Now we readily admit that from one point of view, this argument based upon what

might have happened but which did not, is often futile, and we are well advised to face

things as they are. If, however, we approach such a question with a chastened spirit,

admitting all the time that what we say may nevertheless be very wide of the mark, some

light upon the vexed state of affairs that now obtain may repay our modest inquiry.

It is categorically stated that God made man upright, but that men have sought out

many inventions (Eccles. 7: 29), so that we can go behind the record of the fall in Eden

with this fact in mind. The unfallen Adam was commanded by His Creator to `be

fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth' (Gen. 1: 28), yet it is very evident that, if

time went on and the population of the earth continued to increase, nations and rulers

would soon be facing a most serious problem of feeding and supporting these teeming

millions. Only by the sad fact now that `one generation' passes, can the earth continue to

support `the generations' that come. It appears therefore that had man not fallen and

death not intervened, the succeeding generations that would have made up the number of

the elect seed would have appeared without break, and that the earth would have

provided abundant accommodation for them all.  There would then have not been

necessary the thousands of years which the ages span, and none of the `tares' would have

challenged the true seed and occupied so much of their territory.

It is safe to say, however, that no inheritance set aside for those predestinated by

Divine grace, ever has written across it "With VACANT possession". In every case a

usurper has to be dispossessed before the true heirs can take possession; see Deut. 2: for

this in type. The multiplication of man after the fall, was not made up entirely by the

true seed;  Satan sowed his tares, and those tares outnumbered the true seed so

disproportionately that by the time that Noah was grown to manhood `all flesh' with the

exception of one family of eight souls (I Pet. 3: 20) had so corrupted his way upon the

earth, that they were completely destroyed from the earth (Gen. 6: 13), `everything that

is in the earth shall die' was the verdict (Gen. 6: 17), and "Noah only remained alive, and

they that were with him in the Ark" (Gen. 7: 23).

Again, upon emerging on to dry land, Noah is commanded, as was Adam before him,

"Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Gen. 9: 1). This increase in number

however was not limited to the true seed, for we read the Midianites and the Amalekites

came `as grasshoppers for multitude' (Judges 6: 5; 7: 12) whereas Israel were

greatly impoverished. The `multitude' of the Canaanites (Judges 4: 7); of the Syrians

(I Kings 20: 13); of the Ethiopians (II Chron. 14: 11); of the children of Moab and of

Ammon (II Chron. 20: 2); of the Assyrians (II Chron. 32: 7); of Babylon (Isa. 13: 4);

of the nations (Isa. 29: 7); of Egypt, of Elam, of Meshech and Tubal and of Gog; and

finally the multitudes in the valley of decision (Joel 3: 14), indicate something of the

menace to the true seed in the earth that the multiplying of these nations must have been.

The picture before the mind is a field of wheat, smothered by the growth of charlock and

poppy. The passages which speak of Israel being a multitude are well known, two

passages, namely Gen. 28: 3 and 48: 4 need to be corrected in the A.V. for the

word there translated `multitude' is the Hebrew word gahal meaning `a called out