Lay It on Me

W HEN THE U NEXPECTED H APPENS / 13

F AMINE IN S TRANGE P LACES Throughout the Bible, Bethlehem is a special city. Rachel, a matriarch who died in childbirth, was laid to rest on the outskirts of this city (Genesis 35:16-20). So, from its earliest days, this small village has been associated with death and separation. Yet, the name Bethlehem implies blessing. It comes from two Hebrew words, beyth which means "house," and lechem which means "bread." Bethlehem was known for its large fields, which were divided into sections. Here, farmers would harvest barley in the mid to late spring, and wheat in the summer. The grain used to make the bread for the table of shewbread was taken from the fields of Bethlehem. It seems odd that the "house of bread" would experience lack, especially a famine. Famines are caused by droughts which, in turn, are caused by a lack of rain. In a spiritual application, spiritual famines are caused by a lack of spiritual rain. When the Holy Spirit is not being poured out in churches, a spiritual famine occurs. There is a famine in the world today—not of bread, but of the Word. People will eat the strangest things in times of famine. When people get hungry, this causes their flesh to begin to react in strange ways. In one instance, mothers were eating their children during a severe famine (2 Kings 6:28, 29). Likewise, when a church becomes dry and stagnant, the people begin to turn on one another. Soon gossip and backbiting become commonplace. In Paul's words, "You bite