There are very few references to fishing or fishermen in the Old Testament. Presumably fishing
was not an important occupation during this time. It seemed to be rather important in Egypt,
however (Isa. 19:8,10).

In the New Testament we meet at least four full-time fishermen_Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
Perhaps more of the men of Israel had turned to fishing at this time because foreign invaders had
taken over much of the good farming land.

We are all familiar with the Lord Jesus’ command to these fishermen which focuses our thoughts
on the concept of spiritual fishing:"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19).
Spiritual fishermen are evidently evangelists who draw men and women out of the deep waters
of sin and introduce them to the Saviour.

Are there qualities needed by literal fishermen which are also needed by spiritual fishermen or
evangelists? One quality needed by both is patience. Peter alluded to this when he said, "Master,
we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing" (Luke 5:5). A literal fisherman must often
work and wait a long time before catching anything. The spiritual fisherman must often spend
much time in prayer and waiting on the Lord before he sees results in his ministry. People cannot
be rushed into making the decision to repent and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour.

A good fisherman will try to conceal his presence from the fish. He will be as quiet as possible
and not make a disturbance. The spiritual fisherman should not try to attract attention to himself,
but should want to direct people’s attention to Christ.

The good fisherman going out for literal fish will study the habits of the fish he wishes to
catch_where they live, what bait will attract them, what is the best time of day to catch them. The
spiritual fisherman must be in constant communion with God so as to know the exact message to
give to any individual or group. He should have a good knowledge of Scripture so the Holy Spirit
can bring to his mind just the right passage at the right time.

The literal fisherman is dependent upon God for his catch, whether he realizes it or not. The
spiritual fisherman is, of course, also completely dependent upon God, although he may
sometimes forget that fact. The completeness of the dependence is illustrated by the miracle which
preceded the Lord’s command to Peter, James, and John to follow Him. They had toiled all night
in their own strength and had caught nothing. When the Lord gave the command, however, the
nets were filled to breaking and the catch was so large as to threaten the sinking of two ships
(Luke 5:6,7). This is a striking object lesson of Christ’s statement, "Without Me, ye can do
nothing" (John 15:5).

The spiritual fisherman must be obedient to his Master if he desires results. Peter was puzzled by
the timing of the Lord’s command to begin fishing, but his reply is instructive:"Nevertheless at
Thy word I will let down the net" (Luke 5:5). Has Christ told us to do a certain thing? Then we
must do it whether we think it is a good idea or not. His wisdom and love are infinite and we can

safely entrust the results to Him. He "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think" (Eph. 3:20).