#220 Nothing, No one

18 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt.

19 “The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. 20 Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons.

“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.

21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.

22 “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year.[b] 23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.

25 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning.

26 “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.

“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 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. Exodus 34: 18-27 NIV

This repeats the laws that were given before the abomination of the calf. Of special note to me is that this covenant secures the times of Godly pursuit and rest. Three times a year the men would leave home and appear before God. They lived amongst nations that would inevitably find this as a time of weakness, yet the promise was that as long as they were living before God, their enemies would not covet their land while they were away. The time of their own introspection and worship of God, the removing of their own motes, was more critical than their earthly possessions or pursuits. No one could even commit to do to them what God did not allow. You cannot have a relationship with God for another person. God, do not let me forsake my quiet time, lead me always to prayer, and may my light shine before men, as a testimony of your good works in me. 

1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."…Matthew 4:1-3

It is also an interesting contrast that Moses appears before God for 40 days as mediator of the law, and Christ will later be tempted for 40 days as the keeper and fulfillment of the law, which will lead Him to the cross. When we are being tested, when we are most busy, tired or hungry, do not forsake the grateful heart, praise of God, nor the telling of the Truth. 

6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1Peter 5:7