A very interesting debate is whether you can be Christian and be a prepper. There are surely aspects of prepping that are Godly.
I have seen many arguments where people get all caught up in the minutiae of the prepper activities and beliefs and how they align with the Bible.
No matter where you fall on this argument there are clearly prepper projects from the Bible. There are texts that read like something out of a modern-day prepping blog. I think that is because the human condition and experience requires a level of preparedness.
Only recently has our society decided the best way to live is to have next to nothing and a few days’ worth of food around. This is not sustainable, and we are feeling it now.
Let’s look at some of these projects from the Bible. You will see the prepper in them, but you will also see that mankind’s story has not changed much overtime.
Joseph’s Stockpile
Every prepper can understand and appreciate a good stockpile. Joseph was gifted with the foresight that there would be years of hard times. Have you not been gifted with similar foresight?
Maybe your prepper visions did not come from God himself, but you know that hard times are coming.
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Joseph created a massive stockpile of food that was so abundant he handed it out to others when the leans times came. Now wouldn’t it be great if we could all help in the coming lean times?
Genesis 41: 48-49
48 He gathered up all the food of the seven years when there was plenty in the land of Egypt, and stored up food in the cities; he stored up in every city the food from the fields around it.
49 So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance—like the sand of the sea—that he stopped measuring it; it was beyond measure.
Noah’s Bug Out Vehicle
The greatest bug out vehicle in history had to be Noah’s Ark.
Prompted by God, Noah built a BOV capable of hauling massive amounts of supplies and creatures.
Your bug out vehicle is probably not as impressive as something biblical.
No matter how you feel about the story of Noah and his ark, we know about floods. Archeology and historical texts have proven that our world faces massive floods.
In fact, there are floods that hit this planet which are so massive there is limited high ground to survive them.
These could come from impacts, melting ice caps, massive tidal waves, or even the rapid changing of the magnetic poles.
The importance of a reliable bug out vehicle is reiterated in these passages. A BOV might be an important prepping project for you to undertake.
Genesis 6:14
14 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.
15 This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
16 You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks…
A window shall you make to the ark, and in a cubit shall you finish it above, and the door of the ark shall you set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shall you make it.
Gideon’s Intel
Gideon’s battle against the Midianites takes many strange turns. He is internally battling his own doubts, he is struggling with God, and he is even dwindling his forces at a time when he seemingly needs them most. However, the battle is won in the hearts and minds of Gideon and his warriors when he spies on the Midianite camp.
While he doesn’t recover strategic intel it is undoubtedly his ability to gather intel that wins the battle for him.
Related: 5 Things You Can Do If People Find Out You’re A Prepper
If you are dealing with human threats in your area, then gathering as much intel as possible will give you a massive advantage over them. In a collapse situation there will be forces that look to prey upon the weak.
Gathering intel on those forces can clue you in on how much power they have, how many people, guns and what plans they are making.
In a fallen world the successful survival will always be gathering intel.
Judges 7
Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah.
Moses’ Evacuation Plan
Moses may have created the best bugout or evacuation plan in all of history. He led 600,000 people out of Egypt and freed them from the shackles of slavery.
The good news for us is that we only need to deliver our family to safety in the event of an emergency.
Having a quality evacuation plan and a bug out plan, these are not the same thing, will make your life much easier when you must rush out of your home to survive.
One of the most important prepping projects from the Bible is the creation of an evacuation plan. I wouldn’t plan on parting the red sea you could certainly include a boat in your evacuation or bugout plans.
Exodus 14
37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.
39 With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.
It’s also worth noting that food and livestock were included on this journey. If you are planning a bugout then you should have food you can eat on the way and food you can eat when you get there.
King Solomon’s Diversity Of Preps
Ecclesiastes is by far my favorite book in the Bible. It is very clear that King Solomon was incredibly wise.
In this biblical phrase it is very clear that he understands the importance of diversity in preps. He wasn’t the kind of king to hoard only arrowheads and swords.
Diversification in your preps is imperative. This was the King’s project and advice.
