Forty
A Devotional Series from Genesis
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
6/14 Reading Portions: Deuteronomy 19; Psalm 106; Isaiah 46; Revelation 16
Genesis 7:4
“For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.”
DAYS
From this conversation with Noah (Gen 7:1-4), YHVH God revealed that in 7 days it would rain upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. 40 seems to be a significant number. Moses entered the cloud of God’s glory on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Ex 24:18). The twelve scouts spied out the land of Canaan for 40 days (Num 13:26). The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (Num 14:44). Elijah fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in Horeb (1 Ki 19:8). Jonah pronounced 40 days before Nineveh’s destruction when he preached in that great city (Jon 3:4). Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights prior to His temptations (Matt 4:2). And the resurrected Lord Jesus Messiah appeared before the disciples for 40 days before His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:3).
Each one of these references with the number forty have their own distinctive features. Moses went before the presence of God to receive instruction while the people below worshiped a golden calf. Ten of the twelve spies brought back a poor report of the land of Canaan, frightening the people. The children of Israel could not enter the Land of Promise for 40 years because of their disbelief. Elijah received miraculous food during his pitiful despair prior to fasting. Jonah’s message was one of judgment for Nineveh, but a lesson of God’s mercy for Jonah. And in our passage above, although the rain would fall for 40 days and 40 nights, Noah and his family would not leave the ark for 370 days after entering it. What’s the connection? It must be found in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
After Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and nights, He started to hunger (Matt 4:2). He was literally starving to death at this point. Except for His sufferings upon the cross, this point in the wilderness may have been His weakest point physically. That’s when Satan’s temptations came to Him; and Jesus withstood them. It showed that He was the perfect Man, sinless and thoroughly obedient to the Father’s will. His perfect, precious, impeccable mind kept and catalogued those temptations all the way to the cross, and He withstood them. He appeared for the same number of days after His resurrection to show proof of His perfect, sinless walk and acceptable Sacrifice.
This is why, in His model prayer, He taught us to pray,
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:13
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matt 4:1). One of the major temptations Satan and his minions will use on us is to tempt us to believe that you and I can go into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus said,
“ Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34
Jesus lived the holy, sinless, righteous life that you and I cannot possibly live, even though we are empowered and led by the Holy Spirit. Whatever our circumstances, whether it be the turmoil surrounding the ark of our salvation (Gen 7:4), or the calf worship at the bottom of the mount (Ex 24-32), or the giants we must face as we spy out the gospel promises (Num 13), or wandering in the wilderness because of the disbelief and unfaithfulness of those around us (Num 14), or depressed and discouraged in the ministry (1 Ki 19), or hearing, preaching, or deserving God’s judgment (Jon 3-4), we can rejoice that Jesus was…
…One who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at the seven days.