Addendum to the fasting post...

I've been a little tardy in posting the comments that Chad emailed to me (and I'm wondering why he didn't just go ahead and post them here himself, since he replied to one of my other posts!) ;-) Anyway, since I've added several other entries since then, I thought I would just start a new post with his comments and bring it back to the top. I really haven't had much time this week to study more deeply the Scriptures I listed, so I'm just going to quote Chad and not comment myself for right now. These are some notes he compiled while he was doing a group Bible study awhile back.

(Disclaimer: The following statements [Scripture excluded, of course] are the views of CHAD and do not necessarily represent the beliefs/opinions of this blogger...although they might.) ;-)

(I really just wanted an excuse to use brackets...I so rarely have the opportunity to insert a parenthetical statement inside a parenthetical statement...I'm a geek, what can I say?!)


Fasting
What is it?
Not eating for the purpose of:

Mourning -1 Sam 31:11-13
The followers of King Saul fasted for seven days following his death. The Israelites were known for their public emotional displays, wailing at funerals (they even hired professional "wailers" to come to big funerals) etc. This kind of fasting was a sign of their grief. Job's friends came and sat with him in his misery for seven days before they spoke. They tore their clothes and put ashes and dust on their heads. This kind of fasting is a heartfelt pain or grief, a display of extreme sorrow or regret
Other passages dealing with fasting because of mourning - see Judges 20:26, II Sam 1:12, Neh 1:4, Joel 2:12, Mt 9:14-15.

Humbling -1 Ki 21:1-29
King Ahab, though he was a bad king, humbled himself before the Lord and the Lord relented and did not bring disaster on him at that point Fasting, in some sense, is of use to the believer for humility before the Lord.

Other passages dealing with fasting for humbling - see Ezra 8:21, Ps 35:13, Isaiah 58:3.

Worship-Luke 2:37
Fasting is associated with worship in the figure of Anna, who"... worshipped night and day, fasting and praying." Fasting apparently has merit of its own when done as a pleasing worship to the Lord. Other passages dealing with fasting and worship - see Acts 13:2
Seeking God's Will/Request of God - 2 Saml2:16-23, Judges 20:26-28
David fasted and pleaded with God for the life of his young son. Again this may be associated with the outward _expression of emotion and is heartfelt in request of God. In the second passage we see the Israelites asking God what they should do (seeking His will) in the situation with the Benjamites. Fasting seems to be connected with asking of God, particularly in dire circumstances.

Other passages dealing with fasting and requests of God/ seeking His will - see 11 Chron. 20:1-17, Ezra 8:21, Esther 4:16,

What fasting is not:

Ritual-Isaiah58
Fasting for fasting sake is not what is pleasing to God. If we fast but do not turn to God and away from sin, what good is the symbolic humility? Col 2:18 shows us that legalistic, false humility is not pleasing to God.

For the applause of men - Mt 6:16
Jesus is very clear that fasting should not be used to improve one's image or appearance before others. It should not be used to make one appear more "spiritual" than another, and should be a private experience between the believer and the Father.

What's its use/importance for us?

Reward-Mt. 6:16
Scripture does not specify what this particular reward is, but Jesus is clear that there is a reward for fasting humbly before the Lord without the praise or recognition of people.

Humility-Ps. 69:10
David says in this psalm that he is humbled or "scorned" when fasting. Other passages we have already looked at talk about humility and humbling in fasting. There are numerous passages in scripture telling us to come before the lord with humility. (Php 2:3, Tit 3:2 etc.) We can certainly benefit from anything that causes us to see ourselves in an appropriate light before God because He "opposes the proud" .(James 4:6)

Confession - Neh 1:4-7
Fasting is associated with confession as Nehemiah fasts and confesses the national sins of Israel. Other passages dealing with fasting and confession - see Dan 9:3-5. Confession is an important part of our lives until Christ returns as we can well see in 1 John 1:9, James 5:16.

Repentance - Jonah 3:3-10
The Ninevites repented (turned away from sin) and God spared the city. True confession and repentance go hand in hand. Neh 1:8-9 also seems to associate Nehemiah's fasting with repentance. In the new testament Peter associates repentance with salvation. (Acts 2:38) True repentance is not just turning away from sin but towards God in faith.

Heart Change - Isaiah 58
This passage is the strongest statement yet of the nature of fasting and it's misuse. Fasting was supposed to help to bring humility to the people and to draw them to God in an appropriate manner, but they used the mere tradition while not allowing the righteousness of God to permeate the other aspects of their lives. In essence, they were hypocritical in that they fasted and called on the name of the Lord but they then exploited their workers, quarreled, and fought, and did not help the poor. Fasting should be something indicative of a true heart change, a sorrow over sin and a turning from it, an offering to the Lord of worship, and a pleading with the Lord in dependence on Him alone.


This is purely speculative, but I believe that fasting may be a picture of our dependence on God. Our hunger and our need are ultimately pictures of our necessity of right relationship with our maker. Just as man cannot live without food, man was designed for a relationship with God. Nothing would be more humbling for a proud, self-sufficient person than the constant pangs of hunger reminding him of his immediate and constant need. When all our needs are satisfied, if even for a moment, we have a greater tendency to feel self-sufficient and not to lean of God. Our immediate and constant need is for deliverance from sin that only comes in the gift of Christ on the cross.

Petition-2 Sam 12:16-23
As we have seen in this passage already, David pleaded with the Lord for the life of his son while his son was still alive. We may also use fasting in our requests before the Lord, both for answers/guidance in issues of his will, and for particular requests of need and desire.

Worship-Luke 2:37
We saw in the characters of Anna and of Paul that the discipline of fasting is a way of worship in and of itself.

Commission etc. - Acts 13:2-3,14:23
We also see fasting used in association with commissioning of people to ministry. It would seem that the importance of the call to ministry is emphasized by prayer and fasting, and is a good way to launch a new start for the Lord.