5 - Grace

Illustration of 5 - Grace

The number five carries a rich significance in the biblical narrative as a symbol of grace and the abundant goodness of God toward His people. It is seen first in the five books of Moses that reveal the divine law and covenant promises central to the story of redemption. This theme continues in the account of the five loaves multiplied by Christ to satisfy the hunger of thousands and in David's choice of five smooth stones that enabled his triumph through faith in the Lord's deliverance.

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Meaning: Grace, God's goodness, the Pentateuch

Key Occurrences

Key Passages

Five Loaves

Matthew 14:17-21

A17nd they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18 He said, Bring them hither to me. 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Did You Know?

1

Five is associated with grace and the human senses. The tabernacle had five pillars at the entrance. David chose five smooth stones. The number often appears in contexts of provision and favor.

2

The five loaves that fed five thousand point to the abundance of grace in Christ. He takes what is small and multiplies it beyond what we can ask or imagine.

3

Five is also the number of the human hand. We work with our hands. Grace does not make us passive. It empowers us to work with renewed strength.