What connections exist between Exodus 34:28 and Jesus' fasting in the wilderness? Exodus 34:28 in Context “So 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 34:28) Jesus’ Forty-Day Fast in Context “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.” (Matthew 4:1-2; cf. Luke 4:1-2; Mark 1:12-13) Parallel Details • Same duration: forty days and forty nights • Same physical abstinence: no food (Moses also without water) • Same isolation: Sinai’s heights vs. Judean wilderness • Same divine purpose: direct encounter with God (Moses) / direct confrontation with Satan (Jesus) • Same outcome: covenantal significance for God’s people Typological Connections • Moses the mediator receives the written Law; Jesus the Mediator embodies and fulfills that Law (Matthew 5:17). • Moses ascends to write God’s covenant; Jesus descends into temptation to inaugurate the new covenant (Hebrews 9:15). • Moses’ face later shines with reflected glory (Exodus 34:29-35); Jesus returns “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14), radiating intrinsic glory. • Both events occur immediately before public leadership: Moses comes down to lead Israel; Jesus leaves the wilderness to begin preaching (Matthew 4:17). Shared Spiritual Themes • Dependence on God’s Word – Moses lives by every word God speaks on Sinai. – Jesus cites Deuteronomy 8:3: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). • Covenant Foundation – Sinai fast inaugurates the old covenant tablets. – Wilderness fast preludes the Sermon on the Mount and the cross, pillars of the new covenant. • Victory over the effects of the Fall – Moses intercedes for a rebellious people (Exodus 32–34). – Jesus resists temptation on behalf of all humanity (Romans 5:19). Contrasts That Illuminate • Location – Mountain height (revelation from above) vs. desert lowlands (testing below). • Adversary – Moses deals with Israel’s idolatry; Jesus faces the devil directly. • Sustenance – Moses sustained supernaturally without food or water. – Jesus experiences genuine hunger yet trusts the Father’s provision. Why the Connection Matters • Shows continuity from Law to Gospel: what began with stone tablets is fulfilled in the living Word (John 1:14). • Highlights Christ’s superiority: where Moses wrote the Law, Jesus becomes its flawless keeper and gracious fulfiller. • Encourages believers that prolonged seasons of testing often precede fresh revelation and ministry empowerment. Practical Takeaways • Fasting remains a God-ordained means of focusing on His voice and will (Matthew 6:16-18). • Scripture is our sustenance when physical resources wane. • Temptation resisted in the Spirit’s power prepares us to serve others more effectively. |
    |