Biblical Numbers
One
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were
called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over
all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
There cannot be two firsts. One is God's number. "Hear,
O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy
6:4). God is the only God. "You shall have no other gods
before me" (Exodus 20:3). The number one stands alone,
independent of all others. God doesn't need help in His
accomplishments; therefore He is the one and only God.
Number one in the Bible means "unity" and "uniqueness."
There is one body; the church made up of true believers.
There is one Spirit; the Holy Spirit who indwells every
believer individually also indwells the church collectively.
There is one hope; the hope to be like Christ. There is one
Lord; Jesus Christ who died for us all. There is one faith;
the Christian faith based on Christ's death on the cross.
There is one baptism; the baptism with the Holy Spirit and
fire. There is one God and Father of all; God Almighty who
is over all and through all and in all.
The songwriter is right. "One is a lonely number." The
number one does stand alone, independent of all others. God
is independent, and we are dependent. But that's a good
position for us to be in since the one on whom we depend is
the ONE and ONLY true living God!
Two
Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst
of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the
waters." Then God made the firmament, and divided the waters
which were under the firmament from the waters which were
above the firmament, and it was so. And God called the
firmament heaven. So the evening and the morning were the
second day. (Genesis 1:6-8)
The number two in the Bible has several meanings. The number
two denotes a difference. The number two proves there is a
division or a separation. From the beginning of Creation we
see the number two in the scriptures. On the second day of
Creation, God divided the waters: earthly waters and
heavenly waters. Throughout the Bible, we see the duality of
two things being opposite and at no times can these two
things be both at the same time: light and darkness, good
and evil, heaven and hell, the saved and unsaved.
The number two suggesting division and separation is seen in
the following examples: two birds, one slain and one set
free; two goats, one slain, the other one set free; two
masters; two covenants (Old Testament and New Testament);
law and grace; Christ and the anti-Christ; the natural and
the spiritual; male and female; the righteous and the wicked
as in Psalm 1.
Two is the minimum number of people to be sent on an
important assignment. Two angels were sent to Sodom (Genesis
19:1); two spies were sent to Jericho (Joshua 2:1); and
Jesus sent His disciples out two by two (Mark 6:7). Also,
two is the minimum number for witnesses. "By the mouth of
two or three witnesses the matter shall be established"
(Deuteronomy 19:15).
In conclusion, the number two is symbolic of (1) a
difference or division; (2) the minimum number for an
important assignment; (3) and the minimum number of
witnesses for a matter to be established.
Quiz: (1) Jesus separated how many thieves on the cross? (2)
How many disciples ran to the tomb? (3) How many angels were
at Christ's resurrection? (4) How many disciples did Jesus
walk with on the Emmaus Road after His resurrection? (5) How
many men in white apparel testified at Christ's ascension?
If your answer is TWO (2) for all questions, then you are
correct.
Three
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
Three in the Bible is divine fullness or completion as in
the Godhead of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy
Spirit. We know this concept as the Trinity even though the
word "trinity" is not in the Bible. The trinitarian formula
is mentioned in the Great Commission listed above and also
in Paul's benediction at the end of this message. Some
examples of three being the number of spiritual fullness:
Jonah was in the belly of the big fish three days and Jesus
was in the grave three days. Three days were enough to prove
that Jesus had conquered sin, death, and the grave.
Three is the minimum number necessary to establish a
pattern. Something can happen once by chance; twice by
coincidence; but three consecutive times usually indicate a
pattern. For example, Samuel heard his name called three
times before Eli confirmed that it was God calling Samuel (I
Samuel 3:8).
When we are expecting confirmation concerning a certain act,
it is good news to know that when something happens three
times, it points to greater fulfillment yet to unfold. For
example, if you have been asked out on a date three times,
there might be further development of the relationship. If
you have been on a job for at least three years, more than
likely you could be in line for a promotion. When something
happens three times, it gains emphasis such as when Peter
denied Jesus three times. Three times Pilate wanted to
release Jesus, but three times the chief priests and rulers
rejected Him. This repetition represents the emphasis placed
on the rejection (Luke 23:13-25).
Three speaks of totality, sufficiency and the complete work
of God. Man is a trifold being: body, spirit and soul.
Notice when preachers preach and Bible teachers teach, they
usually speak using the trifold concept whether they realize
it or not. It is usually automatic. Listen to hear them say:
faith, hope and love; grace, peace, and mercy; morning,
noon, and night; Peter, James and John; Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob; and "Holy, Holy, Holy" etc.
