was that prices would drop dramatically, indicating an end to the siege. So, inflation has been around for a long time, and the examples in Scripture show it is exacerbated by war, disruption of supply chains, and lockdowns (in the form of sieges).<\/p>\n
Another factor contributing to inflation is greed, which can take the form of price gouging, dishonest weights and measures, etc. The Bible repeatedly condemns dishonest gain: \u201cDo not have two differing weights in your bag\u2014one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house\u2014one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures\u201d (Deuteronomy 25:13\u201315; cf. Proverbs 20:10; Ezekiel 45:10; Micah 6:10\u201311).<\/p>\n
The problem with dishonest measures is that, if you pay $10.00 to get 10 oz of a product, but the seller only gives you 8 oz, then the purchasing power of your money has decreased. In reality, you\u2019re paying not $1.00\/oz but $1.25\/oz\u2014instant inflation. The Bible\u2019s injunctions against dishonest weights and measures, if followed, would help curb inflation.<\/p>\n
Global inflation is predicted to occur during the tribulation, as part of God\u2019s judgment on earth: \u201cWhen the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, \u2018Come!\u2019 I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.<\/p>\n
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Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, \u2018Two pounds of wheat for a day\u2019s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day\u2019s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!\u2019\u201d (Revelation 6:5\u20136). In this judgment, the luxuries are still available, but the necessities will be in short supply. Significantly, this third Horseman of the Apocalypse follows the bringer of war (Revelation 6:3\u20134).<\/p>\n
The reality of inflation should remind all of us that riches are fleeting: \u201cCast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle\u201d (Proverbs 23:5). All of us have, at one time or another, felt like the people in Haggai\u2019s day: \u201cYou earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it\u201d (Haggai 1:6). Our trust should be in something more reliable.<\/p>\n
Paul enjoined the rich not \u201cto put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment\u201d (1 Timothy 6:17). Rich or poor, we can store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19\u201321). We have a surer hope than the shrinking value of money: \u201cThose who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf\u201d (Proverbs 11:28).<\/p>\n
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\n , . , . () , , , , , , , , . \/ , and\/or . , , and\/or , and\/or <\/span> Inflation is one of those words in common usage today but that the Bible does not use. In the context of economic issues, inflation is an increase in overall prices and a corresponding decrease in the purchasing power of the money in circulation. During times of inflation, money is worth less than it was before […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1157664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[10528,227],"class_list":["post-1157663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-stories","tag-bible","tag-inflation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1157663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1157663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1157663\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1157663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1157663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1157663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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