What Did God Mean When He Told Adam And Eve To Be Fruitful And Multiply?

What Did God Mean When He Told Adam And Eve To Be Fruitful And Multiply? The Lord God Almighty, Father of Creation, ended Creation with His masterpieces, the very first man and woman. These were Adam and Eve to whom God told to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 1:28 says, And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” When the world was fully created with days and nights, seasons and years, plants and animals, and Adam and Eve; God decided to implement His plan of filling the world He created with people (Isaiah 45:18).

The Bible makes us understand that the world was Adam and Eve’s inheritance to fill. According to Genesis 1:28, it was God’s blessing for Adam and Eve to have many children and work on the earth. As a matter of fact, God desired Adam and Eve to have many children and for their children to have many children. However, fruitfulness denotes much more. The Lord God blessed Adam and Eve to be fruitful so they could “fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

What Did God Mean When He Told Adam And Eve To Be Fruitful And Multiply?

God’s command to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28) meant simply that they were to have children. Notice that they could not fulfill the rest of God’s plan for them – filling the earth, subduing it, and having dominion over it – if they did not first have help. Likewise, after the flood, “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth‘” (Genesis 9:1). It is important for us to understand that these were not just commands given to those responsible for populating the earth, but blessings. And these blessings still stand for humanity today. Nevertheless, there are many implications for God’s blessing to be fruitful and multiply. We’ll start by pointing to the fact that one of the purposes of marriage is to have children.

The Almighty God designed marriage as a picture of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:21–33) to be lived out intimately before one’s children so that they could begin to understand the character of God. Likewise, the family provides the unique experience of disciplining a person from birth. Parents have the privilege to live out the gospel for their children in a way that will influence them more than anyone else in their lives as they grow to be adults and equally do the same for their own children. While having children is one of the purposes of marriage and a blessing (Psalm 127:3–5), it does not mean that couples who don’t have children are living in sin. Couples who struggle with infertility are in no way breaking God’s command on their lives. However, such couples should earnestly pray and ask God to bless them with children.

Unraveling The Mysteries Behind God’s Command To Be Fruitful

The Lord God Almighty’s command to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply was basically an invitation for them to have many children who would populate the earth and equally exercise dominion over other creatures. However, was the blessing bestowed upon Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply also a command for us today? Today, many people take this view and refuse all forms of birth control. But if Genesis 1:28 is in fact a command to us as individuals rather than a blessing upon mankind in general, we run into a few issues, especially when closely looking at the New Testament of the Bible. Notice that Jesus Christ walked the earth for 33 years having no wife to bear children. As a Jew, Jesus Christ was raised according to Jewish Laws and Customs (Galatians 4:4), and He fulfilled the Law of God perfectly (Matthew 5:17).

However, Jesus Christ was not physically “fruitful,” nor did He “multiply,” indicating that Genesis 1:28 is not a command for every person to observe. In addition, Jesus Christ said that celibacy is a personal choice; neither condemning it nor praising it above marriage and childbearing (Matthew 19:12). Likewise, the Apostle Paul encourages Christians that it is better to stay single than to be married (1 Corinthians 7:38) so that individuals can place their entire focus on serving God (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). However, Apostle Paul affirms that being married is a good thing, but he insists that being single is better in certain circumstances. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Apostle Paul would not encourage us against bearing fruits and multiplying if that were one of God’s direct commands.

More Biblical Facts

How do we handle the problem of infertility if being fruitful and multiplying is an express command for all couples to bear children? While Scripture comes clear on the fact that children are a wonderful blessing from God (Psalm 127:3–5), nowhere in Scripture is infertility condemned as a sin or a curse from God. With this in mind, it’s clear that we can have lives that are pleasing to God and bring Him glory whether we have children or not. In fact, we can be spiritually fruitful and multiply the citizens of the Kingdom of God when we obey Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Another implication of Genesis 1:28 is the blessing to be fruitful. Throughout the Bible, fruitfulness is a metaphor for the blessings that come from Righteous living.

The primary fruit of one’s life that is referred to in Genesis 1:28 is childbearing. While this is the primary reference to fruitfulness in God’s command to Adam and Eve, it does not exclude other forms of fruitfulness. In fact, God’s will is for our lives to bear good fruits in all areas. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Likewise, we can be spiritually fruitful and multiply when we obey God’s commands to “make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

What does the Bible say about Children?

The Bible says a lot about children. Despite what the world wants us to believe, we know the Bible says children are a blessing from God, a heritage, and a reward. Psalm 127:3-5 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” Children shouldn’t be seen as burdens but as blessings and should be brought up in the fear of the Lord. God is a God of increase. He enjoys it when we are fruitful in our marriage union. Malachi 2:15 says, “But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring.“

Does God want everyone to have children?

Behold, the Almighty God loves children and wants people to experience the blessing of having a fruitful family; a family with many children, but He gives us the free will to choose whether or not it’s what we want. The desire to have children is innate within almost all humans. Although many people snuff this desire out, it was there in the beginning. Little girls tend to take care of baby dolls from an early age. Little boys have the purpose and calling of fatherhood within them. Unfortunately, the world has succeeded in convincing many people that having children will impede their ability to be “successful” or “live their dream,” but such is not true. Notice that when people are on their deathbed, they hardly wish to have worked more hours or made more money but their regrets and fulfilments are likely to come from their relationship with their children.

ALSO READ What is Agape Love in the Bible?

Does God prevent people from having children?

Brethren, God did not give some people the ability to have children and leave other people out. The Lord God gave every human born on this planet the ability to produce offspring. In fact, His blessing of children is for all of humanity. Behold, God delights in His children increasing in number. However, humanity has an enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). After the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, the blessing of fruitfulness was corrupted. The consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve introduced sickness, disease, and corruption. In fact, sin brought death in all its forms onto the earth, including infertility and miscarriage. Glory be to God, Jesus Christ has given us power and authority over all sickness, disease, and the works of the enemy (Matthew 10:1, Luke 10:19).

Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13). In Christ, we are redeemed from infertility and miscarriage. Thus, when faced with this, we should earnestly pray and trust God to restore our fertility and make us fruitful. Salvation in Christ restores our ability to be fruitful and multiply. Exodus 23:25-26 says, “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; ...” Likewise Psalm 113:9 says, “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.” Concerning this matter, Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”