Genesis 1:28. To Give is the Greatest Blessing

Genesis 1:28  “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” 

    God’s blessing is again a command, but this time it comes with extra territory. Like the first blessing, the command begins with “be fruitful and multiply,” but instead of simply filling the earth, God tells man to “replenish” or refill the earth. Often we think about our blessings as things we receive, but here God makes it clear that the real blessing is in giving back, not just once or twice, but again and again, not in a close, miserly way, but full to overflowing. If we would study to give like that, the last phase of the command, “subdue it” would come easily and naturally. Rather than warring to dominate nature, our unselfish service to replenish the earth would yield to us its own generous service and grateful submission. 

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