Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 4 Study # 9
January 25, 2022
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
(280)
1901 ASV
6:41 And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves; and he gave to the disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
6:42 And they all ate, and were filled.
6:43 And they took up broken pieces, twelve basketfuls, and also of the fishes.
6:44 And they that ate the loaves were five thousand men.
- I. The Fulfillment Of Jesus' Requirement Of The Disciples.
- A. The requirement was, "You give to them to eat".
- B. The fulfillment was, "...He gave to the disciples to set before them ... and they all ate...".
- 1. Literally "He was giving..." (Imperfect, Indicative; to be taken as a kind of 'video' to be watched as the events were unfolding).
- 2. He was giving the broken loaves and the "divided" fish to His disciples in order that they "should be giving" (intensive form of the same verb as "giving" above, in the Present Tense, Subjunctive Mood; to be carefully ((intensely)) considered as a "should" action ((Subjunctive)) that goes on and on, a concept of continuing action -- sheep do not only need to eat one day, but every day).
- a. He was giving to them because it was to them that He gave the command.
- b. He was giving to them also because it has always been His way to include others in the activities which He was initiating (as raising up the medical profession to participate with Him in dealing with the fallenness of our physical frame, or giving gifts to men to be able to minister to others "in His stead", but not without "His Spirit"). There is "Life" to be had by being included in what He is doing.
- c. The "subjunctive" mood of the verb indicates that the present, current, action was to be viewed as an illustration of what "should" be going on continuously; i.e., this was to be seen as "their ministry" as His "apostles".
- d. Added to this is the declaration that "He divided" the two fish, but this is Aorist -- to be seen as a single act in the past that is not as significant as the "continuous action" verbs.
- 3. And they all "ate" (Aorist) and they were all filled (Aorist).
- 4. Additionally, they (The Twelve) picked up the uneaten broken pieces and had twelve baskets full, including from the fish. That The Twelve picked up twelve baskets full is also significant. "Twelve", all by itself, signals "adequate representation" as "twelve tribes" make up, and represent, the entire nation. The rationale for this is that "three" is the number of "enough", and "four" is the number of "representation" so that, when put together as "three sets of four", we have "sufficient representation" as to cover all later developments until, at the end, we have "twenty-four elders" seated upon thrones surrounding the Throne of God -- i.e., two sets of twelve adequately representing the "twelve tribes of Israel" and "the other sheep not of that flock".
- 5. Then Mark adds, "And those who had eaten were 5,000 men" (as distinct from women). There is a point of emphasis in Mark's choice of the word that means "the male" as differentiated from "generic man".
- a. All of the uses of the word translated "five thousand" are found in the Gospels and all of those uses are in the records of this event.
- b. In Acts 4:4, the number of "men" are "five thousands", but there are two words here; "five" and "thousands". This is in harmony with the other eleven uses of "thousands" in the New Testament wherein the Book of The Revelation has nine of the twelve uses of "thousands" found in the New Testament.
- c. It is significant that there was a "loaf" (five) for a "thousand men" (totaling five thousand) in this record, with a change of the numbers in chapter eight where there are "seven" loaves for "four" thousand "men". The numbers are indicative of the "issue" that is involved.
- II. The "Point" Of These Words.
- A. First, the "overall point" of the record: Jesus is The Christ (this is Peter's conclusion after the second experience of Jesus repeating this experience in chapter eight).
- 1. Specifically, "The Shepherd Christ off of Whose fingers spilled bread and fish like a powerful stream" (how much bread and fish does it take to feed such a massive crowd and how long would it take to "break loaves of bread" and "divide fish" even if you had the total needed, except for the basic "breaking" and "dividing", already to hand?)
- 2. This physical level provision is designed by God to be a testament to His ability to provide the necessities of "Life" so that "The Shepherd Christ", by this event, becomes "The Provider Of Life" for all who come into a relationship with Him by repentant faith. There is no lack of provision for "Life" (He has given to us every thing pertaining to Life and godliness: 2 Peter 1:3), but we must not focus upon "life" and miss the "Life". The records of the physical level miracles have no beneficial impact upon those who try to apply them to "life" ("death" awaits the "living"). They were done that those who "believe" might enter into the "Life" which is impossible for "Death" to negate. Note: we have no record that indicates that the disciples ever reproduced this miracle at the physical level in all of history.
- B. Second, the "point" for the disciples: "Without Me you can do nothing"; or, "By My Provision you can do anything I require of you". This is "repentance" in a nutshell: the arrogance of man who thinks he can do "something" is confronted ("If I have to die with You, I will not deny you." -- 14:31); and the unbelief of man who thinks that God will not provide for him is confronted ("If You are willing, you can make me clean" -- 1:40.).