(Hebrews) 2-Moses — Leonard Ravenhill

Glad when thy gracious smile we see, and blessed when our faith can hold thee fast. We thank thee for assurance tonight. We thank you that, like the Apostle Peter, we can say we have not followed cunningly devised fables.

We thank you, Lord, that you established this book, this incredible book, a book written over centuries, even millenniums, and yet by men that didn't see each other, and yet they harmonized, non-contradicted the other.

And you said that your word will last forever and ever. Thy word, O God, is forever and ever. We thank you for a kingdom that is forever, a kingdom that's not subjected to debates in Geneva or anywhere else.

You said it. We don't care whether men can prove it archaeologically or other ways. The Bible isn't true because men think so, it's true because God says so. We can risk our eternity on your word. It's the biggest gamble a man could ever make, in one sense, and yet the biggest surety a man can ever make.

We will say in the language of that old hymn tonight, beyond the sacred page, we seek thee, Lord. Our spirits pant for thee, thou living word. We thank you that this is manner indeed from heaven, and we want to feast upon it.

With the psalmist we want to say and mean, O that thou thine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Give you praise in Jesus' name. All right, let's go back into Hebrews 11. Back or forward, whichever way it is.

Moses in the Hall of Faith

Hebrews 11. Verse 22, by faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel. Verse 23, by faith, Moses. What a difference. Joseph, remember him? The junior member of a family.

Well, like everybody else, if you're spiritual, you have trouble with your family anyhow. But isn't it amazing that Joseph began in a shepherd's tent, and then he ended up as ruler, as the king. When the king was going out of town, he put the chain of gold around his neck, the chain of office.

And the boy who was a nobody is a somebody, and known by everybody. Look at the difference with Moses. Moses started the life as a king and finishes as a tramp. The two positions are reversed. You see, there's no such thing as a blueprint in the Christian life.

You know what David was going to do? He tried to fight in Saul's armor. And he couldn't do it. Why? Oh, yes, I do know why. Excuse me, catching up with myself. I do that when I'm getting old. You know, it's getting fashionable now to preachers tell congregations how much they doubt what they don't believe.

One guy in town told people that the Old Testament is not relevant for today. When I was raised, they used to say about the Testaments, the new is in the old concealed, and the old is by the new revealed.

God doesn't change His mind. He doesn't have any afterthoughts. He doesn't have to correct anything. People tried to correct the King James Version. As the lady said in England, the old lady, it's good enough for Paul, it's good enough for me.

She was a little bit out, one or two years, but it's still the very best version anyhow. Yeah, so this isn't relevant, the other isn't relevant. We had one professor at the little college I went to, and he was a smart guy, a brilliant guy from Cambridge.

He was the only professor that came in with his mortarboard on, and his big flowing gown, and he put that down, you know, and put his hands together and prayed, stentoriously as though he was praying straight to heaven, and he never reached it anyhow.

But one day he was in one of his critical moods, and he was reading in Genesis, at that time, I mean, he was reading in Genesis, chapter 5, and he said, well, you know, those men didn't live to be 969.

He said, about Methuselah, he didn't live nearly a thousand years, and somebody else didn't live. In their day, ten of their years equaled one of our years. I mean, that was direct revelation, of course.

Nobody else knew that. We all made notes of it. They cracked out laughing, and he said, what are you laughing at, at the back there? You fellows on the back row, I was one of them. He said, you always get a laugh out of something.

Well, sure, anybody laughs at a fool. And he said, sir, you said that ten years of their life is equal to one of our years. Yes, what's wrong with that? Well, he said, it's interesting, in the fifth chapter of Genesis, it says, Malachi lived 65 years and begat a son.

He was only six and a half when he had a baby. It brought the house down. The old boy picked up his mortar boards to get on the strolled out. Boy, was he angry. He never dares any of that junk anymore.

But again, what different patterns God has. Joseph starts off in the shepherd's tent, he finishes ruling over the greatest nation in the world at the time. Moses does the opposite thing. He's trained, the seventh chapter of the Acts of the Apostles is worth reading, not now, read it after.

Tells you about the career of Moses. He was wise in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in word. Now, that doesn't mean he was an orator, he wasn't, he stammered. It means he was a lawmaker before he got the Ten Commandments, the law of God.