And now the three-part benediction: "The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy
Spirit be with all of you." (2 Corinthians 13:13)
Four
Then people will come from east and west, from north
and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. (Luke
13:29)
Four is the creation number and it has special significance
to the earth. Four is symbolic of earthly completeness. On
the fourth day, all materials for the earth were created.
Four is the number of the great elements: earth, air, fire,
and water. There are four regions or directions: north,
south, east, and west. There are four seasons of the year:
fall, winter, spring, and summer. There are four phases of
the moon: first, half, full, and last. There are four
divisions of the day: morning, noon, evening, and night. The
Bible also has ten references to the four winds.
The number four indicates universality. This means that from
one point to the next point, everything is included such as
in the scripture above. It is universal participation. All
people will come from all four corners of the earth to enjoy
the kingdom of God as is illustrated in the four gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Four in the scriptures portrays universal observation,
worship and adoration as in Revelation 4:6-8. "Around the
throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living
creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first
living creature like a lion, the second living creature like
an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human
face, and the fourth living creature like a flying
eagle."
Let's conclude our study of the number four on a note of
hope for those who might be in a fiery furnace today. Don't
give up. Jesus appeared as the fourth man to save the three
Hebrew boys (Daniel 3:25). He will do the same for you.
Five
Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
(Matthew 25:2)
The number five is seen throughout the Bible, but almost
every time it is used, it is merely a part of a whole. It is
so small of a bigger piece that it could be considered only
a "handful" as the five fingers on one's hand. The first
five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch comprise
only a portion of the 66 books of the entire Bible.
Even though five represents a small sum which appears to be
insignificant within the larger scheme, it does individually
possess high value. When Abraham pleads to God to spare the
people of Sodom, he begins by pleading for five fewer
righteous people as to suggest that the loss of five would
be insignificant in its consequence (Genesis 18:22-23).
Sometimes in the Bible, the number five is half of the
perfect number ten as in the parable of the ten virgins.
Five of them were foolish, and five were wise (Matthew
25:2). The Ten Commandments are distinctly divided into two
pairs of fives. The first five commandments deal with our
relationship with God; the last five deal with our
relationship with others. Only Commandment #5 is different
in that it is the only one with a promise associated with
it.
At times five indicates just recompense or bounteous reward.
Thieves must repay five times the value of the oxen they
steal (Exodus 22:1). Benjamin was honored by Joseph with
five times more food than his brothers (Genesis 43:34) and
five sets of clothes (Genesis 45:22). We can't forget that
Jesus took five loaves to feed five thousand. It was
abundance for the multitude.
The number five represents God's grace seen throughout the
structure of the tabernacle in the wilderness. The pillars
were five cubits apart and five cubits high. The brazen
altar was five cubits by five cubits. There were five
pillars at the end of the Holy Place. The sides of the
tabernacle were reinforced by five bars on each side (Exodus
26:26-27). The inner covering of the tabernacle was composed
of five curtains which were attached to five other curtains
for a total of ten curtains (Exodus 26:3). Notice the double
five pattern. There were five original priests: Aaron and
his four sons (Exodus 28:1)
Five is a number of preparation as the first five books of
the Bible prepare you for Israel's story throughout the rest
of the Bible. The five wise virgins were prepared. David, in
preparing for Goliath, took up five smooth stones. To
prepare and perfect the saints for ministry, some are called
to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers
(Ephesians 4:11-12). Through these five outlets goes forth
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Surely, you are prepared to fit
into one of these five because of God's grace.
Six
So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God he created him; male and female he created them. God saw
all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was
evening, and there was morning; the sixth day. (Genesis
1:27, 31).
Six is the number for man because he was created on the
sixth day. It should remind us of our human incompleteness.
Man without God will always be incomplete. No matter what we
do in our own strength, we will always fall one below the
perfect number seven. What God created on the previous days,
"And God saw that it was good." However, when God made man,
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good"
(Genesis 1:31).
The sixth commandment calls our attention to the value of
the human life that was created on the sixth day. It says,
"Do not kill" (Exodus 20:13). The serpent was also created
on the sixth day (Genesis 1:24). This lets us know that
Satan is capable of tricking us if given the chance. Six
days mark the completion of creation as God's work.
Therefore, six days were appointed for man's labor. Like
God, man should cease from his labor after the sixth day. If
God could complete all creation in six days, we should take
a break from our labor after six days.
