The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-11, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  Copyright John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

In Genesis 1:28 it says that God gives Adam the command that says, "Be  fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it." In Genesis 9 he  tells Noah to "multiply and fill the earth," there is no indication of  subduing it. Why is that not mentioned, and is that part of the whole  kingdom?

Answer

Well, I think when Adam in his innocence was created, he could rule the whole of creation--he was king of the earth! It was a question simply of having access to the whole of God's created environment, and he could be fruitful  and multiply the earth. He could sort of oversee that replenishing, and he could subdue it in the sense that he harnessed all of its assets and powers  and all the things it yielded and control that--he was the king. He could do  that because the earth was a willing servant, but as soon as you have the  "fall" then immediately, thorns, and thistles--and man in order to control a tiny piece of ground has to work by the sweat of his brow to even eke out a  living. 

So by the time that you come to Noah, Noah can multiply children and  replenish the earth, but it is impossible to imagine that he could totally control it, because it's cursed. That has to do with the curse.