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Apply PACE to your preps and be sure that you are always gaining new skills and practicing old ones.
- Primary
- Alternate
- Contingency
- Emergency
You need more than just beans and bullets if you want to be truly prepared. For the economic collapse that is upon us, many people are thinking about things like gold, land, and other ventures.
ECC 11:2
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
James’s Mindset
It has taken me the better part of 10 years to build a solid base of prepping skills and resources. I still have so much further to go. That said, the thing that pushed me so hard was my mindset. I think the mindset of a prepper counts for so much.
In truth it is what drives a prepper forward. Even if you have the money and the knowledge you still must get up and get to work!
James 2:26
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
It was a very different world during biblical times. People were so different its hard to comprehend.
Still, they used survival and prepping basics to overcome massive obstacles. Each one of the prepping projects from the Bible will help you along your preparedness journey.
As preppers we like things that have been practiced and proven. While the Bible is where many of these things have turned up first in the written word, these are survival skills that would be used time and time again throughout history.
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I am curious… what’s the debate?
Are we supposed to not prep, because God is almighty and will protect us from harm? God looks after those who look after themselves? (Isn’t actually found in the bible, but it is thought this is the reverse/comprehension of | And the prophet Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah 17:5, This is what the Lord says: Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord
Maybe we shouldn’t prep because we believe in the ascension, or that God will lift the chosen up and remove them from this earth?
What about the idea that we should simply love each other, and do not need to prep because if we all treated each other with love we wouldn’t need to protect ourselves?
The reality is that, even as a Christian, I do not presume to guess God’s intention, nor to have a direct line to command God’s resources. Thus I prep. If nothing else at least I am able to wait a little longer for God’s help than others who have more urgent needs, and I can probably help others along the way, as commanded by God.
Real Ghost Tactical here, We know not the hour of the Lords return. The apostles were looking for the return while they were living and all but one was martyred, and the last imprisoned. Even Jeshua Messiah of Nazareth said “I go and prepare a place for you” but His plan is to bring that place down to Earth. We are to leave an inheritance for our children and our children’s children. does that mean only cash? Just throwing that out there! Preparation starts with salvation in the Spiritual and leads us to prepare others. Be the hands and feet of Christ by providing for others in need, including the widow and the orphaned. If you don’t have enough for you how can God use you to provide for others?
Beware that the idea of a pretribulation rapture doesn’t have any real biblical support
A lot of fools will be sad to find that out.
It’s in the Bible that God helps those who help themselves.
Elohim name the yah part means work. Christians have a faith and works based relationship with Yah.
Means you have faith in him to provide but you do the work. You stock food, you store weapons. Is your faith in those things no. But you need to spread the word and what better way then by helping others in a time of need.
One of best editorials yet. Many thanks Claude. We are blessed in our country to still have freedom of the press to learn from others. I am living in the city, yet prepping (albeit limited) for myself and my five grown children. We have learned so much from Ask a Prepper over the last few years. Keep these great articles coming as often as the Lord leads. The Lord be with you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.
GrannyNanny1
Well you had freedom but the Ohio River train derailment is killing everything. Plus the government is crushing anyone that tries to report it.
Clade…did you neglect Luke 22:36 on purpose?
I’ve used that example more than once to drive home a point. Good catch.
Even in the story of the ten virgins they were instructed to keep their lamps filled. ; )
“Keep your lamps filled and your wicks trimmed” I love that bible passage.Somebody was thinking about future generations when they were inspired to write that one.
I don’t believe in the god delusuion, so I prep #1 because I like doing it and with global warming its the smart thing to do.
And all of this sowing of the land is based in Paganism, not christianity.
Lisa…what if you’re wrong?
Farmer
If Lisa is wrong, then she will be Judged by Our Creator and then She will be sent to Hell for ever and ever.
Only thru His son, can you come to the Father.
So, pray for the ones that are deceived.
Lisa, I pray that my GOD will show you Mercy at the time YOU stand in Judgement.
Better to be “God deluded” than self deluded. There is no hope in yourself.
