forty
Dear Friends,
Noah built an ark and then it rained for forty days.
Moses spent forty years in the desert before returning to Egypt and working miracles.
Moses spend forty days in the mountain with God, fasting. Then another forty.
The rebellious Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness before entering the promised land. God performed miracles during that time.
A giant named Goliath taunted the Israelites for forty days. God sent a young man named David to slay him, when all the mighty men of valor were afraid.
God gave Nineveh forty days to repent.
Jesus fasted for forty days and was forty days tempted of the devil, before starting His ministry.
Jesus spent forty days, after His resurrection and before His ascension, with His disciples.
What is the significance of forty in God’s mind? Good question. I’ll let you dwell on it.
In most cases, it appears to be a time for humbling and testing, a time to prepare for change.
I recently read a few more chapters in Deuteronomy:
All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; (Deu 8:1-14)
I encourage reading the whole of chapters 8 and 9.
I also read from Hebrews recently:
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (Heb 12:1-7)
What’s the moral of today’s story?
Good question.
The Deuteronomy passage just kicked off an interest in my mind in the forty year/day time frame, and what happens during such time frames.
The Hebrews passage obviously speaks to laying aside sin, which is what caused Israel to spend forty years in the wilderness.
And what did the Israelites do after that forty years? They went in and possessed the land and cleansed it of evil.
I’m wondering if our land is due for a cleansing? (Of course it is.)
And if we are prepared (spiritually) for it?
And if we are ready to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might?
And to be faithful to Him to the end?
Our land desperately needs a cleansing and revival, not of emotion, but of true God-fearing, God-loving and God-honoring religion. (Religion is not a bad word, James speaks of “pure religion” — 1:27.)
I love you all. My prayers are with you.
God bless,
Robert J. Borer
Is Trump our Joshua?
Love it! 2 Tim. 3:16…”all scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for instruction, conviction, correction, for training in righteousness….” Hope we take this to heart, learn and APPLY this truth!