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FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY

Frankly, this is an alarming wake-up message for me. I used to hear that:

 “(Galatians 3:29) 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (NIV).”

Coupled with this verse, I was being taught:
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV).
Briefly, I was taught that when I say Yes and Amen”, all the promises are mine. However, let’s examine the context of those verses and the life of Jacob; the grandson of Abraham’s descendant in Gen 35:11

(Genesis 35:11-12)
11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.
12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I ALSO GIVE TO YOU, and I will give this land to your descendants after you. (NIV)

In Genesis 35, it is recorded that God told Jacob to return to Bethel, settle, get rid of all the foreign gods, and build an altar there. (Genesis 35:1). Jacob abided by His calling. And the story continues in verses 11-12.

In a nutshell, God is saying in verses 11-12 that:-
# I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number
# God will establish Jacob as a nation and a community of nations
# The land that gave to Abraham and Isaac, He will ALSO give him
# God will also give the same promise to Jacob’s descendants. 

QUESTIONS
However, a few questions came to mind when I read Genesis 35:11-12. These are:-

# Hasn’t God already pronounced “Be fruitful and be multiply” to humankind during His creation in Genesis 1:28?
# Isn’t God already given that promised land to Abraham’s descendants in Genesis 12, 17, and 24?
# Where are those teachings that say “All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ?” I thought I just needed to say “Amen”, and all the promises are mine? And I was also taught to say “Amen” to inheritage all the prayers.

SCRIPTURES REFERENCE:-

(Genesis 1:28)
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. (NIV)

REALIZATION
Not just this. After the flood, God blesses Noah, by saying “Be fruitful and increase in number…”.
(Genesis 9:1)
1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. (NIV)
Furthermore, before Jacob ran from Esau, Isaac prayed for him. These were the two prayers:~

# Firstly, Isaac prayed that God may bless Jacob, cause him to be fruitful, and multiple him (Genesis 28:3)
# Secondly, Isaac prayed that the blessing of Abraham may flow to Jacob. (Genesis 28:4)

ISAAC BLESSED JACOB AS BELOW:-

(Genesis 28:3-4)
3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of people.
4 May he gives you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.” (NIV)

In the first place, according to modern teaching, I thought all the promises and blessings already belong to believers’?
No, it came to my realization that whatever promises are not “Automatically believers’. If it is already given to all Adam, Eve, and Abraham’s descendants, Isaac needs not pray those blessings to Jacob. Again, God needs not proclaim that blessing again on Noah, after the flood.
Well, some might be saying that it is mainly reminding them of those promises. It is not true.
As a matter of fact, God declares to Jacob in Genesis 35:12 “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I ALSO GIVE TO YOU.” Hence the keyword is ALSO. That means it was not originally given to him. It is only after Jacob wrestles with God for his blessing (Genesis 32:22-32) and after Jacob carried out His instruction to get rid of the foreign gods, and set Him on the altar that those promises in Genesis 35:11-12 were declared to Jacob/ Israel.
Therefore, believers cannot generalize the promise of God as theirs. It is not true to say, all the verses are Yea and amen for all believers. And believers can just do nothing but expect the blessing “auto-falling” from the sky on them.
SOME MORE QUESTIONS:-
1) Next, for many years, I have been asking how can a single “be fruitful and multiply?”
2) How about those married but with no children?
There are some teachings that say that it can be spiritual “fruitful and multiply”. But looking at Genesis 9 and 35, it is not true to say:-
“Fruitful and multiply” is not referring to spirituality. In reality, it is referring to physical, tangible fruitness.
CONCLUSION
In Conclusion, believers have to actively pray and ask God for their blessings according to either His promised Word or personal revelations. Nevertheless, it is another thing for the inheritance of His promise to be theirs, unless God approves that prayer.
In short, it is up to God to answer believers’ prayers. Sometimes believers miss the blessings because they ask not. There is no such thing as automatic blessings, for they are Jesus or Abrahim’s seeds. As mentioned earlier, it is a wake-up call for me to chance upon this truth. I can’t be lazy or be deceived by those modern teaching. I have to start to seek Him for His promised word.
READ:-
I AM THE LORD WHO HEALS
END TIMES:- THE BOOK OF LIFE OPENS
ONE FIFTH MUCH MORE RESTORATION
3 JOHN (PROSPER IN ALL THINGS)
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