<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Exodus 1;1-7<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;These are the names of the sons of Israel, who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:</b></div><div><b>2. &nbsp;Ruben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,</b></div><div><b>3. &nbsp;Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,</b></div><div><b>4. &nbsp;Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.</b></div><div><b>5. &nbsp;All the offspring of Jacob were 70 persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.</b></div><div><b>6. &nbsp;Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.</b></div><div><b>7. &nbsp;But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied, and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>The people of Israel obeyed God’s command, <i>“And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;’” &nbsp;</i><span>(Genesis 1;28)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Notice that fruitfulness is the ‘fruit’ of God’s blessing of&nbsp;Adam and Eve,&nbsp;(and to us). &nbsp;A culture which limits its fruitfulness is outside of the life of blessedness which God desires to give us. &nbsp;What is the reason why couples are having fewer and fewer children? &nbsp;Answer: They ‘think’ their lives will be better if they do not have many children. &nbsp;They are deceived. &nbsp;</span></div><div><span><i>“Lo, sons are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. &nbsp;Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one’s youth. &nbsp;Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” &nbsp;</i>(Psalm 127;3-5)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>This blessedness given to the descendants of&nbsp;Israel is a fulfillment of “The Blessing” (Genesis 12;2, Genesis 25;11, Genesis 28;12-14)&nbsp;given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (the Blessing which brings the promised&nbsp;<i>“Woman’s Seed,” &nbsp;</i>Jesus, into the world).</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>To have children is not simply an act of obedience, it is an act of faith. &nbsp;Having children is an expression of faith in God who supplies our daily bread. &nbsp;We have children in the face of fear and trouble. &nbsp;We love, trust in,&nbsp;and serve the LORD, who <i>“prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.” &nbsp;</i>(Psalm 23;5)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>It must also be noted that the fruitfulness of the descendants of Israel in Egypt tempted Pharaoh to fear them and to enslave them. &nbsp;Is it not wonderful that God’s ‘Blessing’ also brings suffering to the flesh?</span></div><div><span>The two go together!</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Consider, Romans 8;15-17: &nbsp;<i>“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of Sonship. &nbsp;When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ &nbsp;it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, And if children, then heirs, heirs&nbsp;of God and fellow heirs&nbsp;with Christ, provided we <u>suffer</u>&nbsp;with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”</i></span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><span>It is imperative that we understand our sufferings as being a participation in Christ’s own sufferings.</span></div><div><span>As we have been made one with Jesus, we therefore are meant to share in His sufferings, beginning with His death to sin on the cross through our baptism into Christ. &nbsp;The denial of the flesh is required of all who desire to follow Jesus. &nbsp;<i>“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” &nbsp;</i>(Galatians 5;24)</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Please note: &nbsp;Those who for many reasons are unable to be fruitful and multiply physically, are still able to bear much pleasing&nbsp;fruit in the sight of God, through lives of faith, love, and good works.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant that we partake of the Divine Nature and are found fruitful at the coming of Christ? &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><span><i><br></i></span></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Exodus 1;1-7
1.  These are the names of the sons of Israel, who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:2.  Ruben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,3.  Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,4.  Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.5.  All the offspring of Jacob were 70 persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.6.  Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation.7.  But the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied, and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.
The people of Israel obeyed God’s command, “And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;’”  (Genesis 1;28)
Notice that fruitfulness is the ‘fruit’ of God’s blessing of Adam and Eve, (and to us).  A culture which limits its fruitfulness is outside of the life of blessedness which God desires to give us.  What is the reason why couples are having fewer and fewer children?  Answer: They ‘think’ their lives will be better if they do not have many children.  They are deceived.  “Lo, sons are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one’s youth.  Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”  (Psalm 127;3-5)
This blessedness given to the descendants of Israel is a fulfillment of “The Blessing” (Genesis 12;2, Genesis 25;11, Genesis 28;12-14) given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (the Blessing which brings the promised “Woman’s Seed,”  Jesus, into the world).
To have children is not simply an act of obedience, it is an act of faith.  Having children is an expression of faith in God who supplies our daily bread.  We have children in the face of fear and trouble.  We love, trust in, and serve the LORD, who “prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.”  (Psalm 23;5)
It must also be noted that the fruitfulness of the descendants of Israel in Egypt tempted Pharaoh to fear them and to enslave them.  Is it not wonderful that God’s ‘Blessing’ also brings suffering to the flesh?The two go together!
Consider, Romans 8;15-17:  “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of Sonship.  When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’  it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
It is imperative that we understand our sufferings as being a participation in Christ’s own sufferings.As we have been made one with Jesus, we therefore are meant to share in His sufferings, beginning with His death to sin on the cross through our baptism into Christ.  The denial of the flesh is required of all who desire to follow Jesus.  “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”  (Galatians 5;24)
Please note:  Those who for many reasons are unable to be fruitful and multiply physically, are still able to bear much pleasing fruit in the sight of God, through lives of faith, love, and good works.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant that we partake of the Divine Nature and are found fruitful at the coming of Christ?  In Jesus we pray, Amen
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”



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