40 Day Challenge (eBook)

The 40 Day ChallengeWeb Excerpt: Introduction to this Book: You may ask why I chose the topic, A 40 day Challenge. Why did you not select a devotional book on the traditional 365 day scale? Or you may ask why not, a 2 week trial or a 30 day trial.why 40 days? The bible is full of examples of 40 days as anointed time with God. Lets take a look at some of these examples. To start with I am going to list for you all of the examples of 40 days, 40 weeks, 40 months and 40 years that I could find in the bible. Then I will explain to you why the Lord made 40 days so important to me. 40 days:1) Ezekiel fasted for 40 days. The Lord told him to lie on his left side 1 day for each year that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord. 2) Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness and was tempted of Satan prior to starting his ministry3) It rained upon the earth 40 days when Noah and his family went into the Ark. 4) The Egyptians embalmed Joseph and the people mourned 40 days as per their custom for him. 5) Moses in Exodus went up on the mount and was before the Lord 40 days and the Lord gave him the laws and commandments. 6) The 12 spies checked out the land for 40 days then brought Moses their report. 7) Moses went back upon the mount for another 40 days of prayer and fasting in Deut. 8) Goliath presented himself morning & evening for 40 days before the children of Israel tempting them to send a man to fight him. 9) In I Kings the prophet rose, eat and drank and went 40 days on the strength of that meal unto Horeb the Mount of God. 10) Ezekiel lay for 40 days on his left side as penance for the 40 years of iniquity of the children of Israel. 11) Jonah preached, Yet 40 days and I will destroy this city, saith the Lord. 12) Jesus was on earth 40 days after his resurrection from the dead before he ascended to heaven. 40 weeks:1) The normal delivery time of a baby. The mother carries the baby an average of 36-40 weeks. That is 9 months give or take two weeks as most doctors figure it. 2) 40 weeks stood for new life, new birth in the Old Testament3) Old Testament Prophecy refers to 40 weeks. This is future translated into generations. 40 months:1) Each time that the Lord send a word of warning to the children of Israel to clean up their ways, turn from their idols and return to Bethel, he gave them 40 months of words from the prophets and challenges to change, then when they did not turn their hearts toward God, he sent them into captivity. 2) 40 months is the probationary period of God. 40 years:1) Moses was 40 years old when he killed the Egyptian and fled to the wilderness. 2) Moses remained for 40 years in the wilderness before he returned to Egypt to lead the children of Israel out of bondage. He was 80 years old. 3) The children of Israel wondered around in the wilderness, then came to Jordan and refused to cross over. Their faith was weak. God sent them back into the wilderness to ramble some more. For a total of 40 years they wandered in the wilderness. Then God took Moses on his 120 birthday. Because their faith was so weakthey were sent back out to wander another 40 years and that generation was not allowed to see the promise land. 4) After wandering around for a 40 year period in the wilderness, then Joshua led the Children of Israel across Jordan and took Jericho. 5) Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to wife6) Esau was 40 years old when he took the Hittite to wife7) Joshua was 40 years old when Moses assigned him to go into Jericho as a spy8) 40 years later, Joshua led the children of Israel into Jericho9) In Judges the land had rest 40 years10) Also in Judges the land was in quite for 40 years---peace. 11) When the children of Israel did not obey God in Judges, he delivered them up to the Philistines control for 40 years12) Samuel judged Israel forty years13) Sauls son was 40 years old when he be