This is the season that Moses sent the 12 scouts on a 40-day journey to investigate the land God promised the Israelites as an inheritance. The scouts were to bring back a report, so the Israelites could prepare themselves before going in to take possession of the Promise Land. This occurred during mid-June to mid- July on today’s calendar which is the 4th month on the Biblical Calendar; the Hebrew name for the 4th month is Tammuz. This mission extended into part the 5th month named Av.
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘Send out for yourself (shelach lecha – שְׁלַח-לְך) men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, a leader from each tribe.” (Numbers 13:1–2)
The scouts were in the land for 40 days. We find the details in Numbers13. There are many lessons in this account of biblical history but today I want to use it to discuss the number “40”.
Forty days later, they returned from reconnoitering(making a military observation of a region).) the land and went to Moshe, Aharon and the entire community of the people of Isra’el at Kadesh in the Pa’ran Desert, where they brought back word to them and to the entire community and showed them the fruit of the land. (Numbers 13:25-29)
According to BibleStudy.org the number is mentioned at least 146 times in Scripture, the number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation. During Moses’ life he lived forty years in Egypt and forty years in the desert before God selected him to lead his people out of slavery and finally led the children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years as a new nation.
- Moses was also on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights, on two separate occasions (Exodus 24:18, 34:1 – 28), receiving God’s laws.
- Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant — the Ten Commandments.” (Exodus 34:28)
- He also sent spies, for forty days, to investigate the land God promised the Israelites as an inheritance (Numbers 13:25, 14:34).
- The prophet Jonah powerfully warned ancient Nineveh, for forty days, that its destruction would come because of its many sins.
- The prophet Ezekiel laid on His right side for 40 days to symbolize Judah’s sins (Ezekiel 4:6).
According to Jewish Wisdom in the Numbers, a book by Osher Chaim Levene and Yehoshuʻa Daṿid ben Yeḥezḳel Harṭman; the number 40 is significant in the Bible as it is the number of testing, preparation and leadership, as well as the harbinger of something new. Perhaps the most famous “40” is the Great Flood that wiped out mankind except for Noah and his family on the ark. It rained for 40 days and nights before the waters stopped. Then God gave the earth and humanity a new beginning. (Genesis 7:4)
- Goliath challenged the Israelites twice a day for 40 days before David defeated him, which began a great following by the people. (1 Samuel 17:16)
- Yeshua was tested by the devil in the wilderness for 40 days before He began His public ministry.“Then Yeshua was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’” (Matthew 4:1–3)
- The period from the Resurrection of Yeshua to His ascension was 40 days, a period of preparing the disciples for the work that lay ahead. (Acts 1:3)
There is definitely a pattern of the number 40 in the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments and each demonstrates the glory and power of GOD.
