Welcome back to the Genesis numbers! Today we’re going to have a look at the number and day 5.
The commonly accepted meaning for Five is grace, which I believe is correct to a certain extent, though if you were to try finding why, all the places I read didn’t explain why, in fact they went into a lot of erroneous details as to what 5 represents. If you were to give some of these articles a read, it’s embarrassing at how poorly they use Scripture, in most cases, don’t use Scripture.
One quick example: in a few articles on the topic, the author will refer to John 1:16, where it states, ‘Grace upon grace’. Apparently that is representative of 5 x 5 – except for one thing: it doesn’t say that, imply that, or anything. The number 25 is NOT used representatively in Scripture anywhere. In fact, 5 itself is used more as a conglomerate of other numbers, such as 10. There is never any solid proof given for why 5 should refer to grace. Today, I wish to make the case for why 5 means grace/the Spirit.
The proof text:
Gen 1:20-23 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
There are several points which I believe make for a solid case for 5 meaning grace/the Spirit.
- The Numerical Chain
If we follow the progression of numbers in Genesis thus far, it looks like this:
1 = self-existence thus God
2 = witness, the proof of the existence of the one
3 = completeness (the arrival of the second witness)
4 = supremacy, absolute completeness thus law/rule
What happens when you add on to that which is already fully complete? You end up with abundance. Consider what Paul says in Romans 5:20: the law entered that offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
If 4 represents the Law, then it’s fitting that if you go beyond the law, you will find grace, for grace always supersedes the law.
Consider this: If in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every matter is established, what happens when you’re permitted a 5th warning? Is that not the grace of God in action? It’s superseding what is required for judgement. In effect saying, I know the case against you is air-tight, but here’s another chance to get things right. - The Birds and Fish
It’s of interesting note that on this day we see both birds and fish. Air and water. Both of them are closely tied to the Spirit, incidentally, the Spirit of God is also called the Spirit of Grace (Zec12:10, Heb10:29). Already in Genesis 1 we have seen the Spirit of God brooding over the waters which I wrote about here. We see water consistently appear in the Flood, Tabernacle, Temple, and Baptism.
Now when we look at the air, perhaps no passage speaks it clearer than when Jesus compares the Spirit to the wind in John 3:8. However, let’s take it back for more clarification to where Jesus is baptized and it’s recorded that John the Baptist saw the Spirit descending upon Jesus in the form LIKE a dove.
If we take 5/birds to represent the Spirit of Grace, then what happens when we look back through the Bible, particularly at the ceremonial laws and sacrifices?
– If you offered birds for a sacrifice, they were not to be divided, which with this application would speak to something like ‘not dividing the Spirit’
– Birds were a substitute for those who couldn’t afford a lamb. With this application, that speaks to Grace. The Spirit would cover the inability of the people to atone.
– There are 5 main sacrifices in the Law: burnt, sin, grain, peace, and trespass offerings. Once again, in this application, there are 5 because the entire Tabernacle way of approach to God was God’s grace to His people to allow for sins to be rolled on till the Messiah should come.
– The typology of Noah’s ark sees birds released three times. This application then would represent grace being sent out into a sinful world. Do we find this? Yes! First the Law (raven) and grace (tabernacle) is sent out, then we see First advent whereupon we find the dove return with an olive branch, and finally, the Holy Spirit is poured out where the Spirit of God finds a place to rest in the hearts of Believers purified by the sacrifice of Christ. (Yes, I will write on this soon Lord willing)
Perhaps I have missed something that contradicts, in which case I hope someone will bring it to my attention, but so far, this not only meshes well, but it fits perfectly across the spectrum. This fit only gets better when you consider the meaning of 10 (5 times 2 or grace with witness).
Between these two points, I believe there is a sufficiently solid case to be made for 5 representing the Spirit of Grace. Wherever the Spirit is, there is grace!
I especially take heart from the promise that where sin abounds, grace will much more abound. When the final witness required to cement the guilty’s judgement is found (4), that’s when grace (5) comes in to say, wait! I know he’s guilty, but I will take his place.
Let us walk worthy of the grace we have been given.
Talking Bible 