Lent - 40 Days

The special season of 40 days before Easter in the English language is called Lent. As a person who has English as a second language this makes no sense. When learning the English language you realize that lent is the past tense of the verb lend. He lent me his car.In Spanish the term used is Cuaresma, in Italian it's Quaresima and in Latin it's Quadragesima all containing the word that signifies forty. Well I don't want to get caught up in all the quirks that makes English difficult to learn, I would like to focus on the number 40.

This number 40 comes up in Scripture numerous times. In the Old Testament we read of how;
-Noah and company watched rain fall for forty days and nights.
-Moses was on Sinai for 40 days
-The Israelites roamed the desert for forty years
-Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah
-Esau was forty when he married Judith
-forty days were required for embalming
-King david reigned for 40 yrs.
-King Solomon reigned for 40 yrs.
-King Joash reigned for forty yrs.

In the New Testament;
-Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights
-Jesus remained on earth 40 days after resurrection

The number 40 has come to symbolize new beginnings. More on the number forty.

-The embryo is considered viable forty days after conception
-Gestation takes forty weeks.

Recently this number has cropped up in the film Fireproof where the husband in the troubled marriage is given a book from his father that contains a 40 day plan that if followed will help save his marriage.
I recently noticed that my health insurance provider will pay for up to a six week stay for in hospital mental care.
And lastly, many cancer patients are given approximately six weeks of radiation treatments, just around 40 days.

Is there something magical to this number? Or are these just mere coincidences?

Whatever the answer let's use the forty days of Lent to renew, revive, and repent. This is our second opportunity to make some resolutions this year.