My friend Ray, hammered home the importance of 40 days.
In the story of the flood, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, when Noah was in the ark (Gen 7: 12). Moses went up Mount Sinai to be with God, twice, for 40 days and 40 nights (Ex 24: 18; 34: 28-29, Dt 10: 10). Elijah took 40 days and 40 nights to travel to Mount Horeb ( 1Kings 19: 8). The Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert (Ex 16: 35, Num 14: 33-34). Jesus was in the desert for 40 days in order to fast, pray, and resist the temptations of the devil (Mt 1: 13). All these things come together in Lent, when we join Jesus in fasting, praying, and resisting temptation for 40 days in the desert.
In the story of the flood, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, when Noah was in the ark (Gen 7: 12). Moses went up Mount Sinai to be with God, twice, for 40 days and 40 nights (Ex 24: 18; 34: 28-29, Dt 10: 10). Elijah took 40 days and 40 nights to travel to Mount Horeb ( 1Kings 19: 8). The Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert (Ex 16: 35, Num 14: 33-34). Jesus was in the desert for 40 days in order to fast, pray, and resist the temptations of the devil (Mt 1: 13). All these things come together in Lent, when we join Jesus in fasting, praying, and resisting temptation for 40 days in the desert.
