Fruit

Sometimes, the oddest thoughts come to me. The other day, I was thinking about the Fruit of the Spirit, and spiritual offspring as fruit, and then I thought of the fruit that Eve ate, and my mind took off. So, I decided to go through the Bible and highlight what God says about fruit. I think there are some hidden blessings in this topical study. Enjoy!

Fruit Salad—God created fruit trees with mature fruit on the third day of Creation (Genesis 1:11-12). After God made Adam and Eve, He told them they could eat every herb and every fruit in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 1:29)

The Forbidden Fruit was the one exception. God told Adam not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Genesis 2:16-17) Of course, we know Eve and Adam ate of the fruit, and their disobedience affected them and every human being afterward. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. . . . Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come (Romans 5:12, 14). The Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the second Adam, the One who can reverse the penalty for sin. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).

The Wrong Sacrifice—And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD (Genesis 4:3). Cain had decided to do religion his way instead of God’s. God said to him, If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door (Genesis 4:7a). God required a blood sacrifice—to represent how Jesus would be the sacrifice for sins. Cain knew what God wanted but ignored it. Hebrews 9:22 says, And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Cain paid the price for his sin, although God had mercy on him after he murdered his brother. He was banished from society, but God let him live.

One of the many signs of God’s blessing was His provision of actual fruit:

• And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. . . . Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years (Leviticus 25:19, 21).
• The two good spies, Joshua and Caleb, came back with samples of the large, beautiful fruit from the Promised Land. They said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it (Numbers 13:27).
• Blessed is the man . . . And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalm 1:1, 3).
• He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit (Isaiah 27:6). This prophecy has been fulfilled. Israel exports fruit to all the world. 

In the New Testament, fruit usually speaks allegorically of spiritual fruit:

• Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit (Matthew 7:17).
• But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (Matthew 13: 8, 23).
• Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (John 12:24).
• Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:4-5).
• But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life (Romans 6:22).

The gospel in people brings forth fruits of good works. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you . . . and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:5-6, 10).

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is a list of qualities that are evident in the Christian’s life.

• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
• For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:9).

I’ll end with a verse close to a missionary’s heart: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30).

May we bring forth fruit!

God bless you.