Come in. But he gives a rundown there in that seventh chapter of the Acts of the Apostles of the brilliance of Moses. His natural capabilities. Come in ladies, please. You don't want to stand for two hours, do you?

No, it's a short message, an hour and ten minutes. Three things about faith. Faith reckons. Faith risks. Faith rests. A precious little baby is put in a little boat made of weeds and his sister takes it and shoves it out on the river now.

Faith That Reckons and Risks

If that isn't faith reckoning, what is? If that isn't faith risking, why, she could have turned it back, a crocodile could have eaten it. When she'd gone away, the wind might have blown the roof off the little thing and the child would have been barbecued with the tremendous sun that they have there.

Somebody else might have come and stolen the baby. There might have been a flash flood that took it away. But faith reckons that God is. As I've said, Hebrews 11, in Hebrews at least, there were over 30 times faith is mentioned.

Over 20 times faith is mentioned in Hebrews 11, which we call the chapter of faith. But the key to the whole thing then, and I believe as far as I'm concerned, the key to my life now is Hebrews 11, 6.

He that cometh to God must believe that he is. That he is what? That it's everything he says he is. That he's able to fulfill Hebrews 7, 25, he's able to save to the innermost. Or he's able to make all grace abound to us.

Or he's able to keep you from falling. He is, he is everything that he says he is. Come hell or high water, come liberal preachers or idiots, I don't care. He is the unchanging God. Verse 23, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents.

Because they saw he was a proper, or I think the Hebrew says he was a beautiful child. And they were not afraid of the king's commandment. Well, you can't have faith and fear. If you have faith, you've no fear.

If you have fear, you've no faith. It's as simple as that. God said to Abraham, I, notice it, I am thy shield. Not I'll give you a shield between you and your circumstances, I am your shield. Well, if God is between me and my circumstances, if God is between me and my world, why in the world should I worry?

Who can destroy omnipotence? If all his resources are at my disposal, which they are. Because the scripture says we're heirs of God. I talked with a friend of mine a number of times about this recently.

To know I'm an heir of God makes my hair stand up nearly. But then when it says immediately after, I'm not only an heir, I'm a joined heir with Jesus Christ. Well, why is the church so bankrupt? The easiest thing in the world is to say like a smart boy in town, miracles ended with the New Testament.

Well, that's the best excuse for your bankrupt spirituality, isn't it? That's why there are no miracles in church, we don't believe. The biggest monster in the church of Jesus Christ today is unbelief.

Israel could have come out of Egypt into Canaan in 11 days, just 11 days. There you are, just 11 days. Why did it take 40 years? Why didn't they enter in? They did not enter in because of unbelief. That's the devil's masterpiece today.

You know, Mr. Spurgeon, there were some Baptists that were right, Spurgeon was one, not many of them. Spurgeon said the Bible is God's checkbook. All the checks are already signed, all you have to do is fill them in.

Moses Refuses Pharaoh’s World

There's a big air of truth in that. Moses was hid for three months, I wonder why they decided to put him out. Do you think he was yelling too much? They knew he was going to be an auctioneer or a preacher or something, couldn't keep him quiet.

I don't remember this. Would you believe the first day I was born, my mind was so foggy, I didn't know where I was. 20 years after, my mother said that day, you know, it's an old fashioned way, they had babies at home, where they should be born anyhow.

And women should feed the babies. We give them cow's milk and wonder why they're so beastly. Well, I was born properly and I was fed properly. But the first day I don't remember a thing about it. 20 years after, when I came from college the first time, my mother said, Len, I want to tell you something.

This has been a great experience. I said, yes, it has. She said, the first day you were born, I put my hand out in bed and prayed and said, put my hand on you and said, God. Make this little boy a preacher or don't let him live.

Boy, if I'd heard that, I'd have been terrified. They saw he was a delightful child. Just what my mother said, but anyhow. He was a proper child. They were not afraid of the king. You see the parallel again between Moses and Jesus.

Moses was born in the slum quarters of Goshen. Jesus was born in a stable. Not the stable on your Christmas card that would get an A plus for being so clean. It was a beautiful stable. It had water-walled manure.

It was acrid with the ammonia from the cattle urine. It had curtains, but they were really cobwebs. It had a heating system, the sweating of the beasts. It had nobody sing a lullaby except the old cow that sat there.

