The Tale of the 5 loaves and 2 fish. What can we learn from this?

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

The Tale of the 5 loaves and 2 fish (a devotional).

We are familiar with the story of the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish which Yeshua(Jesus) blessed and fed over 5000 people.  This story is all 4 gospels. 
I am reading John 6.   

After the death of John the Baptist, Yeshua went to the wilderness to be alone.  This was near Lake Tiberias or the Sea of Galilee (I was there for two weeks).  Yet people found out He was there and they followed him.  The WORD says that He had compassion on them and healed them who came, of their illnesses.  Then He fed them.

He took 5 loaves of barley bread and 2 fish which a little boy offered up and with a blessing, the loaves of bread and fish were multiplied to feed 5000 + Is there something to this? What can we learn? We can take the numbers "2" and "5" and ask ourselves, why are they mentioned?  Numbers are meaningful in scripture.  "5" symbolizes "grace" and the number "2" symbolizes a covenant, a union, or even a division.   

When we see the word "bread" we are reminded of one of the titles of Yeshua "The Bread of Life" so, we have "The Bread of Life who shows grace and compassion over the multitude.   

We also see the "fish" as a symbol of the believers of the first century.  When believers met together, especially in Rome, they would draw the sign of the fish in the sand, and it would point to the meeting place.  We are also reminded of Yeshua's words to Kefa (Peter) "I will make you a fisher of men". 

He made a covenant on the Cross of Calvary, Salvation for us all through His blood.  The "Bread of Life" makes a "covenant" available to all mankind.  But we can also learn from this story that there is the "physical food" and the "spiritual food" Yeshua healed their bodies and fed them physically.  When he went away, they followed him again, but Yeshua told them "You are following me for the food that you ate"

Yes, physical food is important.  Some people, though, "live to eat" instead of "eating to live" and it shows in their bodies.  Many are stuffed (especially during Thanksgiving) yet are starving spiritually.  Look into and study the WORD of God, which is our spiritual food, given to us by the "Bread of Life" Good healthy food and the Word of God are a good combination.  May there be a balance of both in our lives.