22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1
We are rapidly approaching Christmas, the celebration of Christ coming to earth as a newborn baby, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. His Gospel spoke mainly to the Jews with quotations from Old Testament scriptures.
The number three, or things repeated three times, occurs in this account. THREE is a perfect number, implying ‘Perfect Completion and Fullness’ and is used in reference to the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man created in God’s image, also comprises Spirit, Soul and Body.
Matthew opens with the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph. Matthew 1:1-16 and the family record is divided into THREE equal parts (Divine Accounting over hundreds of years);
17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. Matthew 1
Joseph became aware that Mary was pregnant before they had been together and was about to cancel their marriage, but an angel appeared to him in a dream.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
This was a Revelatory Dream to confirm to Joseph that he should take Mary as his wife. There are two further Warning Dreams, Matthew 2:12, telling the Magi not to return to Herod and Matthew 2:13, telling Joseph to take Mary and the baby Jesus and escape to Egypt. Herod subsequently killed every boy of two years and under in the area. THREE DREAMS in total.
THREEE PROPHECIES FULFILLED. The virgin shall be with child, Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14. A ruler/shepherd would arise from Bethlehem. God would call Jesus out of Egypt after Herod’s death.
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’ Matthew 2; Micah 5:2
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2 Hosea 11:1
In addition to these the wise men presented THREE GIFTS (Gold, incense and myrrh) to the baby Jesus.
God speaks and works through numbers in the Bible and elsewhere, but sometimes we just aren’t aware of their significance. He may be speaking to some of us now through numbers we’re seeing.
God bless and keep you today.