Six is also the number of balance, harmony, cooperation and
marriage. Jesus' first miracle changed six pots of water to
wine for the wedding feast (John 2:6). A wedding represents
love as does the number six. Is that the reason June (the
sixth month) is favored for weddings? Could it be the reason
Boaz gave Ruth six measures of barley symbolic of his love
and protection (Ruth 3:15)?
If we want miracles to happen in our lives, we should
remember that we are incomplete without God. Satan is out to
trick us because of our human weakness. We should allow
ourselves to be filled to the brim like the six water pots.
Then, like the wine at the wedding, our lives will change
miraculously.
Seven
And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams'
horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march
around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the
trumpets. (Joshua 6:4)
In the Bible, numbers have spiritual significance. Of all
the numbers, seven is the most familiar because it appears
about 600 times. Seven denotes spiritual perfection. It
means divine fulness, completeness and totality. It comes
from a Hebrew word meaning "to be full," "to be satisfied,"
and "to have enough.
Many times seven is important as a symbol rather than as an
actual number. Whenever you read seven, it does not always
literally mean seven things or seven occurrences. It is
symbolic of the whole or the completion or the ideal
situation or the perfect picture of things. Seven
constitutes a complete cycle.
One of the most profound examples of the use of the symbolic
number seven is related to the fall of Jericho in the Joshua
6:1-20. Notice how many sevens appear in the scripture
above. The use of the number seven simply means fulfillment
or enough. Enough priests blew the trumpets and enough
people marched around the walls enough times for the walls
to come tumbling down.
Revelation, the last book of the Bible that completes the
word of God contains more sevens than any of the other
books. There are seven churches, seven seals, seven
trumpets, seven personages, seven vials, seven woes, and
seven new things. Additionally, there are seven glories of
the Son of Man, and seven blessings. The word "Jesus" is
found seven times, "Jesus Christ" seven times and the wrath
of God seven times.
In just one verse in Isaiah 11:2, the Holy Spirit rested on
Jesus in seven distinct ways: Spirit of God, wisdom,
understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, and fear of God.
Our desire should be that the Holy Spirit will rest within
us in the same seven ways.
Eight
Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was
eight days old, as God had commanded him. (Genesis 21:4)
The number eight symbolizes resurrection and a new
beginning. Noah's ark passed through the waters symbolizing
death, but it was resurrected and rested on Mt. Ararat and
eight people emerged to a new beginning.
Why did God command Jewish males to be circumcised on the
eighth day? Why not on the first day or much later? Eight
means "as above, so below." That's why Jewish male babies
are circumcised on the eighth day to seal the covenant with
God. "And when eight days were completed for the
circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the
name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb"
( Luke 2:21).
Other interesting things about the number eight: David was
the eighth son of Jesse, while Solomon was the eighth son of
David. The writers of the New Testament were eight in
number: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
Paul, James, Peter and Jude. Christ is the Resurrection and
the Life. His birth place, Bethlehem, is mentioned exactly
eight times in the New Testament. Jesus came that we might
have a new beginning. Accept Him today and begin your life
anew.
Nine
Now it was the third hour [9:00 a.m.], and they
crucified Him. (Mark 15:25) And at the ninth hour Jesus
cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama
sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have
You forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34)
Nine is the number of judgment and finality. It is the last
of the digits, and thus marks the end; and is significant of
the conclusion of a matter. What time was Jesus nailed to
the cross? The Bible says the third hour. That's 9:00 in the
morning. How long did He hang on the cross? The Bible says
He dismissed His spirit at 3:00 in the afternoon. That's the
ninth hour of the day. Jesus' work on earth was
finished.
A cycle of finality is indicated in the nine generations
from Adam to Noah. Then the flood was the judgment. Noah's
generation was the ninth from Adam, and Abraham's generation
was the ninth from Noah. Representing finality and judgment,
the Bible has nine records of stoning; nine records of
blindness and nine records of leprosy.
According to Galatians 5:22-23, there are nine fruit of the
Spirit. There is no "s" on "fruit of the Spirit" because the
individual fruits work together as a final unit of the
heart: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Notice the first
one is "love" and the final one is "temperance" or
"self-control." Begin with love and your final result will
be temperance. According to I Corinthians 12:8-10, there are
nine gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, word of knowledge, faith,
healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking
in tongues, and interpretation of tongues.
