Our God is a God of fruitfulness. He loves increase. He is a God who wants His house filled. Let’s look at what He says in His eternal word. We’ll look at the Old and New Testament Scriptures.
We will look at some Scriptures in the Old Testament, and then in the New Testament:
Old Testament Scriptures:
God longs for increase in the natural, and in the spiritual. He longs for fruitfulness from our marriage union. When the question is asked in Malachi 2:15, "What does God want from your union?" His answer comes ringing back, "I want a godly seed." This is the desire of God's heart.
When God speaks of blessing, He promises increase of the fruit of the womb, but also of land and the fruit of the ground, of cattle, sheep, and fruitful vineyards. He talks about the increase of wealth, knowledge and even the increase of the years of our life. God's blessings are enlargement, fruitfulness and increase.
Look up these Scriptures for further study, just a few of the many on this subject in the Old Testament. God is certainly not silent on this subject:
Genesis 1:28; 9:1,7; 16:10; 17:1-6; 18-20; 22:16,17; 24:60; 26:3,4; 28:3; 30:43; 35:11; 47:27; 49:22-26
Exodus 23:26; Leviticus 26:3,9
Deuteronomy 1:10,11; 6:3; 7:13,14; 8:1; 10:22; 13:17; 26:5; 28: 4-11; 30:16
Job 5:25; Psalm 92:12-14; 128:3; 112:1,2; 115:14
Isaiah 51:2b; 54:1,2; Jeremiah 17:7,8b; 23:3; 33:22; 29:6; 30:19; Ezekiel 36:10,11.
God wanted the children of Israel not only to increase, but also to increase ABUNDANTLY, EXCEEDINGLY, MIGHTILY, PLENTEOUSLY and MULTITUDINOUSLY!
1. ABUNDANTLY
Genesis 9:7 says, "And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein." The Hebrew word for 'abundantly' is 'sharats' which means 'to swarm or abound.' The MLB translation gives a correct rendering when it says, "As for you, be fruitful and multiply, swarm over the earth and multiply it." (Exodus 1:7)
2. EXCEEDINGLY
Genesis 16:10 says, "I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude." The Hebrew word for 'exceedingly' is 'rabah' which we found in Chapter 1 means 'to be many, to be abundant.'
The following are other Scriptures where the word 'rabah' is used:
Genesis 1:28; 9:1,7; 10:10; 17:2,20; 22:17; 26:4,24; 28:3; 35:11; 47:27
Exodus 1:7,12,20; 32:13; Leviticus 26:9
Deuteronomy 1:10; 7:13; 8:1; 13:17; 28:63; 30:5,16
Joshua 24:3; Jeremiah 30:19; 33:22; Ezekiel 16:7; 36:10; 37:26; Hebrews 5:16.
3. MIGHTILY
Deuteronomy 6:3 says, "...that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee..." The Hebrew word for 'mightily' is 'meod' which means, 'vehemently, whole-heartedly, speedily, diligently." These are very strong words, aren't they? We are to fulfil this commandment with a passion, not reluctantly.
4. PLENTEOUSLY
Deuteronomy 30:9, “And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of Thine hand, in the fruit of thy body…” Also Deuteronomy 28:11.
The word ‘plenteous’ in the Hebrew is ‘yathar’ which means ‘to jut over or exceed, cause to abound.’
