I have a question about God saying be fruitful and multiply: Is it a command or a genetic code or a part of us that is put into us that is not a choice? Or is it both? The reason I ask is that all the old covenants are gone. Paul says it’s ok to be single under certain circumstances of that time of persecution. I know it’s given a time frame, but if be fruitful and multiply was a command would it be nullified by the new covenant? Or is be fruitful and multiply not a covenant but a thing that is just instilled? Something I thought of to look at and I don’t know if he is saying it is a command or a covenant or something.<\/p>\n\t
The command “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28) was given to mankind when God created the world. It wasn’t a part of a covenant directly. Because it was a command to mankind as a whole, it still exists, just as the command to marry in Genesis 2:24 still exists — verified by Jesus (Matthew 19:4-6). Along with that command was that mankind is to have dominion over the world. That still exists. The consequences to Adam and Eve’s sin also continue to this day (Genesis 3:16-19).<\/p>\n
The other place this command appears is in the covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:1). That covenant, in which God promised not to destroy the world by water, is still in effect. The rainbow is still around. Mankind still has the right to eat animal flesh (I Timothy 4:4). We still are forbidden to eat blood (Acts 15:29). Murder still requires a death penalty (Romans 13:4). That covenant was between God and all mankind.<\/p>\n
What did end was the covenant God made with Israel — the law of Moses. “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah – not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD<\/em>” (Jeremiah 31:31-32). That covenant was made with just one nation and God said it was a temporary covenant.<\/p>\n Now, does this mean that everyone should have as many kids as possible? No. God wanted mankind to fill the earth, that is something we have done, so the command is being followed whether people acknowledge God’s dominion or not. What Paul pointed out in I Corinthians 7 is that there are times when it is a better thing to avoid or delay marriage, such as in times of persecution. Even in those times, marriage remains a good thing to do, it is just that in certain times, the single life can become a better choice. Yet, overall, the command to be fruitful and multiply is still being followed by mankind as a whole.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: I have a question about God saying be fruitful and multiply: Is it a command or a genetic code or a part of us that is put into us that is not a choice? Or is it both? The reason I ask is that all the old covenants are gone. Paul says it’s ok…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[110,489,115],"class_list":["post-21279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-children","tag-covenants","tag-old-law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35622,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-many-times-do-you-have-to-have-a-baby\/","url_meta":{"origin":21279,"position":0},"title":"How many times do you have to have a baby?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 31, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How many times do you have to have a baby? Answer: There has never been a requirement for having children beyond God's general command to mankind to \"be fruitful and multiply\" (Genesis 9:7).","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21346,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-god-wanted-us-to-eat-meat-why-did-he-give-animals-defenses\/","url_meta":{"origin":21279,"position":1},"title":"If God wanted us to eat meat, why did He give animals defenses?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 15, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If God wanted us really to eat meat, then why did He make animals with senses? Why give animals some kind of self-defense? If really Noah's word is true, why don't you eat the flesh of a tiger every day? Why don't you yourself go and kill a python\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11033,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-god-intend-for-adam-to-have-children-before-the-fall\/","url_meta":{"origin":21279,"position":2},"title":"Did God intend for Adam to have children before the fall?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 10, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Had God any intention of having children for Adam? Adam was cursed only after he was driven away from paradise. That too was a curse. Answer: Before the fall of man, God told Adam and Eve, \"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, \"Be fruitful and multiply;\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36840,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-it-mean-that-god-declared-the-seventh-day-holy\/","url_meta":{"origin":21279,"position":3},"title":"What does it mean that God declared the seventh day holy?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 31, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: God blessed the seventh day. When God blessed the animals and human beings He said \"Be fruitful and multiply.\" Can this mean that God also said the same thing when God blessed the seventh day? Also, what does it mean that God has declared the seventh day holy? Answer:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16815,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/doesnt-genesis-414-prove-that-there-were-other-people-than-just-the-descendants-of-adam-and-eve\/","url_meta":{"origin":21279,"position":4},"title":"Doesn’t Genesis 4:14 prove that there were other people than just the descendants of Adam and Eve?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 11, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I just read\u00a0your sermon on three days and three nights\u00a0and I am glad to finally find a preacher or even a person for that matter, who agrees with me on the day of the crucifixion. I can stop arguing about it now that I know I am not alone\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67321,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-does-the-bible-say-the-people-of-babel-defied-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":21279,"position":5},"title":"Where does the Bible say the people of Babel defied God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, I'm slightly confused about Scripture and interpretation here. The story of Babel is always propped up as a story of man's defiance of God's will, but nowhere do I see the Bible actually state that they defied God. Yes, they did go against God's command. 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