The ark is empty. Both the people and the animals have found their place on the earth that has now dried up. In a sense, the condition of the sixth day of creation has returned—even though the number of animals and humans is still rather small.
The Lord comes to Noah and his sons and blesses them. This blessing, as in Genesis 1:28, is related to the task man received. When you compare Genesis 1:26–28 with these verses, you will find strong similarities. This shows that the Lord maintains the cultural mandate for the new humanity.
Therefore, it is also necessary for more people to inhabit the earth. God’s blessing also means that man is truly able to fulfill the task of multiplying through conceiving and nurturing children. God’s blessing is the guarantee for this.
The world after the fall is a dangerous world for humans. It is a world where man’s life is often in danger. Certain animals pose a threat. The Lord promises that the animals will not prevail. He ensures that the animals fear man and that man will be able to rule and reign over the animals. Again, the Lord ensures that man, created in God’s image, can be viceroy on earth. That is man’s divine calling.
1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.