What is Significant About 40?

A lot of things happened in God’s Word during a 40 day period:

• Genesis 7: it rained for 40 days and nights while Noah was in the ark
• Geneses 8: Noah waited another 40 days before he opened the window in the ark
• Exodus 24 & 34:  Moses was on Mount Sinai two different times for 40 days where he fasted & received the Ten Commandments
• Numbers 13: Twelve spies scouted out the Promise Land for 40 days
• Deuteronomy 9:  Moses interceded for the children of Israel for 40 days
• 1 Samuel 17:16:  Goliath, taunted the Israel army for 40 days
• 1 Kings 19:8:  Elijah went 40 days after being fed & ministered to by God to Mount Horeb
• Ezekiel 4:6:  the prophet Ezekiel took on the iniquity of Israel for 40 days
• Jonah 3:4:  Jonah warned Nineveh for 40 days to repent or they would be destroyed
• Matthew 4 / Mark 1 / Luke 4:  Jesus went into the wilderness 40 days to fast, pray and be tempted 
• Acts 1:3:  Jesus made several appearances after the Resurrection for 40 days before He ascended to Heaven.

 

In doing a study on the symbolism of the number forty – this is what I found:

Symbolism

            According to the Bible, it is the number of the waiting, the preparation, the test or the punishment. Also the Bible often resorts to the number 40 when starts a new chapter of the history of the salvation. On the other hand, forty would indicate the duration of a generation or a long period, whose we ignore the exact length.  Symbolize the death with oneself and the spiritual rebirth.

 

Interesting article:  http://www.betemunah.org/forty.html the conclusion: The Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Yehuda Loewe, explains that the number 40 always means cataclysmic change and new creation.

 

With all of this said – what can God do in YOU  throughout this forty days of prayer and fasting?

 

What cataclysmic change and new creation could take place in the spiritual realm if “My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray…” 2 Chronicle 2:14

 

Our scripture focus for this week:

Go back and look at the verses surrounding the “40 days” I mentioned in the beginning of the blog.  What was the “rest of the story” – ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you and show you faith, fear, obedience, disobedience, sacrifice, assignment or whatever else He wants to speak into your life

 

Meditation / Proclamation / Memorization:  1 Samuel 17:16

“The giant came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand”

• what is your giant
• what will you do

 

Action Points For This Week:

• Determine which biblical fast you’re going to do 40 day, 21 day, 10 day, 7 day, 3 day or 1 day and when you’ll start it
• Determine an act of compassion you can do at some point during the 40 days [when, where & how] *the missions page on the church website can help you with ideas

 

Suggested Tools:

• Journal your journey [Jentzen Franklin has an awesome 21 day fasting journal that I strongly recommend]
• Fpworship Facebook and twitter
• Blogs:  http://blog.faithpromise.org
• Online Prayer Forum:  [email protected]