Sunday, January 16: Seven

Seven might be the most frequent combination on a roll of two dice, but it is not just a crap shoot that the same number is the one most frequently seen in the Bible, standing for spiritual perfection. Since only God is perfect, we can see His perfection in each occurrence! Entire books have been written about the usage of seven in the Bible, so it is certain that the explanation of seven in a devotional will be far from complete. One of the greatest oddities of seven in the Bible is that in the Old Testament, different forms of the word all occur in multiples of seven: “seven” occurs 287 times, which is 7 X 41; “seventh” occurs 98 times, or 7 X 14; “sevenfold” occurs 7 times, obviously, 7 X 1; “seventy” occurs 56 times, or 7 X 8; “seventy” in combination with other numbers occurs 35 times, or 7 X 5; “seven” in combination with other numbers (like one hundred and seven) occurs 112 times, which is 7 X 16. God gives us a clue into the significance of seven in the word’s first usage:


And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
Genesis 2:2-3


In six days, God completed His work of perfection, preparing a place for man before creating man. On the seventh day, God rested, not because He was tired, but to give us an example of a Sabbath day in our lives. After completing our week of work, God desires for His creation to rest their tired bodies and restore their souls by worshipping Him. Looking at other “seven’s” will reveal that perfection:


There are seven promises in God’s covenant to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3:


1. “I will make you a great nation.”
2. “And I will bless you.”
3. “And make your name great.”
4. “And you shall be a blessing.”
5. “I will bless those who bless you,”
6. “And curse those who curse you.”
7. “And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”


In Exodus 6:6-8, God gives us seven “I will” statements concerning His covenant with Israel:


1. “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”
2. “I will rescue you from their bondage.”
3. “And I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.”
4. “I will take you as my people.”
5. “And I will be your God.”
6. “I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
7. “I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.”


In the Gospel according to John, there are seven “I am” statements by Jesus:


1. “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35 and John 6:48
2. “I am the light of the world.” John 8:12 and John 9:5
3. “I am the door.” John 10:7
4. “I am the good shepherd.” John 10:11-14
5. “I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25
6. “I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6
7. “I am the true vine.” John 15:1 and John 15:5


Jesus made seven statements from the cross:


1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
2. “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43
3. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46
4. “Woman, behold your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother.” John 19:26-27
5. “I thirst.” John 19:28
6. “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Luke 23:46
7. “It is finished.” John 19:30


Those sevens culminate in Revelation, a book concerning events yet to come in the earth’s existence. The title of the book means “unveiling,” as it is the unveiling of Jesus Christ, who returns in judgment to a sinful world. Many people misunderstand the wrath and judgment of God, thinking that it somehow conflicts His love. Yet even in judgment, He is loves perfectly, offering His grace to a dead and dying world, which refuses to believe and follow Him. Three different waves of seven judgments increasing in severity mark that time. In Revelation, there are seven churches, seven letters, seven Spirits, seven golden lampstands, seven stars, seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven thousand people, seven heads, seven crowns, seven plagues, seven golden bowls, seven hills, seven kings and seven last visions. There are 55 “sevens” and 5 “sevenths” in Revelation alone. Is it ironic that in the book that discusses the end of this world and the beginning of the one that will never pass away that God uses seven so frequently, with seven standing for spiritual perfection?


We can find sevens everywhere in the Bible. A favorite occurs in Isaiah, referring to the Holy Spirit:

1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
Isaiah 11:1-2


Did you notice seven, perfect attributes of the Holy Spirit?


1. The Spirit of the Lord
2. The Spirit of wisdom
3. The Spirit of understanding
4. The Spirit of counsel
5. The Spirit of might
6. The Spirit of knowledge
7. The Spirit of the fear of the Lord

Those attributes should be a part of each of our walks, as the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us, giving us His attributes. Do you feel like you are not walking in God’s power or wisdom? If that is the case, it is not because you are not strong enough or wise enough. Instead, it is because you are walking in the flesh, rather than in the Spirit. When we rely on our own power, we are certain to bog down, but when we rely on God, we always will proceed, “full steam ahead.” It is the difference between riding in a toy powered by rubber bands and riding in a rocket! Let God power your walk! Just because God is in us does not mean that we always are in God! Sometimes, we choose to walk away from His love, His grace and His power! Look to Him, the author and finisher of our faith, who has shared so many sevens to demonstrate His perfection. Those sevens demonstrate to us the perfection of God’s Word, for with 40 different authors writing the 66 different books over thousands of years, how did they all know to follow that same theme? It is because the Holy Spirit led them and in the same manner, He will perfect His followers!


The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Psalm 138:8