Should We Still "Be Fruitful and Multiply"?

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Everyone...

     I am not going to elaborate or say what is & what is not sinful.........we are all responsible and accountable for our own Salvation & what is good for one may not apply to another

     All I wish to say is what is in my heart & that is that I believe with all of my heart that when our Father joins to people together & it is His Will that they are to be together and they both put Him First in their lives .....they can enter into His rest & know with His Blessed Assurance that He IS YEHOVAH YIREH,He IS Almighty God Who NEVER makes any mistakes & He will not give us anymore that we should have,,that He knows before they ever enter the womb........be it one child or 22,,,,.....it is really rather simple,trust God or don't

                                                                                                         With love-in Christ,Kwik

[ANSWER]

as long as the earth remains we should be fruitful and multiply, yes we should

[kwikphilly]

Blessings ANSWER

           Welcome to Worthy;;;;;;;;;;

 

as long as the earth remains we should be fruitful and multiply, yes we should                                                                                    posted by ANSWER

      Amen,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,                                                                                           With love,in Christ-Kwik

[chapmic]

 

I think the commandment still stands, I know our society likes to plan every thing out down to a science but I think there is fun in some unpredictability. I grew up as an only child, so I wouldn't mine having a big family. I am a man so it is kind of easy for me to say that, but I do think children are a blessing. The way I figure it, if God allows me and my future wife to have a lot of children that means he already figured out a way for me and my future wife to provide for them. My gf and I also have discussed about adopting in the future because there are children out their who need good parenting and need to feel love in a world that started out brutal for them. I think it is important to enstill hope and teach Christianity to the youth because you can empower them for the rest of their lives and their souls would be saved.

 

Please do this! I spent 8 years in foster care before being adopted by my family. I have three adoptive siblings and all of us plan on adopting at least one child.

 

One of the things that really made me feel comfortable and safe when I was first placed with my family was their peacefulness at home. No yelling, no arguing, and none of the abuse or neglect I'd suffered at previous foster homes. They took me with them to church and I learned about God, Jesus, and the Bible in a non-threatening way. I struggled with depression for a long time before I met my family and got saved. Ever since I learned that Jesus died for my sins and that God loves me, I've been much happier. Being placed in a loving home with gentle parents does a lot for kids who have no one and nothing in life. Even when I was a foster kid getting bounced around from place to place, I knew other foster kids who were Christian, and they were always more positive and happier than those of us who weren't religious. I didn't understand their outlook on life at the time, but now I know why they could remain so upbeat when going through everything foster kids do. The more children that are brought to God, the better!

 

 

Wow powerful Testimony! Thank you! I will remember this once I am married.

[Willa]

I find it most interesting that most of those who want a zillion kids are male. It is a sometimes a badge of virility for men to boast of a lot of kids.

Moms have to put up with the swollen bellies and pain of child bearing. We have to try to keep up with the little rascles as they take apart our homes and break the couches by jumping on them while we are preoccupied fixing meals. Then there are all the trials of broken bones and accidents involving stitches. Girls are full of drama and boys are full of pranks, especially involving water or disgusting things. Additionally is all the heartache and grief over the one that turns her back on God, and falls into sinful lifestyles.

There is nothing glamourous about being a parent.. It is one of the toughest jobs on earth. And if someone has the courage to multiply this beyond a few, well maybe it is foolishness instead.

That being said, every kid is worth all the blood, sweat and tears, much less the labor in prayer. They are not ours. They are on loan from the Lord.

Adam and Eve were given the job of multiplying because the earth was unoccupied. The Jews knew the Messiah would be born of a woman so all women had the hope of bearing a male child. This was also important to an agricultural society to have help in working the land or in tending the sheep. That was the case here prior to industrialization and child labor laws as well.

Now days it should depend on the health and wishes of the mother. I know two mothers that actually became mentally unballanced when they became pregnant. Against doctors' advice they continued to have children for religious reasons. One of them got a gun, killed her husband and all but 3 of her 8 children, then herself.

It was once common for women to die giving birth. Complications are not uncommon.

If the breadwinner is chronicly unemployed, they should not keep on having kids. I don't mean to offend anyone here, but if they cannot feed the children, they should not depend soley on tax dollars to do so, especially if they came illegally in the first place. " For even when we were with you we commanded you this: If anyone WILL not work, neither shall he eat." 2 Thess. 3:10. This does not include the infirm or those willing to work but can't find any. On the other hand neither should they keep on having kids while unable to work.

