We are still in chapter 49 of Genesis with our word for today. פָּרָה bear fruit, be fruitful, to bear, be born, to bring forth, to increase. It is used 29 times in the Old Testament. Here are a couple of good examples. Genesis1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be פְּר֥וּ fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” This is the sense our word is used today to fill up and multiply in an abundant way from God’s blessing. Genesis 49:22-26 Joseph is a פֹּרָת֙fruitful vine, a פֹּרָ֖תfruitful vine by a spring; his branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, and harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved; his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel), by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents, up to the bounties of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.
Jacob used the word “bless” at least six times in his speech to and about Joseph. He compared Joseph to a fruitful vine, drawing water from a spring and growing over the wall. It was Joseph who was taken from home and lived in Egypt, and the word “fruitful” points to his son Ephraim (Genesis 41:52), founder of a tribe that grew greatly and expanded its territory (Joshua 17:14–18). Neither Joseph nor his sons could be hemmed in! Jacob used the image of “archers” to describe the suffering that Joseph experienced at the hands of his brothers and his master in Egypt. In Scripture, shooting arrows is sometimes an image of telling lies and speaking hateful words (Psalm 57:4; 64:3–4; Proverbs 25:18; 26:18–19; Jeremiah 9:8). Joseph’s brothers couldn’t speak to him in a civil manner (Genesis 37:4), and they lied about him to their father; and Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph and helped put him into prison. Indeed, the archers shot mercilessly at the innocent young man. But Joseph didn’t shoot back! God strengthened him so that his words were always true, and it was this integrity that eventually led to his release from prison and his elevation to being second ruler of the land. Ephraim and Manasseh were important tribes in Israel. In fact, the Northern Kingdom was frequently called “Ephraim” (Isaiah 7:1–2; Hosea 13:1). God had blessed Abraham richly (Gen. 13:6), and Abraham had shared his wealth with Isaac (25:5), who in turn gave it to Jacob. But Jacob’s hard work had generated even more wealth. Thus, from generation to generation, the wealth increased because of the blessing of the Lord, like filling the land up to the very mountains.
I’ll close with these passages that show God’s blessing that brings over abundant fruitfulness into the New Testament and into the new heavens and the new earth. Genesis 22:17-18 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Galatians 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Revelation 7:9-10 There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
