I was reading Proverbs 16 this morning and in a flash, seemingly without context, I see in the spirit the coin in the fishes mouth. I tried to keep reading, but the Holy Spirit was nudging me to go look at that story in Matthew 17. The context is paying temple tax in Capernaum, where Jesus and Peter were at the time. Jesus asks a question of Peter as to who is to pay the tax, the sons or the others. Peter answer correctly and says the others, then Jesus says, but in order to not offend them…wow!

Jesus is beyond explanation amazing in how He treats humanity. He knew the temple tax leaders would be offended if He and Peter did not pay the taxes, even though they were sons of the soil and were tax exempt. Jesus paid the taxes in order to not offend the temple leaders. Offend means to entrap; trip up; entice to sin; cause displeasure; put a stumbling block in their way; to cause one to judge. Jesus paid the tax so the leaders in the temple would not be offended. Our God is beyond amazing.

The visual I saw was the coin in the fishes mouth. The Holy Spirit said, “I have resources hidden everywhere.” The fish was a vehicle of salvation, rescue from the oppressive system that demanded temple taxes from the sons of the soil. The fish provided the salvation needed from the system of taxes, while Jesus covered the leadership of that system by paying the taxes.

When I first got saved the fish symbol was on the back of cars as a statement that the people driving the car were believers. The fish was the symbol of salvation and today, I see how again the fish becomes a symbol of salvation from a system that seeks to oppress the sons of the kingdom. God has resources hidden everywhere. Never fear running out and go ahead and pay what they say, in order to not offend them. The fish is still declaring salvation, rescue, deliverance from the system and there is an abundance of coins available in hidden places. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org