Deuteronomy 9:9
When I went up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Moses' incredible forty-day fast wasn't just a remarkable feat; it highlights the profound, divine sustenance that allowed him to receive God's covenant, implying that our relationship with God, when truly engaged, nourishes us beyond physical needs. This intense period, free from earthly nourishment, underscores the direct communion and empowering presence of God in that sacred moment.
Moses is reminding the Israelites of their history, emphasizing that their success isn't due to their own righteousness but to God's mercy. He recounts his forty days and nights on Mount Sinai receiving the stone tablets of the covenant, a period of intense communion with God where he abstained from food and water. This profound experience, a testament to God's direct interaction with them, is set against the backdrop of Israel's repeated disobedience, particularly their recent sin of idolatry.
Forty days without food or water? How is that even possible? Moses’ incredible fast wasn't just a physical feat; it points to something deeper.
A Fast for the Faithful
Moses' forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai, abstaining entirely from food and water, wasn't a voluntary diet. It was a divine encounter. This period wasn't about Moses proving his piety through self-denial; it was about God actively sustaining him as He delivered the foundational law of the covenant.
Think of it as a supernatural enablement. Just as God's Word sustained the Israelites spiritually in the wilderness, His presence and power sustained Moses physically during this intense time of receiving the Law. It highlights that when we are deeply engaged in God's work and in His presence, He can provide in ways beyond our natural understanding.
Why was Moses up on the mountain for so long? It wasn't a vacation; it was the most crucial negotiation Israel had ever experienced.
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Receiving the Terms of Relationship
The 'tables of stone' were more than just commandments; they were the 'tables of the covenant.' This covenant was God's formal agreement, His binding promise to be their God, and their commitment to live in relationship with Him according to His terms.
Moses' forty days and nights were dedicated to receiving these terms. The weight of this responsibility was immense. He was acting as the mediator, receiving the very blueprint for Israel's life as God's chosen people. The intense, sustained time on the mountain underscores the gravity of this divine-human agreement.
Understand the original words
berith · Hebrew Noun
A holy, binding agreement or treaty established by God with His people, defining the terms of their relationship, obligations, and the blessings or curses associated with adherence or violation.
This passage directly parallels Deuteronomy 9:9 by stating Moses also fasted for forty days and forty nights when receiving the tablets of the covenant, reinforcing the divine sustenance during his communion with God.
1 Kings 19:8Elijah's forty-day journey to Mount Horeb, sustained by food given by an angel, echoes Moses' miraculous sustenance, highlighting how God provides for His servants during extended periods of spiritual encounter.
Matthew 4:2Jesus' forty-day fast in the wilderness, where He too neither ate nor drank, draws a parallel with Moses' experience, showing a pattern of divine preparation and testing through prolonged fasting.
Exodus 24:18This verse provides the context for Moses' forty-day absence, explaining that his prolonged stay on the mountain, sustained without food or water, led the Israelites to believe he was lost and prompted their idolatry.
pooleDeuteronomy 9:9: "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 abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:"
i.e. I wholly abstained from all meat and drink. Compare 1 Kings 13:8,9,17 2 Kings 6:22 .
gillDeuteronomy 9:9: "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 abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:"
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone,.... The tables of the law, the same law which forbid idolatry, and which they had lately heard from the mouth of God himself: even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you; wh…
Moses' incredible forty-day fast wasn't just a remarkable feat; it highlights the profound, divine sustenance that allowed him to receive God's covenant, implying that our relationship with God, when truly engaged, nourishes us beyond physical needs. This intense period, free from earthly nourishment, underscores the direct communion and empowering presence of God in that sacred moment.
Moses is reminding the Israelites of their history, emphasizing that their success isn't due to their own righteousness but to God's mercy. He recounts his forty days and nights on Mount Sinai receiving the stone tablets of the covenant, a period of intense communion with God where he abstained from food and water. This profound experience, a testament to God's direct interaction with them, is set against the backdrop of Israel's repeated disobedience, particularly their recent sin of idolatry.
Moses is reminding the Israelites of their history, emphasizing that their success isn't due to their own righteousness but to God's mercy. He recounts his forty days and nights on Mount Sinai receiving the stone tablets of the covenant, a period of intense communion with God where he abstained from food and water. This profound experience, a testament to God's direct interaction with them, is set against the backdrop of Israel's repeated disobedience, particularly their recent sin of idolatry.
"When I went up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water." — Moses' incredible forty-day fast wasn't just a remarkable feat; it highlights the profound, divine sustenance that allowed him to receive God's covenant, implying that our relationship with God, when…
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