Patterns and Repetitions in the Bible - Day 4 Through the Bible

High Pastures Christian Retreat -  290 King's Highway, Burnsville, NC

(Both Quiet Reflections - see previous post -  and High Pastures - near our church -  have accommodations for those wishing to retreat in solitude or as groups to draw nearer to God.  The Executive Director of High Pastures and his wife are family of one our Mt. Celo Church members.  Also, Billy Graham's Retreat, The Cove, is about 1 hour from us.  

Today's Readings

NOTE:  The post writings are authored by members of Mt. Celo Church.  They reflect the very personal experiences gleaned from sitting alone with God in study of His Word.  They are shared in the prayer that you will be blessed by them.  However, the Holy Spirit may have a different message for you depending on your current needs and circumstances.

During my years of study of the Bible, I have noticed patterns and repetitions that have greatly impacted my understanding of God's character and His dealings with us.  Today's readings introduce three of those.  I did some further research to understand historical/Biblical backgrounds of these.  I had always heard that the often-repeated number 7 represented completion in the Bible (there is some variance of this meaning in Jewish Rabbinic tradition), but I was not sure what the number 40 represented, except that it was the length of many major events in the Bible.

1) The number 7
You shall take with you 7 of each animal.  (Gen. 7:2)...After 7 more days I will cause it to rain on the earth...(Gen. 7:4)...And it came to pass after 7 days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. (Gen. 7:10)...Then the ark rested in the 7th month....(Gen. 7: 4)...And he waited yet another 7 days, and again he sent the dove out of the ark. (Gen, 8:10)...So he waited another 7 days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him. (Gen. 8:11)  This is from the Tyndale Bible Dictionary (emphasis added) :

In Scripture, seven symbolizes completeness or perfection. On the seventh day God rested from his labors and creation is finished (Gn 2:2). Pharaoh in his dream saw seven cattle coming from the Nile (41:2). Samson’s sacred Nazirite locks were braided in seven plaits (Jgs 16:13). Seven devils left Mary of Magdala, signifying the totality of her previous possession by Satan (Lk 8:2); "seven other devils" will enter the purified but vacant life of a person (Mt 12:45). However, on the positive side, there were the seven spirits of God (Rv 3:1). In the seventh year the Hebrew slave was to be freed (Ex 21:2), having completed his time of captivity and service. Every seventh year was a sabbatical year (Lv 25:4). Seven times seven reiterates the sense of completeness. In the Year of Jubilee (at the completion of 7 x 7 years = the 50th year), all land is freed and returns to the original owners (Lv 25:10). Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks, is seven times seven days after Passover. "Seventy," which is literally "sevens" in Hebrew, strengthens the concept of perfection. There are 70 elders (Ex 24:1) in Israel. Israel was exiled to Babylon for 70 years (Jer 25:12) to complete its punishment. "Seventy times seven" (Mt 18:22) reiterates this still further. The Lord was not giving Peter a mathematical number of times that he should forgive another person, but rather was insisting on limitless forgiveness for a brother’s sin.

2) The number 40
For after 7 days I will cause it to rain on the earth 40 days and 40 nights...(Gen. 7: 4)...And the rain was on the earth 40 days and 40 nights. (Gen. 7:12)...Now the flood was on the earth 40 days. (Gen. 7:17)...And when He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights...(Matt. 4:2)  This is the commentary from BibleStudy.org:

Additional commentary on the Biblical meaning of 40 *

The number 40 is mentioned 146 times in the Bible. The number points to or symbolizes trial and testing, or probation.

How is the number forty related to TRIALS and TESTING?

Jesus Christ was tempted of the Devil 40 days and 40 nights. Jesus was seen 40 days by His disciples after His resurrection. It was 40 years from the crucifixion of Jesus until the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. Moses was 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in the desert, and 40 years in the wilderness leading the children of Israel. Moses was on Mount Sinai twice with God for 40 days and 40 nights receiving the Law. Twelve spies investigated the Promised Land for 40 days. Elijah was 40 days at Mount Horeb. Jonah preached that judgment was to come to Nineveh in 40 days. Ezekiel laid on His right side for 40 days symbolizing Judah’s sins.

How is the number 40 related to PROSPERITY and PROBATION?

Ancient Israel, for forty years, was judged by Othniel. Israel was also judged for 40 years by Barak and Gideon. A united Israel was also ruled, for forty years each, by King Saul, then King David, the by David's son King Solomon. Joash, considered one of the betters kings of the Kingdom of Judah, reigned for forty years (835-796 B.C.).

The Bible was written by forty different people - which pictures probation. Christians are under judgment now - under probation - based on how they live by every word of God.

3) "It is written..."Matt 4:4,7.10  I am going to underline these words throughout this year of study.  To quote Dr. Stanley, for those of you who do not have his annotated daily study Bible:  'Jesus responded to each of Satan's three temptations by appealing to the unchanging Word of God:  "It is written." If we want to successfully overcome temptation, we must know what the Word says.'

My prayers for you as you commit to this study of God's Word:

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that that you may know Him better."  Eph. 1:17

"I pray that you...may have power...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  Eph. 3:17-19