THE NUMBER 4 - There are 4 gospel accounts of Jesus' life and ministry. Each of these emphasizes a unique aspect of his sacrifice and ministry. Matthew's focus is on Christ being the son of David and a King. Mark highlights the suffering servant aspect of his ministry. John proclaims Jesus is the One and Only begotten Son of God. And Luke showcases him as the Perfect Man. The number 4 derives its meaning from creation. On the fourth day of what is called 'creation week' God completed the material universe. On this day he brought into existence our sun, the moon, and all the stars. Their purpose was not only to give off light, but also to divide the day from the night on earth, thus becoming a basic demarcation of time. They were also made to be a type of signal that would mark off the days, years and seasons. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for 'seasons' in Genesis 1:14 is moed (Strong's Concordance #H4150), which literally translated is "appointed times" (divine appointments) in reference to God's festivals. This is the earliest known allusion to what would later be called the Holy (or Feast) days (periods) of worship, which are seven in number. The 4th of the Ten Commandments is to remember and keep God's holy Sabbath day. The Sabbath day is tied directly to the creation week. God himself made the period between Friday sunset and Saturday sunset extra special when he rested on it after bringing everything into existence the previous six days.

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The Number 4

There are 4 gospel accounts of Jesus' life and ministry. Each of these emphasizes a unique aspect of his sacrifice and ministry. Matthew's focus is on Christ being the son of David and a King. Mark highlights the suffering servant aspect of his ministry. John proclaims Jesus is the One and Only begotten Son of God. And Luke showcases him as the Perfect Man.

Meaning of Numbers in the Bible

BibleStudy.org

 

The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 4

The number 4 derives its meaning from creation.

On the fourth day of what is called 'creation week' God completed the material universe.

On this day he brought into existence our sun, the moon, and all the stars (Genesis 1:14-19).

Their purpose was not only to give off light, but also to divide the day from the night on earth, thus becoming a basic demarcation of time.

They were also made to be a type of signal that would mark off the days, years and seasons. 

Interestingly, the Hebrew word for 'seasons' in Genesis 1:14 is moed (Strong's Concordance #H4150), which literally translated is "appointed times" (divine appointments) in reference to God's festivals.

This is the earliest known allusion to what would later be called the Holy (or Feast) days (periods) of worship, which are seven in number.

The 4th of the Ten Commandments is to remember and keep God's holy Sabbath day (Exodus 20:9-11).

The Sabbath day is tied directly to the creation week.

God himself made the period between Friday sunset and Saturday sunset extra special when he rested on it after bringing everything into existence the previous six days (Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 20:11).

Appearances of the number four

One of the top ten most frequently mentioned women in the Bible, Eve, is only referenced four times (Genesis 3:20, 4:1, 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 1 Timothy 2:13).

Psalm 107 is the only section or chapter in God's word that contains the exact same phrase four times (Psalm 107:8, 15, 21 and 31).

The apostle Paul was a man familiar with 4 major first century cultures. He was a Roman citizen, he was a Jew who spoke Greek as well as Hebrew, and he was a Christian.

The Garden of Eden had a river which parted into the headwaters of four other rivers. These rivers were the Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel and the Euphrates (Genesis 2:10-14).

After Jesus was nailed and hung on a cross, Roman soldiers divided up his clothes into four parts (one for each soldier - John 19:23).

The four witnesses of God on earth are miracles, wonders, signs and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 2:4).

The number of times rainbows are referenced in scripture are four (Genesis 9, Ezekiel 1:28, Revelation 4:3, 10:1).

Ezekiel, prophecy and the number 4

In Ezekiel's well-known 'wheel in the middle of a wheel' vision (Ezekiel 1, 10) he sees four living creatures transporting a throne with four sides and four wheels.

Each of the living creatures (likely Cherubim, a class of angels) has four faces (the face of a man, lion, ox and eagle) and four wings (Ezekiel 1:6).

Later in the book that bears his name, Ezekiel is told to proclaim to Israel that an end is coming upon 'the four corners of the land' (Ezekiel 7:2).

