City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

¹ And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. ² The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. ³ Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. ⁴ But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. ⁵ And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

⁶ “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed for God made man in his own image.

⁷ And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

Genesis 9:1-8 (ESV)

²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

^25-26 God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

Romans 3:25-26 (MSG)

Aisha’s Analysis

In the text from Genesis above, we see God reestablishing order in the aftermath of the flood. Prior to the flood, the world was in disarray–so much so that the Lord actually regretted making people. That’s what happens when something is not operating according to its intended purpose. 

However, despite humanity going awry, the Lord was able to salvage Noah and his family and begin again–and that’s where these verses pick up. The Lord commissioned Noah and his sons to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, and He gave them authority over every living creature–just as He did with Adam and Eve. See Genesis 1:28. 

Interestingly enough, this time He allowed for people to eat living creatures (whereas before Adam and Eve were only to eat plants). He also follows with some other stipulations: 1) no one is to eat any meat with blood in it (Gen. 9:4); and, 2) God will require the blood of anyone or anything that takes a human life (Gen. 9:5-6).

This language alludes to the blood that will be required from God’s only begotten Son. Christ’s perfect sacrifice is ultimately what will satisfy God’s wrath against sinful humanity. At the same time, that is the only thing that enables us to truly be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Sandwiched between God’s command to be fruitful and our ability to fulfill it is Christ’s finished work. 

The blueprint of the Gospel is etched throughout scripture if we look for it.

Application

Do you feel hindered in your ability to be fruitful and build upon what God has given you? Maybe you’re out of work and looking for a job. Maybe you’re not satisfied in your current job. Maybe you’re in ministry trying to raise support. Maybe you’re a parent trying to instill godly values in your children and feel like you’re not getting anywhere. Maybe you’re a single guy or gal just trying to honor God and find satisfaction in your season of singleness. In whatever area of life in which you may find yourself now and in whatever way you may be struggling, just remember God is satisfied with the finished work of Jesus. 

What Christ bore on the cross, you need not bear. Give Him your fears, your worries, your inadequacies. He will take it and give you His love, promises, and abundance. God is more than enough. If He calls you to be fruitful, you can trust that He’ll empower you to be fruitful. Leave your insecurities at the door, and trust Him completely to satisfy those needs. Not only does He bless us, but He also empowers us to be a blessing to others. 

Prayer

Father God, I thank You for loving me so completely. I never have to worry or fear as long as You’re with me. Forgive me for ever doubting You. Thank You for staying by my side throughout the storms of life. You give me peace and satisfy me in every way. I receive Your free gift of salvation and yield my life to You. May a fruitful harvest flow out of my surrendered life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.