And they got it to sleep. They paralleled so much, Moses and Jesus. Moses was how old? Three months about the age Jesus was when Herod tried to assassinate him. This little guy is only three months old and there's a contract out for him.

Put him to death. Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be caught. Oh, I love this section. Notice, middle of verse 24, refusing. Verse 25, choosing. Middle of verse 25, suffering. And verse 26, esteeming.

Come to years, he left all that was lush and plush and went to live in the bush. You should remember that. Shakespeare couldn't do better than that. And I didn't get out of the book. I made that up. Anyhow, it's true.

Didn't he leave everything that was lush and plush and went in the bush? To be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Josephus, the historian, I don't think you can always trust him. But he says they'd already planned that Moses would become Ramesses III.

In that case, those huge images that they still have, I was going to say in India, in Egypt. You know, when they made the Aswan Dam, they moved those great things, cut their heads off and moved them all.

This man was destined for the greatest throne in history at that time. To the richest empire in the world at that time. He faced it all up one day and the bottom line was he refused. To be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction.

Come on, you idiot. Sit down and count the cards. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the children of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Come on. Do you ever sing that old hymn in your church, wherever you go?

My Jesus, I love thee. And there's a phrase in that hymn that says, for thee all the pleasures of sin. Oh, no, you don't sing. There's no pleasure in sin. What are you doing? Crowding Las Vegas for it.

There's no pleasure in sin. We change it. We're smart. Not pleasure. The all the follies of sin. Do you know one man that's checked his course to hell? A man that's going to live on drink tonight or sleep with other women.

Do you think he's anticipating hell? He doesn't sit down and count the cards. Jesus says, you sit down and count the cards. Say to that man, you sit down and count the cards. You're going to wreck your marriage.

You're going to end up as a drunkard or a pervert. No man sits down and counts the cards to go to hell. He just drifts there. Moses, when he was coming to years, notice that, will you? It wasn't an impetuous decision by a teenager.

It's a man that's mature. It's a man that when he goes down the street, everybody salutes him. When he goes down the road in his chariot, everybody bows down and says you're egg cleansing. When he goes to bed at night, they fan him with ostrich feathers to keep him cool.

Every time he sits down, he has a seven-course dinner. I'm going to one this week, but I won't tell you where, but anyhow. Not only that, having a big seven-course dinner, it really does you good. Every day, he had a seven-course dinner.

He lived on all the delicacies. They used to have larks tongues. I don't know why. Goodnight. I think you get 50 of them in your mouth, but anyhow. They used to have those delicacies in those days. Choosing to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

The people indulging in their lust and licentiousness, like they'd be burned out in a few years. The men that decided to be an immoral and get AIDS last three years after they get it. All the men that got it in 1983 are already dead.

Rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a snap of the fingers. This is a tall one here. Esteeming the reproach of Christ. Mean esteeming the reproach of Christ. There's nothing in the Bible about Christ up until now.

What did he know about Christ? The old mother of his must have been something. I think his parents, Amram and Jochebed, were some of the greatest people ever lived, and we don't know much about them. I think every time she nursed him, fed him, changed his diapers, all the things she did.

I said one day, I wonder what Mary thought when she changed diapers for Jesus. Somebody said, he never needed diapers. He didn't. He must have been a wonderful baby. Esteeming the reproach of Christ. Greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt, because he had respect unto the recompense of reward.

Seeing the Invisible God by Faith

Now you can't read that and leave it there. You go right to the next chapter. By faith, not fear. He didn't run away because of a contract out for him. He went out by faith. By revelation, he heard the voice of God.

By faith. He forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. Well, that was bread in his bones. His mother and father didn't fear the wrath of the king either. My daddy and mummy, oh they've told me many times how the king was searching houses.

And they hid me away. And then they put me in a little boat of my own. To go on the canal in a gondola. Esteeming the reproach of Christ. Greater than all the treasures of Egypt. The wealthiest. You've seen in books or you saw in newspapers or you saw on TV a few months ago.

The treasures of King Tut's tomb. That was opened in 1920. By an Englishman that was very popular at that time. And they brought out all the treasures. They saw an image there. Of course it was all carved and done in fancy woods.

They took the lid off. There's a sarcophagus as they call it. There was an overlay in pure gold of the whole man. There was a miniature tree. With a goat fastened in it. With it's horns in it. And the scientist said it didn't make sense.

