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Be prepared

God uses a disaster preparedness project to save Jacob’s family and the future of Israel

2024 Available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French

A Malawian woman smiles broadly in front of her maize crop on a sunny day, proudly holding up one of the ripe cobs.

Estele Adini in Malawi is using agroforestry techniques to reduce the risk of her maize crop being damaged by drought

Two Nepalese women dressed in bright traditional clothing fill large storage containers with grain as a group of other women from their community watch. A large, steep mountain with some houses is behind them.

From: Reducing the risk of disaster - Footsteps 122

How to build individual and community resilience so that disasters are less likely to happen

Read Genesis 41

God warned the Egyptian king through a dream that drought and famine were coming to his land. Joseph, a Hebrew prisoner, was asked to explain the meaning of the dream. 

Joseph explained that there would be seven years of good harvest followed by seven years of crop failure. He then suggested some actions to cope with the crisis, and the king appointed him to carry out these actions.

Joseph organised administrators and buildings to store grain during the seven good years, instructing farmers to hand over one-fifth (20 per cent) of each year’s harvest to the government. This grain was then used during the seven years of famine. 

Early warning 

This story is about a hazard that was predicted, meaning that the population could prepare for it before it happened. Today, early warning of drought, storms and floods can help us also to take action in advance, reducing the impact of these hazards. 

God used this planning project to save Jacob’s family and the future of Israel (Genesis 47). Disaster planning can be used by God to do good and achieve his purposes in the world.

Discussion questions

  • How did the dream change the way the people of Egypt responded to their situation?
  • Joseph was given the role of coordinating Egypts response. What qualities did he have that made him suitable for this job? (See also Genesis 39:2-6, 21-23)
  • What specific measures did Joseph put in place to help the nation, and its neighbours, survive the drought? (Genesis 41:33-36, 46-49)
  • In what ways could your church and community prepare for future hazards and reduce the risk of disaster?
Adapted from a Bible study that was originally published in Disasters and the local church, a resource for church leaders in disaster-prone regions.

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