That Time I Noticed the Number Twelve
Luke 8:40-56; 9:1-17
Have you ever been reading your Bible and a detail that you've passed over before catches your attention and pulls you into a learning moment?
It happens to me all the time. 😀 And one of those times was in Luke 8 and again in Luke 9.
I was just reading along…
… because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. … Luke 8:42-43 NIV
Did you notice the number twelve there like I did?
It was repeated so close together that I jotted this note in the margin: 12 seems to be a special number. I knew that numbers have special meanings in Hebrew. For example, six is the number of man, and seven is the number of completion. (See this article/podcast episode from Bible Project at this link for more info on the number 7.) So the idea of twelve holding some significance seemed natural, and the repetition seemed to say, “notice me.”
And then, I continued reading. I made more notes. I circled and underlined things. I contemplated the faith of the woman and Jairus (the man with the daughter who was dying). I thought about how both situations were at the end of what could be done by man. I sat with the hopelessness of the father and the woman for a moment before turning my mind to the hope that Jesus presented to these two people.
And only after all that did I return to the number twelve and start to do some online sleuthing.
Here is what I found out about the significance of the number twelve:
(This info is from this article found here at wellspringisrael.com. It’s not all the info there, just a few notes that I took while reading.)
Twelve in Hebrew is the number of perfect government
It is the last of the four numbers God uses to show His perfection
It's the number God uses to show He is in control and actively ruling over something as king
In scripture, Jacob had twelve sons, Israel had twelve tribes. Jacob and Israel are the same person: one born of man, one born of God. And God governs them both.
(12) is a reminder that Adonai our Heavenly Father is in control and has a plan for you
As I was writing these things into my notebook, a thought appeared - fully formed and crystal clear - in my mind. This thought, this connection between what I had read in scripture and what I had read in this article I was taking notes on, sent little prickles of wow from my head down my neck and arms and throughout my body as the Holy Spirit turning on the light of understanding in my mind.
I wrote that thought in my journal:
So then, this (Luke 8:40-56) is a kingdom story. This is how things are in God's perfect kingdom - no crying, no sickness, no death, care for others that is giving and patient, and filled with God's glory (aka His goodness).
That image seems to line up with things we are told about God's eternal kingdom in Revelation, doesn't it? It was as if the Holy Spirit was laying that picture from Revelation over the top of this passage in Luke 8. That still sends tingles skittering through me. I love seeing how the Bible works together as a whole and how the Holy Spirit illuminates the connections for me.
“Well, then,” I said to myself, “I suppose that now, when I see the number twelve in the Bible, my mind will go to God's kingdom and think about how He reigns.” And I think that’s the point the Holy Spirit was trying to make with me. :)
And then, I turn the page and both of the first two sections in chapter 9 contain the number twelve. Was it confirmation of what I thought the Holy Spirit’s point was? If that was the point, what would these sections tell me about how God reigns or what His Kingdom is like?
This is how the number twelve appeared in the first two sections of Luke 9:
Twelve disciples were sent out with power and authority to heal and cast out demons and to proclaim the kingdom of God.
Twelve baskets of food were gathered after Jesus fed the five thousand and they “were satisfied” (Luke 9:17).
If I look at these two sections as commentary on the Kingdom of God, I see that it is a place where kingdom servants are endowed with their master's power to take His goodness to the world. I see that giving my little to the King can be used to bless the multitudes. I see that my King is concerned with my physical well being. I see that when needs are met in His kingdom, they are abundantly met - with leftovers to bless more in the future.
So, yes. I believe these things confirm for me what the Spirit was trying to show me.
And I know that from now on, I'll likely never just pass over the number twelve while reading scripture as some random detail. Instead, like an illuminated clue, it'll cause me to pause and remember God's kingdom, His power and goodness, and my duty to carry His message and goodness to the world.
How about you? Will you ever be able to breeze past that number again?