Sometimes enough is enough

[other one]

as long as the earth remains we should be fruitful and multiply, yes we should

My wife and I struggled with this 40 years ago....   and again a year ago when our latest grandkid was born.....    we decided that we agreed with you answer, although I don't think my daughter is ready for anyther one any time soon......    and my son......   well I would hope he'd get married before having kids  LoL.

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

I find it most interesting that most of those who want a zillion kids are male. It is a sometimes a badge of virility for men to boast of a lot of kids.

Moms have to put up with the swollen bellies and pain of child bearing. We have to try to keep up with the little rascles as they take apart our homes and break the couches by jumping on them while we are preoccupied fixing meals. Then there are all the trials of broken bones and accidents involving stitches. Girls are full of drama and boys are full of pranks, especially involving water or disgusting things. Additionally is all the heartache and grief over the one that turns her back on God, and falls into sinful lifestyles.

There is nothing glamourous about being a parent.. It is one of the toughest jobs on earth. And if someone has the courage to multiply this beyond a few, well maybe it is foolishness instead.

That being said, every kid is worth all the blood, sweat and tears, much less the labor in prayer. They are not ours. They are on loan from the Lord.

Adam and Eve were given the job of multiplying because the earth was unoccupied. The Jews knew the Messiah would be born of a woman so all women had the hope of bearing a male child. This was also important to an agricultural society to have help in working the land or in tending the sheep. That was the case here prior to industrialization and child labor laws as well.

Now days it should depend on the health and wishes of the mother. I know two mothers that actually became mentally unballanced when they became pregnant. Against doctors' advice they continued to have children for religious reasons. One of them got a gun, killed her husband and all but 3 of her 8 children, then herself.

It was once common for women to die giving birth. Complications are not uncommon.

If the breadwinner is chronicly unemployed, they should not keep on having kids. I don't mean to offend anyone here, but if they cannot feed the children, they should not depend soley on tax dollars to do so, especially if they came illegally in the first place. " For even when we were with you we commanded you this: If anyone WILL not work, neither shall he eat." 2 Thess. 3:10. This does not include the infirm or those willing to work but can't find any. On the other hand neither should they keep on having kids while unable to work.

Sometimes enough is enough

Wow!! What a negative view of family life and children. I have to respectfully disagree with your painting with a very broad brush on the topic.

[BeauJangles]

I was wondering if and when you were going to enter into this topic, other one! I knew you had planned on observing for a bit, before posting on it... What took you so long? LOL Willamina, I'd have to admit that men often are not as responsible as they should be. This was traditional back in the days, but as Robert Zimmerman aka: Bob Dylan sang in one of his early protest folk songs: "The Times They Are A Changing" Although he no doubt he had something more political in mind. And speaking of changing... Well no, let's not! 

God bless you,

Shalom

David/BeauJangles

[Guest Teditis]

In Genesis 1:27-28, we are told that God commanded humans to "Be fruitful and multiply".

 

Does that commandment still stand? Should a woman have as many children as she is able? Basically, is childbearing still an absolute necessity for women?

 

In First Chronicles:

 

4:27 And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters: but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.

 

This verse seems to imply that not having many children is looked down upon. Is it?

 

The phrase "Be fruitful and multiply" appears in some variation numerous times throughout the Bible, but almost all of them are in the Old Testament. The one occurrence of it in the New Testament is in a letter by the Apostle Paul, and he is referring to what God told Abraham in the Old Testament. Were we only intended to multiply to a certain point? With over 7 billion people living on the Earth today, is having (or trying to have) as many children as Shimei in Chronicles still something all 2.2 billion Christians should strive for?

 

My knowledge on this subject is limited, but it seems to me like while we shouldn't necessarily be aiming for 22 kids, a lower number like 2 or 3 sounds more reasonable. Is there any direction on this in the New Testament?

 

I don't read any quantifying parameters in the first verse...

and in the second verse, I just read a declarative statement

without any judgmental aspects.

But that's just my take on it.

[Willa]

I was wondering if and when you were going to enter into this topic, other one! I knew you had planned on observing for a bit, before posting on it... What took you so long? LOL Willamina, I'd have to admit that men often are not as responsible as they should be. This was traditional back in the days, but as Robert Zimmerman aka: Bob Dylan sang in one of his early protest folk songs: "The Times They Are A Changing" Although he no doubt he had something more political in mind. And speaking of changing... Well no, let's not! 

God bless you,

Shalom

David/BeauJangles

Reminds me of the notice on the church nursery's door: we shall not all sleep but we will all be changed. lol