The Multiplication Blessing

The First Blessing in the Bible

Genesis 1:11–12 “Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:21–22 “So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.””

God put the first trees, the first birds, the first grass, the first fish, the first everything on the earth and God designed it so the seed that is within each of those creations has the potential to multiply.

Multiplication is important to God, so that His creation does not become stagnant. God loves multiplication.

It is the will of God for not only all of His creation to multiply, but also for our joy, peace, faith, family, business, and our church to multiply.

God placed the desire for multiplication within everything.

The seed is within itself. The seed is not dependent upon anything on the outside, because it already exists on the inside of the creation.

Look at the seeds in a watermelon, an apple, a sunflower, a stalk of corn, an orange, a kiwi, an oak tree, a maple tree, you name it. Once those seeds germinate, multiplication begins with adequate sunlight and moisture.

Females of the human, animal, bird, and fish species all have within them the reproductive ovum or egg cell that is capable of multiplication when fertilized by the male seed or sperm.

A common theme here is that all of nature must release their seed in order for it to be multiplied.

If the male of the species does not release the seed or sperm from within him to fertilized the female ovum, then multiplication does not occur.

If the watermelon does not release the seed that is within into the fertile ground, then multiplication does not occur.

Let’s look at a biblical application of this concept:

2 Kings 4:1–7 “The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.””

We see that the widow woman had faith to pour out 100% of the little olive oil that she had left. She did not hold on to the small amount of olive oil that she had in her very last jar. She poured it all out and the oil stopped pouring only when they ran out of containers. The number of jars that they gathered was an indication of their faith. God’s provision to multiply was as large as their faith and willingness to obey. Beware of limiting God’s blessings by a lack of faith and obedience. God can and will do even more than we ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”

Let’s look at another biblical example of what happens when God pours out. On the day of Pentecost, when God, when the believers were all together in one place, God poured out His Holy Spirit and 3,000 were saved that day.

Acts 2:1–4 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

Acts 2:41 “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

We need to live a poured out lifestyle. God has given each one of us gifts for His glory. Don’t hoard it. Pour it out.

You might be feeling insignificant, but the magnificent lives within you.

God saw how a young shepard boy named David was able to lead and protect a flock of sheep. So, God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint David so his skills would be ultimately be multiplied to lead and protect the entire nation of Israel.

God will not multiply anything that is not producing fruit.

Matthew 21:18–20 “Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.”

God will not bless the church that does not bear fruit.

What is fruit? Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Faithfulness is a seed. God says,” i will multiply faithfulness in your life, if you start going to church more than once a month.

Gentleness is a seed, but you might be saying, “Well it’s just not in my nature to be gentle. That’s because you allow your flesh and your impulses to rule your actions, not the Spirit.

How about self control? I just have to have a drink, or have a woman, or just get high.

You will know the truth by the fruit

Joseph remained joyful and gentle despite his brother’s evil actions, or Potipher’s wife’s actions or, even his prison time. Joseph refused to do what he knew was wrong. The seed of self control came from within Joseph.

Joseph knew who he was and what seed God had placed inside of him.

Genesis 41:42 “Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.”

That fine linen robe was actually the third significant robe that was given to Joseph. The first coat was the coat of many colors given to him by his father, Jacob, when he was still a young boy.

Genesis 37:3 “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him.”

That robe turned out to be a robe of affliction for Joseph.

Genesis 37:4 “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”

Genesis 37:23–24 “So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing—and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.”

Genesis 37:31–32 “Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.””

The next robe of affliction that we see Joseph wearing in the Bible is the one that Potipher’s wife grabbed away from him, that landed him in prison.

Genesis 39:7–10 “and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.”

Genesis 39:11–15 “One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.””

Genesis 39:16–20 “She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.