Moses stayed on the mountain for forty days to receive the law, the commandments, and the detailed instructions for Israel’s worship, including the pattern for the tabernacle and priesthood. This period was a time of direct communion/”>communion with God, during which the covenant was fully established and God revealed His holy requirements.
Exodus 24:18 says:
“So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”
During these forty days, God gave Moses the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18), as well as ordinances governing Israel’s civil and religious life. Moses also received instructions for the tabernacle (Exodus 25–31), which would serve as the dwelling place of God among His people.
The forty-day duration is significant. In Scripture, forty often represents a period of testing, preparation, or consecration. Just as Moses fasted during these forty days (Deuteronomy 9:9), Jesus later fasted forty days in the wilderness before beginning His public ministry (Matthew 4:2). Both events underscore dependence on God’s word and presence.
This time also emphasized that true worship and fellowship with God must be based on His revealed will, not human invention. Sadly, while Moses was on the mountain, Israel fell into idolatry by making the golden calf (Exodus 32), showing the necessity of God’s law and grace.
Moses’ forty days on Sinai point to Christ, who perfectly mediates the new covenant and grants believers access to God’s presence. It reminds us that God reveals Himself to those who seek Him and that His purposes require patient waiting and full submission to His word.