Ten
And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant,
the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28)
There are four numbers in the Bible that denote completion
or perfection. Three, seven, ten, and twelve all mean
completion and perfection. While each number represents
completion or perfection, it is a different type of
completion or perfection. Three means "divine perfection."
Seven means "spiritual perfection." Twelve means
"governmental perfection." That's why there are twelve
people on a jury. Ten is the number of perfection or
completion of God's "divine order." It is the only one of
the perfect numbers in which humans have a part. We cannot
be part of the three, seven, or twelve. We are definitely
part of the ten since it is the number of completion based
on God's order AND human responsibility. The number ten is
built into our very anatomy. For instance, we have ten
fingers to do God's work and ten toes to walk upright before
God.
Why only Ten Commandments in the Old Testament? Why not
fifteen or twenty? The Ten Commandments contain all that is
necessary, and no more than is necessary, both as to their
number and their order. They are examples of God's order and
man's responsibility. The first five concern our
relationship with God. The last five concern our
relationships with other humans. The number ten is the start
of a whole new order of numbers and the completion of the
single digit numbers that come before it. Our responsibility
in stewardship is to give God ten percent of our first
fruits because the tithes represent the whole of what is due
from man to God' based on His claim on the whole.
We cannot aspire to divine perfection on our own. We cannot
aspire to spiritual perfection on our own. We cannot attain
governmental perfection without God. We can honor God's
covenant according to His order and our responsibility.
Eleven
And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on
Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
(Acts 1:26)
The number eleven is the number of disorder, imperfection
and incompleteness. Eleven signifies a state not yet full.
After Judas betrayed Jesus, he committed suicide. One might
ask why replace Judas since Jesus had been crucified. Since
the twelve disciples represented the twelve tribes of
Israel, Judas' replacement was necessary to bring the number
back to the governmental number of twelve. Having only
eleven disciples speaks of incompleteness.
Eleven also represents disorder. The parable about the
workers coming to work in the eleventh hour is in contrast
to what we believe to be right in order and arrangement
(Matthew 20:6,9). Disorder arose when the earlier workers
found out the eleventh hour workers got paid just as much as
those who had worked all day.
The journey of the Israelites through the wilderness should
have taken only eleven days (Deuteronomy 1:2). It turned
into a 40 years journey because of disorder,
disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.
The number eleven can be traced throughout Jacob's life
illustrating incompleteness. According to Genesis 32:22,
Jacob took his two wives, and his two women-servants, and
his eleven sons, and headed back home to confront his
estranged brother Esau. At the time Jacob had only eleven
sons because Benjamin had not yet been born. Benjamin's
birth brought the total of Jacob's sons to twelve. But then
Joseph (the eleventh son) was sold into slavery, and Jacob
thought Joseph was dead. This took the total back to eleven.
During that period, much disorder and confusion
characterized Jacob's household. Joseph spent eleven years
in Potiphar's household where disorder caused by Potiphar's
wife resulted in Joseph going to prison.
When your life seems to be disorderly, disorganized,
imperfect and incomplete, check to see if an eleven is
somehow involved.
Twelve
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is
what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving
each the blessing appropriate to him. (Genesis
49:28)
The number twelve speaks of governmental perfection or rule.
The sun which "rules" the day, and the moon and stars which
"govern" the night, do so by their passage through the
twelve signs of the Zodiac which completes the great circle
of the heavens of 360 degrees (12 x 30) which govern the
year. As a symbol, twelve is one of the perfect numbers in
the Bible mainly because of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Saying the "twelve tribes of Israel" has a double meaning.
The tribes are the sons of Jacob whose name was changed to
Israel when he wrestled with God. Also, the tribes are of
Israel, the nation. Many things in the Bible acknowledge and
are patterned after the twelve tribes.
Following the exodus, Moses built twelve pillars on Mount
Sinai (Exodus 24:4). Twelve spies were sent to spy out the
land (Deuteronomy 1:23). Twelve stones were set as a
memorial after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4:3).
Twelve stones were attached to the breastplate of the
priestly garments bearing the names of the twelve tribes
(Exodus 39:8-14). The temple involved twelve in its
measurements and furnishings.
The New Testament records the number twelve many times.
Jesus speaks His first words at the age of twelve (Luke
2:42). Later, He chooses twelve disciples. Twelve baskets of
fragments were collected after Jesus fed the five thousand
(Mark 6:43). The Book of Revelation says there are twelve
gates to the city, twelve angels as gatekeepers and the
names of the twelve tribes written on the gates. The gates
are twelve pearls and the wall will be on twelve foundations
which bear the names of the twelve apostles. The
measurements of the New Jerusalem also involve the number
twelve in its measurements.
