WHAT ABOUT THOSE “THREES”?  by Carl McMurray

 

   Although not being raised on a dairy farm myself, I’ve often heard tell of those one-legged milking stools. I surmise that although they might have been good for moving quickly and not getting kicked, they were still less than stable seats. To my mind adding two more legs was a marvelous invention. Three legs make a stronger and more stable base for almost anything.

 

   I wonder if the Lord thought so also. To the Christian he has given three legs of tripod strength in prayer, the Scriptures, and fellowship with others of the family.  These things help us to stand strong, spiritually speaking. Indeed the number three is often found in scripture.

 

   In an earlier age a man named Noah, saved the human race, not only by building an ark, but by having three sons to continue the multiplication process. Before Sodom was destroyed three men from the Lord showed up at Abraham’s tent to talk it over. Later, Joseph told Pharaoh’s baker and butler each that in three days their fates would be sealed. One was to live and the other would die. Moses was hidden for three months before being placed in a basket and set among the river reeds. And when he returned to Egypt, 80 years young, it was a three day’s journey into the wilderness that he requested of Pharaoh.

 

   As Israel became a nation, three times a year all the Jewish males were to present themselves before the Lord. Three cities of refuge were appointed on each side of the Jordan. Saul, the first king of Israel died with his three sons in the same battle. Job is remembered for three friends who were miserable comforters. However, Daniel had three friends that were powerfully faithful with him in Babylonian captivity. Jonah was three days in the fish’s belly and Jesus applied that sign to Himself and the fact that He would be three days in the grave. Three times Peter denied his Lord and three times he ate those words early one morning by the sea, and anguished in his love for Jesus over that sin. Three days Saul of Tarsus got  to think over his life in the darkness of blindness before he was visited by Ananias. Later he was beaten with rods three times and shipwrecked three times, among his other trials.

 

            What does all this mean? Absolutely nothing as far as I can see. What great surmising we can do with a pile of facts though, huh? The only real “three” we need notice in scripture is the threesome consisting of our Heavenly Father, who loves you always and sent His one and only (the definition of “begotten”) Son. Jesus, who died for you to pay a price you couldn’t pay. And the Holy Spirit, who reveals it all in a compelling fashion and exhorts us all to partake of God’s grace.