Three – The Perfect Number. Maybelle Crabtree here. My women’s Bible study group is reading a book about Biblical symbolism. We’re in the section about numbers. The other day, we read and discussed the number 3. The book chapter informed us that the number three represents wholeness, completeness, and perfection. It also stated three is a significant, but not a holy, number because a holy number is something dedicated, or set apart, for God.
Then we read the chapter’s Bible verse, Ecclesiates 4:12: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (NIV) As you can see, the verse illustrates the concept of strength in numbers and the importance of unity and collaboration.
Groups of Three
After that, we had the bright idea of looking through our Bibles and finding threes. Our list was long and here are a few of the 3s: Father, Son, Holy Spirit; faith, hope love; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; the Three Wise Men; Peter denying Jesus three times; and three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection.
The following day, one of the group members, Molly, texted a challenge to the rest of us: “try to think of 3’s in your life or the world in general reply all.”
Immediately, my phone beeped with responses. “primary colors red yellow blue?” “Olympic medals gold silver bronze” “states of matter – solid gas liquid” “books beginning middle end” “three ring circus” “snap crackle pop” “rock paper scissors” On and on it went for about a week.
Amazing the groups of three in the world. Add my favorites of birth, life, and death; past, present, and future; and morning, noon, and night, and you get the picture. You can figure out a few of your own. Try it.
However, one set of three you won’t see on anyone’s list but mine: waiting, trusting, and hoping. Let me explain.
Waiting, Trusting, Hoping Explained
I am not by nature a patient person. Never have been. Grant me patience, Lord, but hurry has been a mantra for me. I put groceries back on the shelf when the check-out line is too long. And once, when the receptionist on the other end of the phone line asked me if she could put me on hold, I said no and hung up. Tell me that good things happen to those who wait and I’ll probably bop you in the nose. No, waiting and patience are not my strong points.
But something changed in me. Maybe it’s the stage of life I’m in or circumstances that occurred these last few years. But I’m mellowing out.
Back in the year 2020 when “trust” was my One Word for the year, I learned trusting was an attitude taught frequently in the Bible. It’s a way to show your faith in God and become closer to Him. Consequently, “I trust You, Jesus,” became my motto and whenever I detected impatience brooding inside me, I simply said my motto and a sense of peace overwhelmed me. No more small fits of anger or snide remarks. Just peace. Henceforth, I trust God. I trust Jesus. And I trust the Holy Spirit. Trust one, trust all.
Waiting on God directs my attention to Him in hopeful anticipation of what He will do. It entails trusting Him with every fiber of my being instead of me myself, and I figuring things out. Waiting on God is how He designed us to live; all day, every day. It’s a deeper relationship with God through prayer and Scripture. And waiting for God to work, with our eyes fixed on Him, shows we really trust Him.
Golden Strands of Three
As the Bible states in Isaiah 40:31, hoping in God renews my strength. I soar like eagles, run and not grow weary, and walk and not faint. My hope empowers me to seek God’s wisdom and direction in all areas of my life; that He will keep His promises and not steer me in the wrong direction. Hoping is future-directed, connecting us to the glorious inheritance that is in heaven. Hope always expects because the benefits of hope fall fully on us in the present.
When we read God’s word, waiting, trusting, and hoping become intricately connected. Golden strands that interweave to form a strong cord that is not easily broken. Trusting is the central strand because it is the response that God wants most from us. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen this cord that connects us to God. In other words, we wait expectantly in hopeful trust.
Three is Perfect
Omne Trium Perfectum is a Latin phrase which means everything that comes in threes is perfect. Besides, have you ever tried to sit on a two-legged stool? Or used a tripod or easel with only two legs? You just can’t do it. You need at least three legs. So three is a perfect number indeed. Do you agree? Is “three” a perfect or magic number? What groups of three can you think of? Leave a comment down below and let’s discuss it. Maybelle Crabtree signing off.