And on the third day....

3

As I have prepared institute lessons I have noticed the symbolic importance of the number three. It seems to be associated with completeness and/or deliverance. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days, Abraham traveled three days to sacrifice Isaac. Lehi traveled into the wilderness for three days before offering sacrifice. Abinidi was in the dungeon for three days, Alma the Younger was overcome by the spirit for three days as was Lamoni and of course the Savior was resurrected on the third day. There is over two hundred references in the scriptures to the time period of three days. I decided to do a google search on it and found an article on this from www.biblestudy.org.

I thought this paragraph from the article interesting.

THE COMPLETE SEPARATION OF ISRAEL

is shown in "the three days' journey into the wilderness" (Exodus 5:3), marking the complete separation with which God would separate His People from Egypt then, and from the world now. We can understand Pharaoh's objection in first wishing them to hold their feast "in the land" (Exodus 8":25), and when that could not be, at least consenting to their going, but adding, "only ye shall not go very far away." So Satan now, is well content that we should worship "in the land"; and if we must go into the wilderness, that we should be within easy reach of the world and its influences. Not so Jehovah. He will have no such borderland service; He will have a...divinely perfect "three days' journey into the wilderness," completely separating them from all their old associations. The difficulty of "drawing the line," which so many Christians experience, arises from the fact that it is a crooked line, and that it is an attempt to include that which cannot be included. Drawn at a proper distance it can be ruled straight and be divinely perfect and effectual.