Topical Bible: Fasting: Prolonged for Forty Days, by Moses

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Fasting, as a spiritual discipline, holds significant importance in the biblical narrative, serving as a means of drawing closer to God, seeking divine guidance, and demonstrating repentance. One of the most profound examples of prolonged fasting in the Scriptures is the forty-day fast undertaken by Moses. This event is pivotal in understanding the depth of commitment and the spiritual significance attributed to fasting in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Biblical Account

The account of Moses' forty-day fast is found in the Book of Exodus. After the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Law from God. During this time, he engaged in a supernatural fast, abstaining from both food and water for forty days and forty nights. The Berean Standard Bible records this event in Exodus 34:28: "So 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."

Spiritual Significance

Moses' fast is emblematic of total dependence on God. The absence of both food and water underscores the miraculous nature of this fast, as human survival without water for such an extended period is naturally impossible. This act of fasting signifies Moses' complete reliance on God's sustenance and strength. It also highlights the sanctity and seriousness of the covenant being established between God and His people.

Purpose and Context

The context of Moses' fast is crucial. It occurs during a time of divine revelation and covenant formation. Moses' ascent to Mount Sinai and his subsequent fast are directly linked to receiving the Ten Commandments, which form the foundation of Israelite law and ethics. This period of fasting is not merely an act of personal piety but is integrally connected to the broader narrative of God's relationship with Israel.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, Moses' forty-day fast prefigures other significant biblical fasts, such as those of Elijah and Jesus, both of whom also fasted for forty days. This period of fasting is often seen as a time of testing, preparation, and spiritual renewal. For Moses, it was a time of intimate communion with God, where he received divine instruction and guidance for leading the Israelites.

Moses as a Model of Fasting

Moses' example serves as a model for believers, illustrating the power and purpose of fasting as a means of seeking God's presence and aligning oneself with His will. It demonstrates that fasting, when undertaken with the right heart and purpose, can lead to profound spiritual insights and breakthroughs.

Conclusion

While the account of Moses' forty-day fast is unique in its miraculous nature, it continues to inspire and instruct believers in the practice of fasting. It underscores the importance of humility, dependence on God, and the pursuit of holiness in the life of faith.

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Exodus 24:18
And Moses went into the middle of the cloud, and got him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
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Exodus 34:28
And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote on the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
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Deuteronomy 9:9,18
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I stayed in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
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Library

Festal Letters.
... And Daniel, when fasting, although a very young man ... of these men was wonderful, and
the days prolonged, let no ... that he fasted longer than forty days"those in ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/i festal letters.htm

Letter xxxvi. (AD 396. )
... day of the week, when they fasted forty days; so the ... instance, it is rather proved
that such fasting on the ... reason why the discourse was so prolonged, that we ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter xxxvi a d 396.htm

Letter vi. --For 334. Easter-Day, xii Pharmuthi, vii Id. April ...
... we depart hence, having been careful of fasting, we may ... We begin the fast of forty
days on the first day ... month Phamenoth (Feb.25); and having prolonged it till ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/letter vi for 334 easter-day xii.htm

Epistle Lxiii. Limenius, Bishop of Vercell??, Having Died, the See ...
... at the feet of their prey prolonged a holy ... of pleasure who were satiated by fasting;
the burning ... in the strength of that spiritual meat forty days and forty ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/epistle lxiii limenius bishop of.htm

To Pammachius against John of Jerusalem.
... The dispute was thus prolonged for about four years, and ... What we aim at in fasting,
they have through ... know that the people of Israel for forty years experienced ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/to pammachius against john of.htm

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... by abstinence, a proof that by fasting we can ... stand still, and the victorious army
prolonged its fast for ... Elijah after the preparation of a forty days fast saw ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii jerome answers the.htm

Acts xx. 1
... discourse however having come up, he prolonged the teaching ... to my former honor, but
even forty years am ... lengthened out until midnight, they were fasting all the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xliii acts xx 1.htm

On Repentance and Remission of Sins, and Concerning the Adversary.
... grace committed fornication to be saved by repentance and fasting? ... He prolonged his
fast unto seven whole days. ... quench the flame that rose up forty-nine cubits ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture ii on repentance and.htm

Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied ...
... To this the reply is given, that Moses rooted up ... tradition of the Rabbis: In the
latter days the Fathers ... and Thine eyes were darkened through fasting, and Thy ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix ix list of old.htm

Regeneration by Faith. Of Repentance.
... Reasons why repentance must be prolonged to the last ... Thus, also, in his forty-first
Homily on John ... from the frequent mention of sackcloth, fasting, and tears ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 3 regeneration by faith.htm