Three: A Divine Pattern
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 (KJV)
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:15 (KJV)
God Himself is woven throughout Scripture. The Bible is a book that is written by God and is about God, and it is God Himself. God and His Word are one. His fingerprints are all over it. The very identity and nature of God are found within the pages of the Bible. Such valuable truths are not obvious for all to see, but must be searched out by those who have a desire to know Him. Jesus called it having ears to hear. The mysteries of God are not put put there for all to see. They are reserved for those with a heart to seek Him.
God’s imprint in the Bible, the clues to His identity, are found in many ways. One such way is through numbers. The number three (3) is a key number associated with the divine Trinity of God. It depicts God as three persons, yet unified as one God. Haven’t you ever noticed how prevalent the number three is in Scirpture, in both mention and use? It points to the Father, Son, and Spirit.
In mention, the number three is noted, or mentioned, many times in the Word. One big example is the concept of Jesus being raised from the dead on the third day. Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the whale and Jesus’ body was three days and nights in the grave. There were three nails used at the cross. There are three witnesses in the earth, according to I John.
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. I John 5:8 (KJV)
Three is also throughout Scripture in use, meaning how things manage to be noted in threes. The concept of three is throughout the Bible.
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:17 (KJV)
Here, there are three points in a day mentioned by the psalmist: evening, morning, and noon.
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. Acts 3:13 (KJV)
God is noted as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God could have also referred to Himself as the God of Noah, Enoch, or any other faithful patriarch, but God chose to reveal Himself in reference to just three of the patriarchs, a nod to the triune nature of God.
Threes are throughout the Bible. We see the triune make-up of man: spirit, soul, and body (I Thessalonians 5:23). Jesus chose three men to be in His closest, inner circle: Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1, Mark 5:37, Mark 9:2, Mark 14:33, Luke 8:51, Luke 9:28). There is the mention of three heavens, or atmospheres, as evidenced by the fact that the dwelling place of God is noted as being in the third heaven (II Corinthians 12:2). The Bible mentions three levels of harvest: thirty, sixty, and hundredfold (Matthew 13:8, Matthew 13:23, Mark 4:8, Mark 4:20). We are either hot, cold, or lukewarm (Revelation 3:16). We see the use of three in the Love Chapter, I Corinthians 13, in the distinct mention of faith, hope, and love (charity).
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. I Corithians 13:13 (KJV)
Three is noted in how faith works. we are to pray, believe, and then receive (Mark 11:24). Hebrews speaks of Jesus as being the same in the past, present and future.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)
There are certainly other uses of three in the Bible, as God has woven Himself throughout His Word. All of the Bible bears witness of the Lord. In addition, have you noticed how much threes are noted in our world and lives? So often, we have a tendency to list things in threes. For example, we like to break sizes down into small, medium, and large. Prizes are given for first place, second, place, and third place. Our traffic lights have three colors: red, yellow, and green. Life is broken into youth, middle age, and old age. Even the development of a child in the womb is broken into three periods of three months, or trimesters. We see time as being the past, the present, and the future. We see things as having a beginning, middle, and end. It feels so natural in the way we talk to list things in threes, more so than in other ways.
Nature is even broken into three forms of life: Humans, animals, and plants. All living things are in one of those three categories. Our world is made of three main parts: land, air, and sea. All matter is in one of three states: Solid, liquid, or gas.
The evidence of God and who He is everywhere. The triune nature of God is found all over the place, as well as throughout His written Word. We cannot escape the fact that God exists, and that He exists in three unified, yet distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three is a divine pattern of the triune God.
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (KJV)
