Prolific Posterity
“But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.” [Exodus 1:7]
Rachel Krishevsky truly believed the commandment to “be fruitful and multiply.” When the 99-year-old great-grandmother passed away in Jerusalem, September 2009, she left behind children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren. Rachel got married to her cousin Yitzhak in 1929, just before turning 19. The couple brought seven sons and four daughters into the world. Within the ultraorthodox Jewish community, large families are seen as a blessing. Her 11 offspring evidently adopted her outlook, and between them they produced 150 children of their own.
These 150 grandchildren continued the commitment to be fruitful and multiply and grew themselves to more than 1,000 children. From here, Rachel’s posterity continued to multiply further, and she was blessed with a few hundred great-great-grandchildren. Due to their large numbers, the family is not precisely sure how many descendants there are. The grandchildren estimate there are at least 1,400 people since almost all of Rachel’s family were prolific. Her grandchildren say, “Grandma was a God-fearing woman who knew the entire book of Psalms by heart, and participated in all the family gatherings. Up until she was 97 she knew all of her descendants by name.”
This makes it much easier to understand how 70 Hebrews could grow into a nation of over two million while living in Egypt for 200 years. The Bible teaches that children are to be a blessing from God. “Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them…” (Psalm 127:5). The children of Israel took God’s command seriously, to “be fruitful and multiply,” which is mentioned at least nine times in Genesis alone. Even in the face of persecution, families grew in Egypt. “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel” (Exodus 1:12).
In the same way that God’s people in the Old Testament grew in number, so also they grew during times of persecution in the New Testament age and beyond. Luke writes during the time Saul persecuted the church, “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). It is amazing that sometimes it takes difficult times for the gospel to be spread and God’s church to grow. But the Lord is faithful and promises that when we abide in Jesus, we will be fruitful and multiply spiritually!