Hi, James Walton. Outstanding article and examples. As a freelance editor of Christian nonfiction, I would like to encourage you to develop this into a book. You clearly have the writing chops, and I think there is no (or little) competing title with this approach.
Forrest Garvin of PrepperNet has written a short book titles The Case for Christian Preparedness – Faith and Prepping for Survival.
I prep because none of us knows when God will deliver his final judgement to the evil of this world and I believe we are going to see a whole lot worse before we see better. Do I trust God will take care of me? Yes, I do but not if I sit on my butt and do nothing. I also believe part of the trust in his word includes sharing with others and there is a difference between sharing and stealing and preparing and hoarding.
First of all, I will say that I am in agreement with you
Secondly, to bolster what you have already “said,” I wish to add the following:
King David was called by God “A man after My own heart…” While still a young man, David lived a life of being prepared at all times. He defended his fathers’ flocks from lions and bears. Another great example from the life of David is when he went up against the giant Goliath. David COULD have gone up against Goliath totally in the name of the Lord God of Israel, simply expressing Gods displeasure in the blasphemy uttered from the giants’ lips; YET, that is NOT what David did. Rather, what he did do, was gather up five stones, placing four of them in his pouch, and the fifth one into his sling. Yes, David clearly told Goliath that he was blaspheming God and that in fact, David would remove Goliath’s head from his shoulders.
Point is, that David gathered up those stones prior to getting into the face-to-face confrontation with Goliath. David took an ACTIVE part in his fight against Goliath. Furthermore, David was NOT in fear that he would miss Goliath with that first stone, fact is, Goliath had four brothers, and that is why David gathered up five stones, one for each of them should they decide to enter the fray against David.
Prepping is indeed a sound Biblical principle.
Excellent analogy! Thank You.
It sounds like you are speaking from an intimate knowledge.
This is off topic I know but A&D will heal any kind of sore bug bite cat scratch or any other thing that comes along.
Just to add a bit to the Moses account, there were roughly 600,000 men, and many with wives, and from 3 to 5 children on average. So the number fleeing was probably closer to 3,000,000 – only of interest because it makes the Exodus even more impressive. It depends on the teachings and teacher though.
I thought the reference to man/men in this story was to the universal ‘human’ not ‘male man’ … the use of the word ‘man’ in the bible should be interpreted at ‘human’ first, and is very very rarely used to refer to ‘male man’ – only in literally a couple of specific examples.
Translation from one language to another, mixed with the change of language use over time, can dramatically alter original intent. In the original Ancient Greek biblical writings most of the time the writer’s meant ‘human’.
Not quite. For example the rules of a census (Exodus 30:12-16) required the counting of every man (20 years old and up) and they were required to give a ransom for their souls. This was not every single human, but only the head of the household and the full grown sons.
The Hebrew word really translates to “male” or “husband”, and you see it in verses such as Genesis 2:23, which says “…she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.”
Hope this clears up the misunderstanding.
The Lord says to be ready in season and out if season. Selah(pause and calmly think if that!)😁
In the end days there will be ppl that need food that are unwilling to take the mark of the beast. This will leave a unique opportunity to witness and feed Gods ppl until He returns.
I prep as an end-of-days ministry to feed whoever God sends to me.
Hope for it but do not count on a pre-trib rapture.
You forgot Luke 22:36: Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.
Keep in mind, a sword was the ‘assault weapon’ of the day.
God created man to tend and care for a garden and there are MANY verses that advise taking wise advise. dont be fooled. in proverbs it states that THE WISE MAN LOOKS AHEAD AND PREPARES. THE FOOL DOESNT
The Most important thing you can do is to ask God to reveal to you his truth , cry out for forgiveness of any sin you may not know of , be humble, meek , not taking any for granite and learn his word
study , learn , set aside time for God , to pray , to call out for others, needs, help
God give s to all who ask
not The Greedy , The needy
God know s everything, all knowing , all seeing , all omnipresent
nothing is hidden
but God lets Man Be , to see who Mankind will serve, choose, or follow
Freedom to live and make or not make mistakes
Plan, Prepare, Decide, Do as you choose , but know your responsible for your own actions