Gay N. Lewis: The Number 40 and Covid-19

What Has the Historic Number 40 and the Number 400 got to do with 2020?

God loves numbers. I’m glad He does, because I don’t.

He can work the arithmetic for me, but I’ve been curious lately.

Do you have a favorite number? God has several. Here are a few of His beloved numbers: 3, 4, 10, and 7.

I’ve studied His numbers in the past, but I’ve been thinking about the numerals forty (40) these days. This year, 2020, has devastated us in many ways. Is God using the number 2020? Is He getting our attention with numbers?

Since God fancies numbers so much, did He plan 2020 as the Big Challenge Year for us? Now look at the date. 2020. Add the two twenty numbers and you get 40. Remember the events in the Bible that took place with the number 40?

Here are a few of the 40’s mentioned in the Bible.

1. How about Noah? Poor old thing built a gargantuan boat. It took him 120 years and people called him a fool all that time. When done, Noah and crew entered the arc, and it rained 40 days and 40 nights. Whoa! Talk about a flood. Think about all the people and animals left to die because they didn’t believe God. Genesis: 7:12.

2. Egyptian physicians took 40 days to embalm Jacob. Genesis 50:3.

3. Moses stayed on Mount Sanai, the Ten Commandment’s mountain, and he fasted 40 days as he received the tablets of the Covenant. Exodus 24:18. Deut 9: 9, 25

4. Remember the twelve spies? Yep, 40 days snooping around in the land of promise. Numbers 13:25.

5. The Israelites wandered 40 years in the wilderness because of their lack of faith.

6. There was 40 years of peace in Israel Judges 3:11; 5:31; 8:28

7. Old Elijah traveled for 40 days and nights to reach Mt Horeb (Sinai). 1 Kings 19:8.

8. Jonah didn’t want to go to Nin

eveh, but God told him the town would be over thrown after 40 days. Jonah preached the town would be gone in 40 days, and the people repented. Jonah 3:4.

9. Like Moses and Elijah, Jesus fasted 40 days. Matt 4:2.

10. God desolated Egypt for 40 years! Ezekiel 29:11.

11. Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert. Mark 1:12-13.

12. Jesus appeared to His disciples and others for 40 days after the resurrection. Acts 1:3.

13. Lent is 40 days. Lent is the period observed by many leading up to the Day of Resurrection.

If we multiply 2020 we get 400.

1. There is approximately 400 years between the Old and New Testament. The number 400 by many scholars is considered a divine perfect time period.

2. God told Abraham his offspring would be slaves in a foreign country for 400 years, and so they were. They were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. Gen: 15:13

Okay, so God likes numbers and designates times to start or finish His projects. What does that tell us about 2020?

Let’s go back and look at some of the good things that came from the examples mentioned above.

1. Noah. After the flood, God promised He would never destroy the earth again by water. God started over with mankind and gave them a second chance.

2. After Jacob was embalmed, Egypt mourned for him 70 days, and then his family took his bones back to the promised land. In other words, God kept His promise.

3. Moses fasted on Mount Sanai, and God gave the Ten Greatest Commandments ever.

4. God gave those 12 spies an opportunity to trust Him. How blessed we are when God gives us those opportunities.

5. The Wilderness Wanderings gave the Israelites a chance to develop a relationship with the Lord.

6. When the Israelites did as God wanted them to do, He gave them peace.

7. Elijah had the privilege of an encounter with God after his great fear.

8. Jonah became a successful evangelist after he became obedient.

9. Jesus fasted and prayed as He began His ministry, and He proved Himself worthy.

10. God caused great distress to Egypt because of their pride, but after they learned their lesson—that God is the Great God, He restored them.

11. Jesus appeared to many on the earth for 40 days as a testimony to us.

What about the number 400?

I’m a student of the Bible and history. The Bible plainly reveals God’s direction for us.

Based on His word and the numbers He likes, perhaps God is saying to us, “enough is enough! I’ve reached my limit. The Earth is mine, and I will bring the inhabitants to their knees.” This Pandemic should make us take stock of our spiritual lives.

If God is saying this, what will we do about it?

1. For those who’ve been away, return to Him.

2. For those who’ve never met Him, come to Him. Trust Him.

3. It’s time for people to acknowledge Him and repent from wicked ways.