Fish in the Bible – God created this world in a way that brings glory to Him and serves as a tool for His ministry. During the process of creation, on the fifth day, God said, “Let the waters bring forth living creatures,” and He caused the fish to come into existence, and He blessed them.

Blessed Fish in the Bible

Be fruitful and multiply, fill the waters in the seas,” God blessed the fish and the great sea creatures. This is written in Genesis 1:20 to 22. Before blessing Adam and Eve, God blessed the fish.

The blessed fish are also seen in Mark 6:41, where Jesus took five loaves and two fish. Jesus held the fish in His hands, blessed them, and fed the five thousand. Twelve baskets of fragments were left over.

Just like the Fish in the Bible, we too must be blessed, blessed to help many in times of trouble and need. For us to be blessed in this way, we must be in God’s hands. When we are in His hands, we will indeed be blessed and become a blessing to others.

Fish That Satisfied Hunger

People who had been listening to God’s Word for three days were hungry; they were in a wilderness with no way to go and get food. The fish satisfied their hunger. With five loaves and two fish, and with seven loaves and a few fish, Jesus fed five thousand and four thousand people. In Matthew 14:16 and Matthew 15:32, we see the fish that satisfied the hunger of the crowds.

We also see the compassion of Jesus. What was His desire? “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.” The fish satisfied the hunger of a huge crowd in the wilderness.

The Gospel of John 6:11 says that Jesus blessed the fish and fed them as much as they wanted. The fish helped satisfy their hunger and brought glory to God by relieving the weariness of the believers in the wilderness.

In the same way, we too must glorify God through our behaviour, our words, and our entire lives.

Fish That Met the Need of Jesus

In Matthew 17:24-27, when the collectors of the half-shekel temple tax asked Peter whether Jesus paid the tax, Jesus spoke to Peter even before Peter said anything. To avoid offending them, Jesus told him, “Go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin. Take it and give it for you and Me.”

The fish met Jesus’ need without offending. Matthew 17:27 tells us that the fish carried the shekel carefully in its mouth and delivered it to the disciple of Jesus. Even though it was caught with a hook and hurt, the fish showed obedience and fulfilled Jesus’ requirement.

In contrast, the disobedient Egyptians suffered, as written in Psalm 105:29.

Fish in the Bible That Obeyed God

Just as God commanded a donkey to give insight to the disobedient prophet Balaam, God commanded a great Fish in the Bible to teach a lesson to the disobedient prophet Jonah. The great fish obeyed God’s command and swallowed Jonah the moment he was thrown into the sea.

Later, according to God’s command, the fish brought Jonah safely to the shore and vomited him out there. Jonah 1:17 says that the Lord appointed the fish to swallow Jonah. The fish obeyed perfectly. When God said “swallow,” it swallowed; when God said “vomit,” it vomited.

For three days, the fish neither drank water nor ate food. Though many food items were thrown into the sea to lighten the ship, the fish did not touch any of them. It denied its desire and submitted to God’s will, preserving Jonah safely in its belly so he wouldn’t drown.

Jesus also used Jonah’s story to describe His own death and resurrection: “Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40). Fish in the Bible, the fish preserved, protected, and kept Jonah from danger.

 Fish in the Bible That Removed Doubt

Here again, Fish in the Bible strengthen the faith of the disciples. During the ministry of Jesus, He often explained to His disciples about His death and resurrection. But they forgot. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to many women, the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Peter, and John.

When the disciples were still filled with doubt, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be unto you.” To remove their unbelief, He asked, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He ate it in front of them. Luke 24:42 shows how a piece of fish helped remove the doubt of the disciples.

 Fish That Turned the Disobedient into Obedient

This scene reminds us that Fish in the Bible often appeared during moments of correction and restoration. Jesus called His disciples, who were fishermen, and said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They left their fishing profession and followed Him in ministry.

But after the resurrection of Jesus, even after seeing Him several times, they slipped into disbelief and returned to their old fishing profession. To teach them a lesson, the fish avoided their nets all night. But at dawn, when Jesus asked them to cast the net on the right side, they obeyed and caught 153 great fish (John 21:1–13).

When they came to Jesus, He had fish and bread already prepared on the fire. He took some of the fish they had caught, placed them on the fire, and served them. It was the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, strengthening the unstable and making them steadfast through the fish.

The fish gave time, taught the ignorant—Job 12:8 says that fish speak about God. Even experienced fishermen at the Sea of Tiberias could not catch fish after working all night. But when they obeyed Jesus’ command, the fish filled their nets. The fish showed that all creation submits to God.

Psalm 104:25, 27–30 says that the creatures of the sea look to God for their food; when He gives, they gather; when He hides His face, they are troubled.

The kingdom of heaven is like a net full of many kinds of fish (Matthew 13:47,48). The good fish are kept; the bad are thrown away. Likewise, at the end of the age, angels will separate the wicked from the righteous.

Dead fish go with the flow; only living fish swim against the flow, Like Fish in the Bible. In this great sea called the world, we must test ourselves—are we alive or dead in faith? Are we living for God? Are we bringing glory to Him? Are we obeying His commands? Are we in His hands?

This world is dangerous. Satan, like a roaring lion, seeks whom he may devour. To escape him, we must remain in the hands of Jesus.

We see many living fish in the Bible—Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Job—who stood firm against the currents of trials. If we suffer for Christ, we will reach the kingdom of heaven. Dead fish are carried away by the current, but living ones resist it. Joshua and Caleb, like living fish, resisted the flow of unbelief and reached the promised land.

Finally, let us remember the fish the Israelites ate in Egypt.

The Israelites complained that they had no fish (Numbers 11:5). When God promised meat, Moses worried that even the sea could not provide enough fish for the vast number of people (Numbers 11:22). Fish are delicious food, but they also teach us many things about God. Believers are like living fish; the Gospel is the net; and Jesus is the Fisherman.

Like Fish in the Bible, the fish that blessed, satisfied hunger, obeyed commands, met needs, removed doubts, transformed the disobedient, and explained the greatness of God—may we also live in such a way that we meet our Lord and inherit eternal glory. All these examples show that Fish in the Bible carry deep spiritual lessons for every believer today. May God grant His grace and mercy to all of us.