In chapter 14 the prophet is told by the Eternal to ask Israel's unrepentant elders to repent or else four sore judgments will come upon Jerusalem.

They are the sword, famine, wild beasts or animals, and pestilence (Ezekiel 14:21).

Additional info on the Biblical Meaning of 4

There are 4 gospel accounts of Jesus' life and ministry. Each of these emphasizes a unique aspect of his sacrifice and ministry.

Matthew's focus is on Christ being the son of David and a King.

Mark highlights the suffering servant aspect of his ministry.

John proclaims Jesus is the One and Only begotten Son of God.

And Luke showcases him as the Perfect Man.

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Bible study makes every effort to create content based on what Scripture teaches. Our independence allows us to make corrections to our content whenever God, and strong Biblical support, leads us to do so. Some of the beliefs supported by the site can be found in our article entitled "What are the Bible's basic teachings?"

https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/4.html

 

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BURN OUT - Long periods of overexertion and stress can cause constant fatigue, headaches, sleeplessness, gastrointestinal problems, tenseness, a feeling of being tied in knots, and an inability to relax. Some other signals of “burnout” are crying, being easily angered, negativity, irritability, depression, cynicism (scornful, mocking of the virtues of others), and bitterness toward others’ blessings and even their good health. “Burnout” can cause us to not exercise self-control, and when this happens, we will no longer produce good fruit in our daily lives. “Burnout” steals our joy, making peace impossible to find. When our bodies are not at peace, everything seems to be in turmoil. God established the law of resting on the Sabbath to prevent “burnout” in our lives. The law of the Sabbath simply says we can work six days, and rest one day. We need to rest and worship and play.

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You Don’t Have to Burn Out

Joyce Meyer

“I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” — Psalm 91:2

Are you excessively tired all the time, and even after sleeping, do you wake up feeling tired all over again?

You may be experiencing some of the symptoms of exhaustion, or what is commonly called “burnout.”

Long periods of overexertion and stress can cause constant fatigue, headaches, sleeplessness, gastrointestinal problems, tenseness, a feeling of being tied in knots, and an inability to relax.

Some other signals of “burnout” are crying, being easily angered, negativity, irritability, depression, cynicism (scornful, mocking of the virtues of others), and bitterness toward others’ blessings and even their good health.

“Burnout” can cause us to not exercise self-control, and when this happens, we will no longer produce good fruit in our daily lives.

“Burnout” steals our joy, making peace impossible to find. When our bodies are not at peace, everything seems to be in turmoil.

God established the law of resting on the Sabbath to prevent “burnout” in our lives.

The law of the Sabbath simply says we can work six days, and rest one day. We need to rest and worship and play.

Even God rested after six days of work. He, of course, never gets tired, but gave us this example so we would follow the pattern.

In Exodus 23:10–12, we find that even the land had to rest after six years, and the Israelites were not to plant in it the seventh year.

During this rest, everything recovered and prepared for future production.

Today in America, almost every business is open seven days a week. Some of them are even open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

When we make ourselves available at all times, we are in danger of “burnout.”

People today are quick to argue that they cannot afford to take a day off, but I say they cannot afford not to.

Some people feel guilty anytime they try to rest, but that guilty feeling is not from God.

God wants us to live balanced lives, and if we don’t, we open a door for Satan to bring some kind of destruction (see 1 Peter 5:8).

Trust God that your resting time is just as valuable as your working time.

Prayer Starter: Lord, thank You for the examples You have given us in Your Word about rest.

I ask for Your help to live a truly balanced life and do whatever it takes to have the proper time to relax and recharge.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Dave and Joyce Meyer, who’ve been in ministry for more than 40 years, founded Joyce Meyer Ministries in 1987 as a Christian, non-profit organization that is financially supported by the contributions of its friends and partners.
They have been married for 50 years, have four grown children that all play vital roles in various areas of the ministry and reside in the St. Louis area. As a family, and as a ministry, they are committed to the simple yet powerful message of sharing Christ and loving people.

https://dailydevotionalng.com/2018/12/27/joyce-meyer-devotional-27-december-2018-you-dont-have-to-burn-out/