What's it all about? So one day a scientist blushingly says well. Of course when I was young and inexperienced. I didn't even hear about it. The treasures of King Tut's tomb. Were the treasures he's talking about here.

King Tut's name actually was Amenhotep II. He was to succeed the pharaoh that chased the Chimamizu out of Egypt. He esteemed the reproach of Christ. See that chokes me. If it said he esteemed the kingdom of Christ.

If he'd had a revelation of the eternity of Christ on his throne. And it said esteeming the kingdom of Christ. Worth forsake it. But he doesn't do that. It says esteeming the reproach of Christ. Esteeming being kicked out of my family.

And out of my country. Which Christ gets and everybody else. Esteeming the reproach of Christ. Greater than treasures of Egypt. For he had respect. He had reward. Hey, come on. Where did this guy get his theology from?

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. He endured the seeing him who is invisible. Come on. What did he see? Did God lift the veil? And give him a revelation that's never been revealed?

Endured the seeing him who is invisible. I've got some news for you. If you're not living where you see him who is invisible. You'll be dead. And no faith within 10 years from now if the Lord carries.

We're going into a tribulation period like the world's never known. Seeing him who is invisible. This man should have come out of Egypt with the children of Israel. And got into the promised land. He never made it.

He sure did. When did he make it? On the Mount of Transfiguration. Do you think he had a revelation of the Mount of Transfiguration? And saw him there with the Christ of God? I was looking there in the 15th chapter.

Let me skip over to it right here. The 15th chapter in the book of the Revelation. No, no. Wait a minute. Let me. I'm jumping ahead too far there. Let me go back to the 15th chapter in Exodus. You know it takes a lot of putting together this thing.

I'm pretty slow in my old age. Well some of you young ones are not much brighter. So don't get too happy. Look at the 15th chapter of Exodus. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel. This song the Lord.

This song unto the Lord. And spake saying I will sing unto the Lord. For he hath triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider hath he cast into the sea. The Lord is my strength. He has become my salvation.

He is my God. I will prepare him a habitation. I will exalt him. Therefore Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea. And chosen captains who are drowned in the sea. If you go back to the 14th chapter.

You'll find the hearts of the people are pent up, bound up in fear. Why? Because the enemy is chasing them. What has happened? God has done a miracle. Aaron was sure when he set after them. Here they are plodding through that mud anyhow.

The Lord's parted it like you part your hair. We'll catch up with them. Oh yes your excellency. We'll overtake them the first day. We'll spill their blood till that sea is red with blood. But that didn't happen.

Then sang Moses and the children of Israel. Then when? When the pursuers were dead. When the enemy couldn't lay his hand upon them. They'd been delivered from death. They'd been delivered from torture.

They'd been delivered from punishment. Boy I'll tell you what. That must have been a song they sang. I think they sang blessed assurance that day. In their own way. If you look round this chapter carefully.

You'll find there's one object alone that fills it. One object alone. It talks about him. His character and his ways. If you look at Psalm 92 verse 4. Oh wait a minute. It's the other way around. No Psalm 92 and verse 4.

I won't read it but let me skip over for the time. Don't you think that once they came out at the other side. They had a new assurance of God. Look at the bodies there. All washing up in the water. Look at their gleaming chariots.

All rusty. Look at their leading captains. Supposed to be geniuses in war. But they're eating them. The birds, the vultures are there to eat them. Then sang Moses the children of Israel a song. It's all to God.

It's all about his character. It's all about his faithfulness. It's about his holiness. There's no word of self pity. There's no word about themselves there. Oh it must have been gorgeous for God in heaven to hear them singing in verse 11.

Who is like unto thee O Lord among the gods. Who is like unto thee. Glorious in holiness. Fearful in praises. He's glorious in holiness. If the church gets back to that we'll have revival. Our church kids go to church as easy as going to a country club and come out the same.

They never meet God. There's no supernatural manifestation. Well why doesn't God come? Because he's not wanted that's why. The preachers already told you those things have passed away. Do you think you're going to wipe your feet on God?

Those men will live to see the day when they'll go groveling before God. Groveling before him. I want to emphasize this again. They sang. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel that this song unto the Lord.

Again I will sing unto the Lord for he not we but he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider is thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and he has become my salvation. He is my God. I will prepare him a habitation.

