The Biblical Principle of Multiplication

Jesus’ teaching method was “first in the natural – then in the spiritual” 1 Cor 15 v 46. This is one reason why He was so effective as a teacher of principles. Who remembers the hit by this name in the ‘60s by Bobby Darren “Put two butterflies together and you’ll soon have a butterfly collection …”.

Jesus taught multiplication of the natural in the parable of The Sower (Matt 13 v 8, Mark 8 v 8) and Rewards (Matt 19 v 29, Mark 10 v 30). I would encourage you to look these verses up.

Jesus also teaches multiplication of money in the Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19 v 12 – 20) and Parable of the Talents (Matt 25 v 14 – 27) which I can understand as an accountant because I can visualise the times-table I learned at school. But how does it work in the spiritual? For example, in the principle of Sowing and Reaping Paul says in 2 Cor 9 v 10:

Just as God supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, He will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.

Paul was talking of a miracle here – the multiplying of a seed in our lives into out-flowing righteousness. Note that you become a storehouse of ever-flowing righteousness.

Which takes me to my old favourite in Malachi 3 v 10:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in My house. Test me in this”, says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it”.

Here Malachi is referring to the commandment in Deut 14 v 28 to bring the tithes into the storehouse in each town. God is saying, first give in the natural – then I will outpour both in the natural and in the spiritual. That is multiplication!

But my poor accounting mind wants a mathematical formula first to prove the miracle God promised. The particular passage my mind is struggling with is a prophecy given to me from 2 Kings 4 v 1-7 where God supernaturally multiplied the widow’s oil. I understand that the oil here represents the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I understand the spiritual far easier than the natural. For example I know the multiplying effect following time with the Lord, because I experience His Spirit. I can accept the multiplication because I experience it. But can I accept that God will do the same with our money we bring to Him? Yet it is the same principle throughout the Bible. Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes. He was again applying the principle of multiplication through the storehouse.

Perhaps the greatest illustration of these two threads – the natural and the spiritual – being drawn together into one was in Christ’s pronouncement in Jerusalem at His final appearance, which so antagonised His persecutors that they drove Him to the cross – John 7 v 37 – 38:

On the last and greatest day of the Feast (of Tabernacles) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice,
“If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

We are a part of the storehouse that God has chosen in which to plant His seed. He will multiply it – first in the natural and then in the spiritual. Can I understand it? No. But God doesn’t ask that of me. He calls me to walk by faith. Do I have the faith to believe -Yes Lord.