The Bible’s Number 1…
Learning About Number One: God
The overall theme associated with number one ultimately is about understanding
God, who was the beginning and creator of all things, and understanding
He must be number one in our lives, above all leaders or things we
might be tempted to follow. The first step in God’s Redemption Plan
is for us to learn about God.
Things often found associated with one
- God, Jesus, Lord, priests, kings, pharoah, leaders, fathers, husbands,
households, patriarchs - Patriarchs, heads of households
- Kings and those in charge
- Self, pride
- Beginnings, first events and things
- first
- pride, ownership, self, himself,
I - reigned
- lonely, set apart, only, alone, myself, single and
individual
There are also many statements that imply one: When words such as that, this or the are placed before nouns, implying a reference to it as a specific one; when words like “all” are used to collectively reference a group, such as in “all the articles of gold”; when possessive words such as their, my, or mine are used in reference to things owned.
About Number One
The overall theme associated with number one ultimately is about
understanding God, who was the beginning and creator of all things,
and understanding He must be number one in our lives, above all leaders
or things we might be tempted to follow. The first step in God’s
Redemption Plan is for us to learn about God and our separation from
his due to sin.
One is also the only number not made up of any other number,
and it is, of course, the source of all other numbers. One stands
by itself; it is the beginning of numbers and a part of every
number. One is expressed by many terms, including God, I Am,
the first and last, the one and only, the beginning, and the
source. Other expressions include The leader, the king, one way,
one chosen or selected, every one, no one, one to another, one
people, one way, one place, and more. One can also be used as
a reference to any one of many, as in the phrases “one said…”
or “one day….”
The theme for number one is often depicted as unity, but it is better
described as things that are unique, separate or set apart as a group
or entity. Unity is sometimes thought of as two things joined as one,
and although this definition is correct, it confuses the difference between
two and one. Mark 10:8 helps clarify: “…and the two shall become one
flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh….” Since they are no
longer two they are no longer seen as unified or in any way joined. No
single thing can be seen as unified. A place or a date, or even a person,
is not seen as unified, so groups or entities can be counted as one and
at the same time consist of individual elements of people or things.
One is often associated with separation or things set apart or by themselves.
This is seen in Genesis chapter one where nearly every verse speaks of
difference, separation, or creation of things of opposite or unlike kinds.
Among the patriarchs’ families, God repeatedly split those who followed
Him from those who rejected Him.
Genesis 12:1 says, “…the LORD said to Abram,
‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s
house, To the land which I will show you.’”
Things that can be counted can also be numbered, sorted, or ordered
with a beginning and an end, or a first and last. One is the number given
to the first in every list, so one is also associated with beginnings.
Leaders are related to one, as they are the single one leading or going
ahead of the group and determining their direction.
The ultimate leader of all things is God, and He is the main association
with one. The three parts of the Trinity are all one and yet have an
order individually that associates them with 111 as well as three, for
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 111:3 says, “Splendid and majestic is His
work, And His righteousness endures forever.”
In the Bible, the number one can be found reflecting themes in all the
ways mentioned above, but when it is not found in its normal role, pointing
to a specific or unique thing, it most often points to themes about ones
who lead or ones whom others follow, or the one we chose to follow. God
of course is the ultimate one association, but we also often see one
associated with kings, priests, commanders, heads of households, and
leaders of all types. In the same way as in references to leaders, one
is also related to pride and trust in self, as seen in words such as
his, mine, my, I, and myself.
Example verses
Following are some example verses that have strong content pointing
to the theme of one:
Ex 20:3 (first commandment) “You shall have no other gods before
Me”
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
John
1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God”
Gen 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and
his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh
Isa
47:4 Our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.
1 Chronicles 27:1 (the 11,111th Bible verse) “…the enumeration of the
sons of Israel, the heads of fathers’ households, the commanders of thousands
and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all the affairs
of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout
all the months of the year, each division numbering 24,000…”