As I read the Scriptures, I invariably find that my thinking is quite opposite to God’s thinking. What should I do? I’ve got to change my opinion to God’s way of thinking. I think that many who call themselves Christians don’t really believe in the God of the Bible after all. It is so easy to believe in a God of our own imagination. Unless we constantly fill our minds with God’s Word, we can be deceived. The other day I was checking out God’s attitude toward fruitfulness. I notice the Bible is far removed from how even Christians think today. The average number of children per family in America is only 1.9 children per family but God’s vision is much bigger.
If you listen to my podcast. LIFE TO THE FULL, each week you will know that I am continually discovering adjectives in the Bible. God’s Word is filled with adjectives. God has to use adjectives because nothing about God is normal, ordinary, or status quo. He is beyond the normal. He is MORE THAN! So let me introduce you to a few more adjectives today.
The very first words that God spoke into the ears of man were “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:27). But then God continues to tell us HOW He wants us to be fruitful. The Scriptures tell us that God wants us to multiply . . .
1. ABUNDANTLY
Genesis 9:7: “Be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth ABUNDANTLY in the earth, and multiply therein.” The Hebrew word for abundantly is “sharats” and means “to swarm or abound.”
The MLB translation renders it correctly when it says: “Swarm over the earth and multiply it . . .” The TS2009 says: “Bring forth teemingly in the earth . . .” The Knox translation of Exodus 1:7: says: “The race of Israel grew into a teeming multitude.”
2. EXCEEDINGLY
Genesis 16:10: “I will multiply thy seed EXCEEDINGLY, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.” The Hebrew word “rabah” means to increase exceedingly, to be many, to be abundant.” We read this word over 30 times in the Old Testament.
3. MIGHTILY
Deuteronomy 6:3: ”That ye may increase MIGHTILY as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.” The Hebrew word is “m’od” meaning “vehemently, wholeheartedly, speedily, diligently.” We are not to fulfil this command reluctantly but with passion. The same Hebrew word is used in Psalm 105:24: “He increased his people GREATLY; and made them stronger than their enemies.”
There are two more Hebrew words for mightily. Exodus 1:7 tell us that “the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly and multiplied, and waxed exceeding MIGHTY, and the land was filled with them.” This word is “atsam” meaning “mightier and stronger.”
And in verse 9, Pharoah said: “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and MIGHTIER than we.” This time it is the word “atsuwm" meaning, “numerous, powerful, strong.”
4. GREATLY
Deuteronomy 26:5 tells us how the children of Israel in Egypt “became there a nation, GREAT, mighty, and populous.” The Hebrew word here is “gadol” meaning “great, exceeding, mighty, more.”
5. PLENTEOUSLY
Deuteronomy 30:9: “The LORD thy God will make thee PLENTEOUS . . . in the fruit of they body . . .“ The Hebrew word is “yathar” and means “to jut over or exceed, cause to abound.”
6. MULTITUDINOUSLY
Genesis 32:12: “I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude." The Hebrew word for “multitude” is “rob” meaning “abundance, huge, more in number, multitude.” There are many more Scriptures where this word is used again.
7. POPULOUSLY
Deuteronomy 26:5 tells us how Israel became a POPULOUS nation. The word is “rab” which means “powerful, great, mighty.”
Do you use any of these words in your daily vocabulary? Say each one aloud. They are Bible words and therefore should be part of our thinking and vocab. Do we use the language of our humanistic society or the language of the Bible?
Have a great day,
Nancy Campbell
Painting by C. M. Cooper