Why the number 40?
40 has always been a significant time period in the Bible.
- Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 24:18)
- Elijah spent 40 days and nights walking to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
- God sent 40 days and nights of rain in the great flood (Genesis 7:4)
- The Hebrew people wandered 40 years in the desert (Numbers 14:33)
- Jonah's prophecy of judgment gave 40 days to the city of Nineveh to repent or be destroyed (Jonah 3:4)
Why the number 40? As you look at the examples in the bible, they are all times of trail or struggle. Although we do not wish to struggle, remember God uses suffering and trial to bring us closer to Him.
Side note: What else takes 40 weeks? A baby! A pregnant woman is considered full term at 40 weeks. Think God did that on purpose? :)
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