IN THIS LESSON

So why are people so focused on fasting, repenting, and giving to charities for the forty days leading up to Easter?


Numbers play a pivotal and hugely symbolic role in God’s writings to us, both in the Old and New Testament books. The numbers ten, seven, and three are all significant numbers. As it turns out, so is forty. 


Today I want us to delve into three sections that can be connected with this number. Once we look at each of them, I think we’ll have a deeper understanding of why forty days is such a beautiful timeframe to mimic in our own lives.

In Noah’s lifetime, rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 

Whether you are a newer Christian or someone who has studied the Bible and sought God for years, Noah’s name and story are a familiar one. But did you know that God was recorded as saying in Genesis 7:4, “Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made”? God gave Noah and his family a week’s notice that the rains would be coming, and He told Noah exactly how long they would last. 

So why did God send rains onto the earth for forty days? If you read further into Genesis 7, you’ll see that the waters got so high that all the highest mountains of the earth were even under water. Can you imagine? I’ve dealt with flooding basements and overflowing streams, but my mind just can’t imagine the highest mountains being underwater. 

Now flip to the next book in your Bible—over to Exodus. 

Moses was in the presence of the Lord forty days and forty nights while waiting for the (second) set of stone tablets!

Did you know that Moses had to walk up Mount Sinai twice to get the Ten Commandments? You may already know the story of the golden calf, but if not you really have to look it up … or watch Charton Heston in the classic, The Ten Commandments. I did a quick search online to see how long the trek up Mount Sinai actually is, and apparently the hike up the mountain can be done in under two hours. So why did Moses need to be there for forty days and forty nights? 

  • Was God testing the Israelites to see just how long they could last without their leader?

  • Was God showing Moses that He alone could sustain him?

    • It says in Exodus 34:28 that Moses went without bread or water this entire time!

Let’s move out of the Old Testament now, and into the New Testament. So many times we imagine God as being vastly different in these two sections of the Bible, but I have been shown again and again just how consistent God has been and continues to be. 

Jesus fasted for forty days before starting His public ministry.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke each speak of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. Friends, this wasn’t a time of teaching or fellowship—it was a time of fasting and testing. I am going to focus on Matthew 4 in upcoming devotions; that is not my focus for today. But I do want you to notice that the number forty is presented to us again and again. 


Just as Moses abstained from bread and water for forty days, so did Jesus!
I am NOT suggesting that we do the same. 

I am suggesting that there is power in this focus on God, His Son, and His Holy Spirit for forty days in preparation for the GREATEST day of the Christian faith. Folks, we get to celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday! THAT IS HUGE! Yes, I was yelling that!

Hopefully you’ve actually opened up your Bible to Genesis 7, Exodus 34, and Matthew 4. But reading words on a page can be kind of useless without considering the context and then making an application to your life. 

  • Why did God send rains down on His own creation for forty days? 

    • What hurtful habits are in my life that will take forty days to truly eliminate?

  • Why did God keep Moses up there in His presence for forty days?

    • How can I truly connect with God for forty days … so much so that I will look radiant to the people who know me best?

  • Why did Jesus fast for forty days before beginning His public teaching?

    • If I take something that seems necessary out of my daily routine, will I be able to respond to confusion and temptations with a clearer mind?

The number forty may seem arbitrary or unnecessarily long when it’s connected to fasting from something, repenting of sins over and over again, or being asked to look at how much we can give. Remember that giving isn’t limited to finances, but your time as well!

Does that number of days hold a deeper meaning now that you can connect it back to Noah, Moses, and Jesus? 

You may have been asked to come up with your Why Statement for something in the past. Today, I would love to hear your  Why Statement for Lent. We are in the second week of it now, and the themes of fasting, repentance, and almsgiving may have already begun to lose their luster. Please don’t give up on this! 

  • Noah didn’t give up when the rains kept coming.

  • Moses didn’t give up when the tablets had to be made again.

  • Jesus certainly didn’t give up when He was hungry. 


Let’s see what we can accomplish through God’s strength in this season of Lent!