The Auspicious Magical Biblical Number of 40

Dear friend,

As a friend of mine just turned the auspicious year of 40, it has inspired me to share what makes this year so, well, magical!

For example, have you ever noticed how significant the number “40” is in our religious scriptures?   Let’s start with Moses, who after 40 years of wandering in the desert, died within sight of the Promised Land.  Plus, Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days, in two separate occasions.

Remember, in the Book of the Exodus:

(Exo 24:18 KJV) 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.

(Exo 34:28-29 KJV) And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Let’s go to Jesus, with his 40 days and nights of meditation in the desert.  In Matthew 4:1-2 KJV, it states:

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. {2} And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.”

And most awesome was Jesus’ return after his crucifixion, which was 40 days after Jesus was last seen on earth.

(Acts 1:3 NIV) “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”

And we cannot forget my dear Relative, of which I carry his name ~ Noah, himself!  As it states in the Torah and in the Bible, “It rained for 40 days and 40 nights when God wanted to cleanse the world and start over.”

And then, after the rain stopped, Noah waited another 40 days after it rained before he opened a window in the Ark.

To end this fascinating research project, let me remind us of the Egyptians 40 day period for embalming for the preparation for their loved one to go to the afterlife.

(Gen 50:3 KJV) “And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.”

NOW, allow me to personalize the most transformative year of my life, which happened to be… (drumroll please), yes, you guessed it.  Age 40!

It was in this year that my ex-husband literally threw me out on the street after a decade of abuse / control, and took our children away from me.  Homeless, childless and penniless in one day – talk about challenges!

It was at this time that I could have dug a hole for myself to crawl in and wither and die (what he was expecting, of course), or to rise like the Phoenix from the ashes and fight for what’s right.  My children.

Our freedom.

Our new life.

And so, with great faith AND with the Divine magic of my 40th year to carry me through, I won full custody of my children, and here we are, in a most magnificent and blessed life!

Please share with me your stories about turning 40, or your experience with this magical number…

Wishing you a 40-like kind of day, year, life!

Love and hugs to you,

Wendy Sue