Once again, an insightful link culled from Marginal Revolution. What's that, you don't aggregate the Marginal Revolution RSS feed? For shame.

The MR dudes link to an article at the “Foundation for Economic Education” entitled Moses and Outsourcing. The authors use the example of manna from heaven to support an argument that outsourcing isn't a bad thing, but a good thing. The logic is ok, I suppose, though the argument seems a bit forced. But hey, it's worth reading with writing like this:

The biblical account doesn’t use economics jargon. Nevertheless, manna was equivalent to what now would be called outsourced food. Hey, it was outsourcing to beat all outsourcing—God offered it for the taking. No one had to plant it. No one had to tend it. Just pick it up. Good deal? Not if you’re an outsourcing alarmist, United States circa 2004.

Can’t you just hear what these alarmists would have been advising Moses about manna? You know, things about manna causing the Israelites to lose food-production jobs. Not just any jobs, mind you, but “good” jobs. Horror of all horrors, manna meant trading good jobs for bad jobs, reducing Israelite living standards. The Israelites should shun manna to preserve good jobs and high living standards. Or so the alarmists would argue.

You can read Ex 16 and see for yourselves. I think the economic argument is somewhat strained — I mean, there was a bit of a monopoly going on in regards to food production in the desert. The source was God, and that was it. Surely the Foundation for Economic Education isn't arguing the merits of the benevolent dictatorship — which would be the closest modern economic/political model to Israel in the desert, right?

Yes, that's a little joke. :) Surely the guys at the Foundation have a sense of humor ...

Update: Wow, the editor of The Freeman comments on my humble post! Thanks for dropping by, Mr. Richman. And thanks for fightin' the good fight in the realm of economic education!

My only thought in adding the “benevolent dictator” remark was that God was stooping to take care of the Israelites in the desert, to ensure their needs were met. There were no other options. It was the only analogous contemporary situation I could think of in the three seconds I took to think about it while writing the post. Not the best comparison, of course. Comparisons are never adequate when one is comparing something contemporary to God.

Regarding any economic motives in God's action with the Israelites, I plead Deut 29.29.