# 26 ~ FORTY -3 ~ BIBLE NUMBER MEANINGS 4-28-12
Today we’ll continue talking about the number FORTY. FORTY stands for; TRIALS, PROBATION AND TESTINGS ~ the number FORTY is found 189 times in our KJ Bible.
Last time we pointed out that Israel wondered in the Wilderness for FORTY years because of their seemingly everlasting complaining and God finally reach the point that He was going to severely chasten His chosen people, He was at one point about to kill the entire congregation and then raise up a people from Moses seed, but Moses interceded on Israel behalf and God stayed His hand of destroying them all, instead He caused them to wonder around in the wilderness for FORTY years in order that all the people from twenty years old and older died off, thus the off spring of the under twenty years old would go into the promised land. You can read all that in the book of Numbers 14:
Acts 13:18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
* FORTY YEARS OF PROBATION BY PROSPERITY IN DELIVERANCE AND REST:
Under Othniel:
Judges 3:5- And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 6And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim ** (plural of Baal, pagan gods) and the groves. ** (A small group of trees - It was thought wrong to shut up the gods within walls, and hence trees were the first temples)
8Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim (koo-shan-rish-aw-thah-yim, - means chief of two governments) king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim (koo-shan-rish-aw-thah-yim) eight years. 9And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim (koo-shan-rish-aw-thah-yim) king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 11And the land had rest forty years
* FORTY YEARS OF PROBATION BY PROSPERITY IN DELIVERANCE AND REST:
Under Barak Judges 5:31 So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
* FORTY YEARS OF PROBATION BY PROSPERITY IN DELIVERANCE AND REST:
Under Gideon Judges 8:28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.
* FORTY YEARS OF PROBATION BY PROSPERITY:
Under David II Samuel 5:1-5 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.
Listen; David was a shepherd over sheep before he was king, the Lord Jesus is the Great Shepherd over His sheep even now before He takes His rightful position as King, David was a warrior, when Christ returns He is coming back as The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, David was also of the tribe of Judah, we’re told here that David was thirty years old when he began to reign, Christ was thirty years old when He began His public ministry.
* FORTY YEARS OF PROBATION BY PROSPERITY:
Under Solomon I Kings 11:1-4 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
* Because of King Solomon’s disobedience of Gods command not to marry out side the Hebrew people the kingdom was divided, God warned Solomon that the heathen would cause them to worship their pagan gods, so the ten northern tribes would be taken captive by the Assyrians, and later the two southern tribes would be taken captive by the Babylonians. All because of Solomon’s disobedience.
42And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
* FORTY YEARS PROBATION BY HUMILIATION AND SERVITUDE:
Israel under the Philistines:
Judges 13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
* Israel in the time of Eli:
I Samuel 4:18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
* FORTY YEARS PROBATION BY WAITING:
Moses in Egypt: Acts 7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel
Moses in Median: Acts 7:30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
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* There are EIGHT periods of testing revealed in the Word of God.
1- Moses was in the mountain of Sinai FORTY days and nights receiving the LAW. Exodus 24:18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
While he was gone these FORTY days the people became impatient and said to Aaron, Exodus 32:1 Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him."
2. This led to the making of the golden calf of Exodus 32:2-7. Thus, Israel fell under these FORTY days of testing. Deuteronomy 9:18 -25
3. After this they were tried or tested FORTY years in the wilderness.
Numbers 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even FORTY days, each day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even FORTY years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. - (you shall know My rejection)
>> We talked about this the last time, have you ever seen such a gripping and complaining people?
I once worked with a man that complained about every thing, he was never satisfied it seems.
I’m about to get off the subject of the number FORTY for a few minutes but I want you to listen as I give some of the times that Gods people complained. They start their never ending gripping and complaining in,
Exodus 14:12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
And when they were pursued by the armies of Pharaoh, the people complained that they would rather have remained slaves in Egypt.
Exodus 16: 2-4 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Why is it so easy to forget God’s goodness when we feel like things have suddenly started to go wrong? Why do we so often respond to our immediate circumstances with a longing for the so called "good old days?
They continued their complaining at Rephidim when they were lacking water; the people complained that Moses had brought them out of Egypt and into the wilderness to die of thirst.
Ex. 17:1-3 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? 3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
At Kibroth Hattaavah they had become tired of eating MANNA and complained that they had better food in Egypt, and the Lord heard them and became angry and He destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire, you would think that this people would become fearful of what God could and possibly would do.
Num.11:1-5 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. 2And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched. 3And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.
4And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: * (covet- greatly desired)
and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
The "mixed multitude" was non-Israelites, mostly Egyptians.
Exodus 12:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
In the Wilderness of Zin the people complained that they would rather have died in Egypt where the provisions were better, and they had water.
Num. 20:1--5 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!-- back in chapter 14:
4And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? 5And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? It is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.
On the way around Edom they were still complaining, they were weary and tired, you would think that by now these stiff neck people would realize that Almighty God was their God and that He was taking care of them, but they continue on with their gripping and complaining, the people complained that Moses had brought them out of Egypt and into the wilderness to die, its like a broken record.
Num. 21:4-5 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
This is the time that God sent snakes among the people and many were bitten and died.
At Kadesh Barnea (Num. 14:1--4)
Up set over the report of giants in the Promised Land, the people complained that they would rather have died in Egypt--and even looked for a leader to take them back there. This is where the Lord finally had enough of their complaining, this is what we talked about last time.
Next time Lord willing we’ll get our thought back on the number FORTY, and say some more about the EIGHT periods of testing revealed in the Word of God, so far we have mentioned three of these eight periods in this study today.
