I would now like to consider a use or purpose that God intended the marriage relationship to fulfill. That use was to replenish with children the work of God on earth at any given time or dispensation. Adam and Eve were to “replenish the earth” with children (Gen. 1). Instead, they brought in sin and death, populating that earth with a sinful, dying race.
Replenishing in the Old Testament
God judged the “world that then was” by water, except for Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives. When they came out of the ark, God told Noah and his sons to “replenish the earth” (Gen. 9).
After this, the God of glory called out Abraham alone with his wife, saying of them, “Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him” (Isa. 51:22Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. (Isaiah 51:2)). Then Israel was told, “The Lord thy God... will... multiply thee; He will also bless the fruit of thy womb” (Deut. 72And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them: (Deuteronomy 7:2)). In their captivity in Babylon they were to “take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters... that ye may... not [be] diminished” (Jer. 292(After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;) (Jeremiah 29:2)). This was to be done in view of replenishing Jerusalem when the Lord would make an end of the captivity (Jer. 30:33For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. (Jeremiah 30:3)).
We could go on, but this serves to show God’s principle that is before us. We shall see that this principle still applies to the day in which we live the church dispensation. We might except the tribulation period— “And woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!” (Matt. 24) but it will be those who endure through that hour that will once again replenish the earth during the millennial reign of Christ. “And thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.” “In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment” (Isa. 54).
Replenishing of the Church in Acts
This principle of replenishing the interests of God on earth with our children carries into the church dispensation, if we may so describe it. To call our attention to this principle as it relates to our day, I will refer to some verses from the book of Acts.
On the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God came to earth to baptize the believers into one body (Acts 2; 1 Cor. 12), the Apostle Peter says, “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy” and “the promise is unto you, and to your children” (Acts 2:17-3917And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:17‑39)). Peter knew nothing of Paul’s church truth at this time. These were some of the first words recorded after the formation of the church among the Jewish families. When Peter carries the gospel to the Gentiles, it is to a man who “had called together his kinsmen [family members] and near friends.” The Lord saved them (Acts 10:24-4424And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. 25And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. 26But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. 27And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. 28And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? 30And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 32Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 33Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 34Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 37That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. 39And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; 41Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. 43To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. (Acts 10:24‑44)). When Paul speaks to a Gentile woman, it says, “She attended unto the things... spoken of Paul. And... she was baptized, and her household.” And there was the Philippian jailor who asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?” Together, Paul and Silas say, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 1624Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. 1Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. (Acts 16:24‑17:4)).
Replenishing in the Epistles
The epistles also bear out the principle that God desires our households to be brought into the assembly, desiring that they be “addicted... to the ministry of the saints” (1 Cor. 16:1515I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) (1 Corinthians 16:15)). Surely, with John we could say, “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth” and “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (2 John; 3 John).
God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility
Before considering this matter as it relates to Christianity, let us understand that our God, the God of all grace, is sovereign in all His ways and that man is responsible in whatever relationship he is in with God. Today, we who know God as our Father are without excuse for failure, because “His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to [by] glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1). Also, “Through our Lord Jesus Christ... we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Rom. 5) and we have “grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4). It is that grace which would keep us from falling, if we would avail ourselves of it.
God’s Grace and Man’s Responsibility
We would not have this wonderful relationship with God as Father and with our Lord Jesus as Saviour except for God’s sovereignty and grace. These relationships of grace carry with them responsibilities, flowing from relationship. Peter’s first epistle brings the two thoughts out beautifully and soberly. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.... And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s [not God’s] work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear” (1 Peter 1).
God brings the two things together with “Abraham; who is the father of us all... who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.” In Genesis 18 the Lord says of him, “For I know him, that he will [in order that he may] command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the ways of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that [in order that] the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him” (Gen. 18:1919For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (Genesis 18:19)).
H. Short
(to be continued)