Bartholomew and O’Dowd, Wisdom Literature, 89.
22. For discussion of Isaiah’s theology of creation in Isa 40–55, see Mangum, “Creation Traditions in Isaiah 40–55.”
Mangum rightly argues that Isaiah utilizes creation themes in order to demonstrate Yahweh’s superiority over other so-called gods in the ancient Near East. Also helpful is Lessing, “Yahweh versus Marduk,” 234–44.
23. Note also that Yahweh’s discipline is for his people’s good (Isa 43:14). He is not a sadist who punishes for the sake of punishment. This sentiment is repeated several times in the Bible (e.g., Prov 3:12; Heb 12:6; Rev 3:19).
24. For more discussion on the creation motif as it relates to the creation of the nation of Israel, see Schnittjer, The Torah Story, 232–34; Enns, Exodus, 39–42.
25. On the interrelated themes of creation and exodus in the latter half of Isaiah, see Harner, “Creation Faith in Deutero-Isaiah,” 298–306; Ollenburger, “Isaiah’s Creation Theology,” 54–71.
26. Note the sarcasm of 44:9–20, where Yahweh points out the absurdity of worshiping the created thing instead of the creator.
27. Lessing (“Yahweh Versus Marduk,” 234) points out that worship causes humans to become like that which we worship. We are always imaging something and, as creatures of Yahweh, it is crucial that we worship him alone. See also Beale, We Become What We Worship.
28. For a discussion of John’s reliance on Genesis for crafting John 1:1–18, see Borgen, “Creation, Logos, and the Son,” 88–97.
29. Polhill, John, 102.
30. Ridderbos, John, 36.
31. For an overview of patristic interpretation of this passage, see Tyra, “When Considering Creation,” 251–73. See also Tyra, “All Creatures Are Martyrs,” 27–53.
32. There are many excellent resources on how Christians should care for creation. See, among others, Bouma-Prediger, For the Beauty of the Earth; Liederbach and Bible, True North; Berry, ed., The Care of Creation; Snyder and Scandrett, Salvation Means Creation Healed; Moo and White, Let Creation Rejoice.
2
Be Fruitful and Multiply
Bryan C. Babcock
Introduction
During the creation narrative, God blesses the first couple saying “be fruitful and increase in number.” This phrase is repeated by God when addressing Noah and Abraham and always in the context of an increasing population. At first reading, the blessing makes total sense. God is addressing the first created humans and the world needs to be populated for mankind to survive and flourish. However, the blessing (conveyed as a command) is repeated to other key figures in the biblical narrative after survival of mankind is secured.
So, what is the intent of the blessing? A literal reading might imply that one is blessed if they have lots of children. If this is the case, then in a modern Western context very few are blessed, as most families have a maximum of two or three children while the biblical norm is eight to twelve. Would the opposite apply? If a couple is not able to have children are they somehow less blessed (or cursed)? Are those families who limit the size of their families blocking or limiting God’s blessing?
These are difficult questions. The key to understanding the phrase “be fruitful and multiply” is through a hermeneutical examination of the passage. The methodology demonstrated in this chapter will explore the use of the phrase “be fruitful and multiply” across the entire canon of Scripture. The goal is to illuminate the intended meaning of the phrase for the initial Old Testament audience. Then to interpret that meaning for a modern Christian reader in light of the New Testament. In other words, what did God mean when he inspired the original author and how should we apply these passages to our modern lives?
Fruitfulness and the Gospel
To begin this study, it is helpful to understand whether the blessings given to Adam, Noah, and Abraham are still relevant in light of the gospel message. Essentially, is the blessing to have children a command for us to have children? Or is this a blessing but not a command? There are religious traditions that take the blessing from Gen 1:28 prescriptively and seek to produce as many children as God allows. If Gen 1:28 is prescriptive today, then the New Testament should support this idea. Therefore, let’s turn to the New Testament and determine in the teachings of Jesus whether there is support this position.
While it is clear that having children does constitute a blessing from God, it is less clear whether the New Testament commands Christian couples to produce children. Jesus lived thirty-three years and did not marry or have children. Galatians 4:4 notes that Jesus was “born under the law.”33 In Matthew 5:17 Jesus declares that he came to fulfill the law, yet Jesus did not marry or have children. Finally, when speaking with Pharisees about marriage and divorce, Jesus mentions that choosing a celibate life or remaining single is a viable option (Matt 19:12). If having children was commanded by God then Jesus, who fulfilled all of God’s commands, would at a minimum have supported this position in his teaching.
The notion that it is acceptable to serve God and not have children is further supported in Paul’s teaching. 1 Corinthians 7:3834 states that it may be better to stay single and devote one’s life to the ministry of God than to be married. In fact, the Apostle Paul’s life stands in conflict with the idea that everyone is commanded to marry and have children as he never marries or produces offspring.
A final note is the topic of infertility. If it is a command for all married couples to have children, then is being infertile somehow a sin or a curse? Nowhere in the Bible does it mention that the inability to have children constitutes a sin or breach of God’s commands. There are examples like with Sarah and Abraham where God choses to delay conception for a specific reason. However, nowhere in the Bible is this mentioned as a response to sin.
Therefore, an initial review of the New Testament reveals that the command to “be fruitful and increase in numbers” must have a deeper meaning than merely a call to have lots of children. To uncover the intent of God’s blessing upon Adam and Eve we must more closely examine where and how these words are used.
Analysis of “Be Fruitful and Increase in Number” in Genesis
Now that we have completed a brief review of the theme of fruitfulness in the gospel let’s turn to explore some of the key early references where God says to be fruitful and increase in number (multiply).
Adam and Eve (Gen 1:28)
The first reference to being fruitful occurs during the creation
