I want to let you in on a little secret …
… When God said in Genesis …

And God blessed them, and God said unto them,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and (replenish) fill the earth, and subdue it:
andhave dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
--- Gen 1:28

God was not talking about overpopulating the earth …
No! …
God did not say …
… "be so fruitful, and multiply so much …
… that you fill the earth with people … to overflowing!"

Yes, He did say …
… "be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth!" …
But only … multiply … is talking about increasing the earth's population.
… (Did He say …" let us make a man … and a human being, and a person?" … No!)
No!
God did not doubt that we would understand each word!
… God knew exactly what He wanted to say and what He meant when He said it!

God created man special … in His Image and likeness …
And …
… the very first thing that God did after creating man was …
… to bless man!

God did not bless man just because it sounded good,
No! …
… God did that purposefully …
God wanted to make sure that in the foundation of man's life …
… there was also an expression of Who He is!
Therefore …
… before God did anything else …
God blessed man!

Blessed …

What does that word mean ?
What is it that God did when He blessed man?

The original Hebrew word is …

Barak … to bless or to give the capacity to live a full, rich life …
… empowered to prosper!

God did not just say to man …
… I bless you, live well here on earth,
… and I hope all goes well with you!

No! … not at all …
… God expects even more than that of us …

Why did God bless man?
… so that man would live without pressure and problems?
… so that man's every need would be met?

No!

God did not bless man primarily for man's own sake …
… as the Bible tells us …

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches
in glory by Christ Jesus.
--- Phil 4:19

But …God blessed man so that man could fulfill His plan with man …
… and the first step in that plan is …
… be fruitful!

When God said, "be fruitful" …
… He meant … "be fruitful…!"
… and that simply means … bear fruit!
When God said be fruitful, He meant … have something to give!
… Like a fruit tree that is fruitful … it has much to give … to others!

As Jesus confirmed when He said …

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;
so shall ye be my disciples.
--- John 15:8

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love one to another.
--- John 13:35

In the same way as God said in Genesis 1:28 …
… "go fill the earth and be fruitful!"

So also Jesus sent us out into the world and said … be fruitful!
… "take Salvation and life …
… in My name … into the world!"

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
--- Matt 28:19

And he said unto them,
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe;
In my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents;
and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
--- Mark 16:15-18

… That is being fruitful!
… and that is what God meant and what Jesus meant!

To Multiply is probably the easiest of all of God's instructions to man …
For it simply means …
… increase in number …
… let there be more of you!
And that is one thing that carnal man has little difficulty with!
… Have children … so easy!

But …
Did God tell man to have children …
… to fill the earth?
No!
… that was not God's plan at all!

Why did God create man in the first place?
God created man in His image and His likeness …
… so that He could have fellowship and a relationship with man …

We see that quite vividly displayed when …

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
--- Gen 3:8-9

As David also remarked …

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
--- Ps 8:4

Why Multiply…?

God created man for fellowship and for a relationship …
God created man so that He could express His love (Agape) …
… To His children … to man!
And …
… God did not only want to have one or two children …
But …
… God wanted to have a multitude of children …

Why?
… God is love and He wants to express His love in a relationship with man!
… God is love and He wants to bless … and He wants a multitude to bless!
… God is love and Love wants to give … and He wants a multitude to give to!
And …
… God wants us to be a blessing …
… He wants us to have a multitude to bless!

The more He gives … the more we can give!
The more we give … the more He can give …
And …
The more He gives … the more we can give!

It is not about having more carnal man around …
… but God having more children to have a relationship with!

What does … fill the earth … mean?

What does God want us to fill the earth with?
… Seeing that He already told man to multiply …
… this is not about having children!

Well, the secret lies in Genesis 1:26 …
… and in the spiritual and physical state of man …
… when God gave him this instruction …

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
and let them have dominion …
--- Gen 1:26

God made us in His Image and Likeness …
… which meant that Adam and Eve looked like God in more ways than just one …
… and they were covered with something very special …
So special that they did not see their nakedness! … (Gen. 2:25 & Gen. 3:7-11)

Adam and Eve were covered with the Glory of God …

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than (Elohim) God,
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
--- Ps 8:4-5

And although that glory was removed because of sin …
God in His mercy …
… through Jesus ... restored that glory to us …
As Isaiah prophesied …

Arise, shine; for thy light is come,
and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
--- Isa 60:1

And …
… it is His glory that God wants man to fill the earth with!

… as God Himself said …

But as truly as I live,
all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
--- Num 14:21

So …
God wants us to be fruitful … God wants us to give to others!
God wants us to multiply … God wants to have many children!
God wants us to fill the earth … God wants His glory to fill the earth!

Is that really true?

… Judge for yourself … Jesus said …

Herein is my Father glorified,
that ye bear much fruit;
so shall ye be my disciples.
--- John 15:8