Tidings for Tuesday
Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three, and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. John 21:11
Here’s a little arithmetic exercise for you: cube each digit in the number 153. Then, add up the three cubes. What do you get for a total? This is the smallest three-digit number you can do this with. Of course, the Lord Jesus knew this when He directed those great fish into the disciples’ net. There is a specific reason, perhaps several reasons, for this particular number of fish being caught that day. Bible students for centuries have been trying to discover the purpose of this number, and have a variety of theories. But none of them knows for sure. All we can be certain of is that this is one of Scripture’s little mysteries that will be unveiled in due time.
The Bible is filled with special little gems of all kinds, mathematical anomalies, facts that we cannot yet explain or understand, and thousands of other items that prove that Scripture is a treasure trove of information from a Mind that far exceeds our own. It has been said that the Bible’s history is more accurate than any history book, even though the Bible does not present itself as a history book. It is also accurate as to the science it contains, and it is also accurate regarding everything else it portrays. We can’t prove by our own means that much of the Bible says, although we are asked to accept these things by faith. One thing is for sure, nobody will ever be able to disprove anything that the Bible states; they can’t because it is the Word of God, and our God cannot lie. Even to the number of fish that are captured in a net in a lake almost two thousand years ago.
153 fish seems like a fairly ordinary number for a commercial catch on Galilee. Possibly these fishermen had caught exactly that number in earlier days. But we have no way of knowing that. We can, however, know that the number is significant, and that it will be revealed to us in due time. Just like all of the other obscure and deep mysteries of the Word. However, unlike the mystery of the 153 fish, many of the truths of the Book are not mysteries at all, at least to those of us whom the Spirit can instruct. We are able to understand and rejoice in the truths of the Gospel, the beauties of the love and character of our Saviour. We can accept and appreciate these things at face value. And we rejoice at the wonders of the Bible.
The 153 fish could feed many people and fill a few pocketbooks. But the Word of God and its truths and mysteries will feed and thrill our souls for all eternity. -Jim MacIntosh