"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth . . ." (Genesis 1:28).

Man in his rebellion has resisted God's purposes of filling (replenishing) this planet with people who love Him. We see this in the Babel incident, when the people said, "Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:4), but the Lord confounded the language and "scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth . . ." (v. 8). God's purposes were not to be frustrated by sinful man.

But how would He accomplish the second task of making a rebellious, scattered people into a people filled with love for Him? A clue comes in the next chapter. God promised Abram (later called Abraham) that in him "all families of the earth" (12:3) would be blessed.

We see how this promise began to be fulfilled by turning to the first verse of the New Testament; Jesus Christ is there described as "the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1). It was this very descendant of Abraham who commissioned His church to go into all the world, making disciples of "all nations" (28:19). And now, not only are there billions of people encompassing the whole earth, but untold numbers of these love the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, rebellion is active too, but those who persist in this state will eventually "be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" (II Thessalonians 1:9). In this age of grace, we do not wish everlasting destruction upon anyone, but Judgment Day is coming. May all who read these words either begin to fall in love with the One who is bringing this all about or increase in love for Him. May we all find complete joy in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. PGH