I will exalt him. Again verse four Pharaoh's chariots his chosen captains are also drowned. Verse 11 who is like unto thee O Lord among the gods. Who is like unto thee glorious in holiness and fearful in praises doing wonders.

That was what? The 15th chapter of Exodus. Skip over to the 15th chapter of Revelation please. Revelation chapter 15. Verse 1. And I saw another angel. I saw another sign in heaven great and marvelous seven angels having the seven last praise for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire and then that had gotten the victory notice that those that had gotten victory over the beast then we would come through a sea and there's fire in it typical of tribulation and then they've gotten victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name and they sing the song of Isaiah.

Oh no no there's a greater prophet than Isaiah Jeremiah. They sing the song of Jeremiah. That's not in your Bible either. Funny Bible. Why of all the people that ever lived do they sing in heaven the song of Moses and the Lamb.

I suggest to you that when he was in the the tightest spot in his life he endured as seeing him who is invisible and half way to the ultimate was seeing himself with Jesus Christ there on the mount of transfiguration.

And the ultimate is there in eternity where he speaks 600 ,000 people singing the song of Moses. Because Moses song was a song of victory. Pharaoh type of the devil is being kicked out. The pursuing forces death destruction sickness sadness.

They've all been washed away. They're all behind. Isn't that exactly what it says here. I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire. Fire means burning in a fiery picture of the beast. So there you are.

It's the victorious. Well isn't that what Moses says. The horse and his rider he's cast into the sea. They're not going to make it in any shape or form. We're on a sea of glass having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God the son of the Lamb.

Deliverance, Holiness, and the Song of Moses

Boy wouldn't I like to write a hymn. And the Lord say to me son when you get to heaven all the angels are going to be wanging harps. No guitars. You notice harps. Guitars are backslidden harps. Golden harps.

Brother when you see 144 ,000 with golden harps singing the song of Moses. I guess his chest will swell a bit that day. He'll stand there and look back. He washed us. What is it. He washed us and loosed us from our sins.

Unto him be glory forever and ever. This poor guy ever since he was born he's had a shadow over him like Jesus had like the early church had this man's born. Moses is born in a slave camp. Jesus was born in a slave camp.

The Romans had conquered the world. We used to live in a city of Bath in England. It's spelled B-A-T-H. You say Bath like you don't say. Children say you're telling a fib. When you grow up you say you're telling a lie.

When you've been to college you say what do you say you're a prevaricator. When you've been to university you say you're guilty of terminological inexactitudes. But it goes right back to being a liar.

Anyhow we try to wrap things up in such fancy words. Don't we. You know God gave us the Bible. A man made theology to confuse it. I'm glad none of my boys went to a seminary. What about the host. I wonder how many of those singing around the throne singing the song of Moses were there when it was sung originally.

We used to sing a hymn in England with harps and with viols. There stands a great throne in the presence of Jesus and they sing this new song unto him who has washed us and loosed us from sin. Unto him be glory forever.

Amen. We used to have a man in the old Methodist church I went to. And you know if the poor visiting preacher was silly enough to choose Wesley's great hymn. And can it be that I should. How many of you know that one to five Methodists bless you so much.

I thought there was a nice atmosphere tonight. Oh we used to get that big old organ up there with about four decks. You know that organists used to make it roll and we'd sing. And can it be that there's nobody can sing that but Methodists.

And if you want to hear it son go to Asbury College. I've been there for two revivals. They're the best singers I've heard in America. Part of the hymn says my chains fell off. My heart was free. I rose when the fall.

Also I'm haughty there. I thought he'd hand as big as a shovel. He was a very popular man in town. He's a garbage collector. But you know he'd been down the long way down. Do you know why some of us don't love much.

Because we've not been saved from much. I wasn't in a horrible pit. I wasn't in times worse than any hell hole on earth. We were going to eternal hell unless Jesus rescued us. When he got to that verse the verse where it said my chains fell off my heart.

I've no record. So don't worry. My heart was free. As soon as he got there he clapped his hands hallelujah preaching the pulpit. You know have a nervous attack. My chains fell off. Every time we sang that him he was reborn.

He was chained, fettered, burdened. Yes when inwardly his conscience was biting us. Then his scorpion's tail could have stung him. He remembered when his guilt fell off. He remembered when he stepped out of darkness into light.