The number twelve as the perfect governmental number rule
within our own society. That's why there are twelve people
on a jury. That's why there are twelve eggs in carton (just
kidding)! But there is no kidding about the tree of life
that once stood in the Garden of Eden and was forbidden to
Adam. It will stand in the city and be accessible to all of
us. It will bear twelve kinds of fruit for the twelve months
for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).
Thirteen
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the
thirteenth year they rebelled. (Genesis 14:4)
Some people think thirteen is an unlucky number. It does
speak of rebellion, sin and disobedience. Israel was in
constant rebellion. Seven good kings ruled over the southern
kingdom of Judah. Thirteen evil kings led the people away
from God. Israel was characterized by rebellion, sin and
disobedience mainly because of these thirteen evil kings. We
say there were twelve tribes of Israel because of the sons
of Jacob. Actually, there were thirteen tribes. Let me
explain. Joseph died and that left eleven tribes. But
Joseph's portion of land was divided between his two sons,
Ephraim and Manasseh. Technically, that makes thirteen
tribes.
Note that there were twelve disciples, but Jesus, the
Christ, made the thirteenth member at the Last Supper.
Later, Judas went out and betrayed Jesus. There were twelve
who were bonded, but Judas, the thirteenth was apart from
them all representing rebellion, sin, and disobedience.
Some buildings do not have a thirteenth floor. (Technically,
they do have a thirteenth floor. They just don't number it
as such). Some hotels do not have thirteen as a room number.
Some people live in fear whenever the thirteenth falls on a
Friday because it is a superstition that it is an unlucky
day. Here is something to think about. Everyday is the
Lord's Day no matter what date it bears. And when you think
a day falls on the thirteenth, it is not actually the
thirteenth. Our calendar has been adjusted over the years.
We accept today as Wednesday, August 20th, but is it really?
Fourteen
Thus there were fourteen generations in all from
Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile in
Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. (Matthew
1:17)
The number fourteen speaks of double completion (2 x 7) and
compression. We see the meaning of this number played out in
the story of Jacob and his marriage to the two daughters of
Laban. Jacob worked a complete cycle, seven years for
Rachel. Because Leah was older, Laban tricked Jacob into
marrying her instead. After the night of consummation, Jacob
awakened to weak-eyed Leah. Because of Jacob's love for
Rachel, Laban allowed him to work another seven years for
her. Thus making it double completion. However, the time was
compressed because after Leah's honeymoon was over, Laban
allowed Rachel to marry Jacob and work off the seven years
while being married to both women. (Genesis 29:14-30)
There were three generations from Abraham, the first Jew to
David the first king. There were fourteen years from David
to the exile to Babylon and fourteen years from the exile to
the Christ. Genealogies often compressed history. Not every
generation of ancestor was listed. Matthew chose to compress
several generations into these three sets of fourteen
generations which actually total 42 generations. When
preachers say, "Jesus came down through 40 and 2
generations," they actually illustrate the completion and
compression of the history of Jesus.
Is there any significance that Valentine's Day falls on
February 14?
Fifteen
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the
Lord. Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: "Go and tell
Hezekiah, This is what the Lord, the God of your father
David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears: I
will add fifteen years to your life." (Isaiah 38:2,
4-5)
The number fifteen speaks of addition. The above passage
illustrates the addition of fifteen years when Hezekiah
prayed to the Lord when he was about to die. When he turned
his face to the wall, he shut out everything and everybody
except the God to whom he prayed. He reminded God of how he
had walked diligently before him and with wholehearted
devotion had been faithful toward Him. Then Hezekiah wept.
After Hezekiah prayed and humbled himself before the Lord,
he was told by the prophet Isaiah that God would add fifteen
more years to Hezekiah's life.
God could do similar things for you if you would do what
Hezekiah did. Pray and humble yourself before you ask for
your next raise. You might be rewarded with the addition of
a fifteen percent increase provided you have already been
committed and faithful to what God has entrusted into your
care.
Peace and blessings to you who stand ready to accept God's
blessings fifteen-fold.
Sixteen
Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and
he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles
26:3)
Most teenagers look forward to their sixteenth birthday for
that special birthday party and other privileges. Uzziah
became king at sixteen and reigned fifty-two years longer
than any previous king of Israel. There were two other kings
younger than Uzziah. Joash was seven and Josiah was eight.
