The Net Was Not Torn

In my current read through of the New Testament, a random piece of trivia stood out to me:

“Even though there were so many, the net was not torn” (Joh 21.11b).

There were not a few fish in this net. There were 153 to be exact. That’s a lot of fish. The text tells us that they were “large fish.” This was no small haul of sardines. These were the ones you’d strip and fry up for the neighborhood fish fry, followed by comments about the size of the fillets. The musht fish were ideal for pan frying, and biny was even larger, at around 13-15 pounds per fish. These were “large” fish, so even if we take an average weight of 10 pounds per fish, we’re talking about over 1,500 pounds of fish to pull into the boat.

Even still, “the net was not torn.” How is this even possible?

When God called Abram out of his home to go to a land he had not seen, God provided for him a direction and provisions for his survival.

When God promised Abraham would be the father of many, he provided the one son that would begin the family of the promise.

When God required Isaac to be a sacrifice, and then stayed Abraham’s hand from slaughtering his own son, he provided a ram in the bushes for the sacrifice.

When God sent Joseph into Egypt before his family so that he could preserve His people, He provided Joseph a position second in the command of the world empire.

When God wanted to bring His people out of captivity, He raised up a deliverer over the course of eight decades.

When Moses was scared to confront Pharaoh and his own people, God provided signs, evidences, and even a spokesperson to give Moses the confidence to do his job.

When the people were hemmed in by the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, God provided a way across.

When God wanted a people, He gave them promises, a law, a sanctuary, and leaders.

When the people were thirsty, or hungry, or bored of their buffet, God provided drink, manna, quail, and everything else they needed.

When the people were punished to wander the wilderness for forty years, God didn’t let their clothes or sandals wear out of their feet (Deu 29.5).

“Where God guides, He provides.”

How many examples do we need to see that this is true? In case we think this is only an Old Testament phenomenon, consider this promise.

"Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Heb 13.20-21).

We will be equipped to do what God says we are supposed to do. We will be strengthened. God provides. God works out the details. God desires our success.

But that requires us to step out. We must walk out the front door like Abraham. We must willingly sacrifice ourselves to His cause like Isaac. We must be willing to experience the ups with the downs like Joseph. We must face insurmountable odds like Moses. We must be willing to walk through the walls of water like the Israelites. This isn’t a “God-helps-those-who-help-themselves” speech. This is a “seek-first-the-kingdom” speech. We must put our trust in God’s ability to do what He does and thereby be willing to do what He’s asked us to do. If we question, we obey anyway. If we hesitate, then we take an extra big step to get going. If we doubt, we shake our head at ourselves and put our eyes on Him. If we have a 1,500 pound net to pull into the boat, we roll up our sleeves, grab the ropes, and refuse to let go.

Pull, friend. Pull and remember, “the net was not torn.”