How can a man say when he's are you saved. I don't know mercy in the world. If you're in darkness and go into light wouldn't you know if you had a hundred pound weight on your back and somebody says what's that on your back.

Well I lost it, I didn't know. Well there it is, you lost it coming up the hill. If a man doesn't know his burden's gone. He's not saved. If he isn't walking in the light he may have it like these boys go to college.

Do you know what you do when you go to seminary. You get a swollen head and a shrunken heart. One of the greatest evangelists I ever heard in my life was W .P. Nicholson. I'd like to spend a whole night with him telling you stories about him.

Very very fantastic preacher he said. I will just as soon send him a vial of poisonous. Send him to a modern seminary. That's what he said. We've lost our exuberance. We've lost the joy. You can tell when there's no joy in the church they have a big entertainment program.

One of the big churches in town that Mr. Dobson there, wasn't it Dobson telling people how to keep the family together. Then they build a family center next door. So they won't, they'll be away from home every night.

Isn't that logical. Isn't that smart. Spend half a million dollars on a building instead of being under daddy and mommy's influence at home we blame the devil for so much. Don't we. It's our stupidity.

Alexander White had one of the most remarkable women in the world. In his church she never said anything wrong about anybody. You know a woman like that. Raise your hand, no don't. One day he went in to see this old lady.

Old Jenny always had the teapot there and he loved tea. Ah she says the pastor came yesterday. It was a horrible day. And I filled his cup up and he says no Jenny I never take more than three. I already refilled it 13 times.

This day he went in soaking wet. What a wretched day. Ah she says pastor it's not so very bad. Oh look at my coat. The rain running off onto my trousers are wet through. It's not too bad. Are you praising the Lord for a storm like this.

No I'm praising him he said Jenny I think you never have a bad word about anything. Anybody. I think you would have a good word for the devil. Well pastor she said he's very industrious in everything.

Give thanks. Sometimes we sing that hymn oh for a thousand tongues. Then in a nobler sweeter song I'll sing thy power to save. When this poor lisping stammering tongue shouts victory or the grave. That's how it was written.

And crown him Lord of all all that with yonder sacred thong we at his feet may fall. Join in the everlasting song mercy on us. Do I have to wait all the years till I get there to really join in the everlasting song.

I should look up every day and remember there's the sea and the mercy of God. The mercy of God. God cancelled all my sins. If I believe in him he's taken care of my fears and my doubts torment me. Moses was like Jesus.

Moses as a Pattern Pointing to Christ

Why? Well number one again. Born of very poor parents. Both were born in a slave camp. Moses went down to Egypt. Jesus went down to Egypt almost after he was born. Parents took him there. Jesus preached the sermon on the mount.

So did Moses. He came down carrying his notebook and dropped half of it. That old quid that somebody had. What we need is not more pills. Two tablets like Moses had. Oh you'll catch on with that tomorrow.

But that's alright. I know it's tiring preaching to people tired at the end of the day. You know I mean you're too tired. He was transfigured. Why? Because his face had to have a veil over it. Jesus was transfigured on the mount of transfiguration.

Moses was what? 40 years in the wilderness. That's the number of testing. Jesus was 40 days in the wilderness. Moses was 40 years there. The book of Matthew is the 40th book in the Bible. Isn't it? 39 in the Old Testament.

An extra one makes 40. 40 is typical of a period of testing. What's the testing in Matthew? God testing Israel with his giving them his son. John puts it in another phrase. He came to his own, his own received him.

It's the same report in different a different style of language. That's all Moses must have had a constitution. I didn't check this today. But I think I'm right in saying didn't he have 40 days fasting?

And didn't he turn right round and do another 40 days? 40 is a long time. 40 years in the wilderness. The first time I went to a Christian missionary alliance church I was very thrilled with the hymns.

They sang some old hymns of A .B. Simpson's. Like once it was the blessing now it is the Lord. Once it was the feeling now it is his word. Once his gifts I wanted now the giver own and so forth and so on.

And then they sang another one about oh to be like the blessed redeemer. This is my constant longing and prayer. I sang it a few times and I bit my lip. Oh to be like the picture I see of Jesus. No like the revelation I get of Jesus.

Yes if I want to be like Jesus why don't I take 40 days? Most of us couldn't stick 40 hours of fasting. Leave your friends behind. Everybody go to a place you can only drink water for 40 days. And Moses does a second shift.