Focal Passage: Genesis 1:26-30, 2:16-17, 3:16-19
The Bible is replete with the promises of God. They unify the testaments into an overarching story about God’s intervention within history to accomplish His plans.
From Creation to the Cross, from the Exodus to the end of all things, God’s assurances have comforted His people to know that He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23). Within the narrative of God’s formation of the world and creating mankind in His image, we see His mandate to be fruitful and multiply. Through this call to steward the earth comes the commitment that God will bless the faithful with fruitful lives.
Be fruitful and steward His creation. God created humanity in His own image. This underscores the sanctity of human life and our role as under-shepherd of the earth. The Lord has given mankind authority over the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. As a part of this mandate, God calls humanity to spread out over all the world. God desires His children to be fruitful in the life of the family and perpetuate mankind.
Moore
This call provides the context for human flourishing. Part of being faithful to God means to be a good steward of the bounty of God’s creation all around us. We should work to see God’s handiwork prosper under our watch. Likewise, we must defend the one institution God has given us as the means through which human civilization is to succeed, the family. It is no surprise that as our culture at large wages war against the biblical understanding of marriage and family we are seeing many countries face increasing shortages in birth rates. This trend, if left unchecked, will strain any society toward collapse.
Be obedient and loyal. Humanity enjoys God’s promise of fruitfulness through a life of righteous faith in God’s plan and design. We are not faithful so that we can earn God’s blessing. Rather, we understand that being faithful to God’s plan as written in His living Word places His children in the right spiritual setting to receive God’s blessings that are freely available.
God set Adam and Eve in the Garden and gave them free reign to eat of any tree save one. God’s blessing was abundant. Within this bounty of favor God also gave the first family the parameters of the promise. Living a life of obedience and loyalty to God’s Word is the appropriate expression of faithfulness. Faith trusts that God’s plan is right and full of His goodness.
Be ready to deal with the consequences. Because of the Fall, sin entered the story of humanity. Sin strains the relationship we have with God. It alienates us from the giver of all good things, the guarantor of the promise of fruitfulness. Believers must realize that all sin has consequences. Even when God gave the first glimpse of a future redemption in Genesis 3:15, He still cataloged the ramifications the Fall would have on humanity.
The Lord has provided us so great a salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Even so, we must also recognize that even forgiven sin will have consequences. However, God is faithful to bring us back into a state of fruitfulness when we confess and repent of our sins. The process might be arduous and drawn-out, but its success is assured. B&R