Would your child be able to run an entire nation at seven,
eight or sixteen?
Uzziah was a powerful king, but he let pride get in his way.
When confronted by the other kings, he responded with anger
instead of repentance. God judged him by striking him with
leprosy. Uzziah was forced to live out the rest of his life
separated from society.
Remember pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit
before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18).
Seventeen
Joseph, a young man of seventeen... "Come, let's sell
him to the Ishmaelites..." (Genesis 37:2, 27)
Seventeen stands out as a significant number because it is
not a multiple of any other number. It has no factors. It is
last of the seven prime or indivisible numbers (1, 3, 5, 7,
11, 13 and 17). Seventeen is the sum of two perfect numbers,
seven and ten. Therefore, it is a combination of spiritual
perfection and ordinal perfection. An example of this
perfect union in the Bible is that of Joseph who at the age
of seventeen was sold into slavery by his brothers. The
story of Joseph also illustrates that seventeen signifies
the beginning of temptation. At seventeen, temptation began
to surround Joseph in every direction, but he did not take
his eyes off the God he served. Let us do likewise.
The union of spiritual perfection and ordinal perfection is
clearly seen when Joseph is made second in command in Egypt.
He then becomes available to help those who did evil to put
him there in the first place. Joseph was able to say to his
brothers: "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good
to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many
lives" (Genesis 50:20)
Eighteen
Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set
free on the Sabbath day from what has bound her? (Luke
13:16)
Eighteen is the number of bondage. We see in the above
scripture that Satan had kept the woman bound for eighteen
years. By reading the entire passage, we learn that this
woman had been "crippled by a spirit." She was "bent over"
and could not "straighten up" at all.
Luke, the physician, lets us know that the illness was not a
medical one. It was a spirit of infirmity caused by Satan.
He also lets us know that "When Jesus saw her, he called her
forward and said to her: "Woman, you are set free from your
infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately
she straightened up and praised God."
Are you in bondage of any kind? Let Jesus call you forward
and hear Him say, "You are set free." Notice the woman was
where Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues. In order
to be set from your bondage, you MUST be in the place where
Jesus is.
Nineteen
After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head
count of the army. Nineteen of David's men (besides Asahel)
were missing. (2 Samuel 2:30)
There are only about three scriptures in the Bible
containing the number nineteen. When nineteen is mentioned,
it represents divine order connected with judgment since it
is a combination of ten and nine.
The above scripture indicates God's divine order in having
Joab return from chasing Abner at that particular time. This
had been a long war with David's men led by Joab against
Abner. When the battle was over and Joab counted his men, he
discovered that only nineteen men were missing or killed in
battle. It is bad for any life to be lost in battle, but the
minimum number points to God's order. However, it was God's
judgment for the other side. David's men had killed three
hundred and sixty of Abner's men.
This battle ended with victory for Joab and David's troops,
but the war was between God's own people, the divided nation
of Israel. It started because both sides lost sight of God's
divine order of settling the dispute over land and driving
out the enemies. Instead of both sides uniting to accomplish
this purpose, they fought against each other instead of
against their enemies.
When in conflict, step back and consider your common
interest. You will probably find that what you have in
common is bigger than your differences. Use that as a tool
to work for a settlement. Then God's divine order instead of
his judgment will prevail.
Twenty
Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers
pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him
to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they
took Joseph to Egypt. (Genesis 37:28)
Twenty-one is a good number because it is three times the
perfect number seven. If that is the case, what can we say
about twenty? Twenty is connected with twenty-one in that
twenty is one short of completion. Therefore, twenty is one
of waiting and expectancy. For example, Jacob expected to
leave Laban with his two wives. He waited twenty years
before he was able to do so (Genesis 28:38, 41). Israel
expected to be delivered from the hands of the Philistines.
After twenty years of waiting, Samson delivered Israel from
the Philistines (Judges 16:31).
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers for twenty
shekels of silver. The brothers expected to be rid of Joseph
forever. Their expectancy fell short because they eventually
had to face Joseph and own up to what they had done.
The brothers selling Joseph for twenty shekels of silver
could not stop God's plan for Joseph's life. No one can stop
God's plan for our lives if we continue to serve Him in the
midst of our struggles like Joseph did.
Quiz : 1-5; Quiz 6-10; Quiz 11-15; Quiz 16-20; Final Numbers Quiz (1-144,000)