THE NUMBER OF GRACE

It is well known that in the Bible the number “seven” has meaning. Seven is the number of completion. This is also true in the physical world. There are seven notes in the complete musical scale; seven colors in the complete color spectrum. Many other numbers have meaning in the Bible. One of those numbers is “five.”

Five is considered the number of grace. Evangelist Ed. F. Vallowe has written a book entitled Biblical Mathematics: Keys to Scripture Numerics. Brother Vallowe points out the several occasions where “grace” is associated with the number five.

There are five basic types of offerings enumerated in the Old Testament; the Burnt Offering, the Peace Offering, the Sin Offering, the Trespass Offering, the Meat Offering. They were to be made in the Tabernacle or the Temple, where God’s Grace was certainly manifested.

In Ephesians 4:11 there are five ministries listed by which the Lord’s Grace is revealed; Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers.

There are seven (the number of completion) miraculous births listed in the Bible. Of course, the seventh was the birth of Jesus. The fifth miraculous birth was that of Samuel (First Samuel chapter one). His mother’s name was Hannah. In English, Hannah is Grace.

The story of the healing by the pool called Bethesda is found in John chapter Five. Around the pool were five porches. It was here that the Grace of God was shown to the invalid.

In the wonderful story of Ruth and Boaz, Ruth’s name is found the fifth time in Ruth 2:2. Here, Ruth told Naomi that she would glean in the field of someone who showed her Grace. Boaz tells Ruth to stay in his field with his servant girls. (Ruth 2:8) This was the fifth time the name Boaz is mentioned. Ruth asked Boaz why she had found such Grace in his eyes.

The Prophet Isaiah gives us five names for the coming Messiah; Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Five names for the Savior sent to us according to God’s Grace.

There are many other occurrences similar to those listed above. It is remarkable that the Word of God, transcribed by about forty different men, most of whom did not know each other, over a period of at least 1600 years, should have such similarities. There is cohesiveness to the Bible. It is an integral unit, not a hodge-podge of stories. This is my purpose in writing these weekly lessons; to show that there is so much more to the Bible.

I thank the Lord daily for His Word. May His name be praised forever!