In school I was hopeless at Chemistry. I could never get those chemical equations. An easy one to remember is H20. When two hydrogen's and an oxygen share electrons via covalent bonds, a water molecule is formed. However a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen can be explosive with just a spark. Even though I was clueless at Chemistry, we had quite a lot of fun in Science which I was reminded of watching this video explaining a chemical reaction involving hydrogen. Spot the Schoolboy, spot the Scientist!Fasting and Sorrow
Today Fasting is in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, fasting is primarily associated with sorrow. The Old Testament had only one commanded fast, which is on the Day of Atonement, one of the 7 festivals of the Lord in Leviticus 23. If you read Leviticus 16, you will discover that the Day of Atonement was a day commanded for fasting. All other fasts were voluntary.
Interestingly the Day of Atonement is the only sad festival of the 7 and perhaps shouldn't be called a festival more a funeral! All the others have either feasting or music or both. The Day of Atonement was the day of sacrifice for sin and was a day for sorrow and repentance. We have an advantage in that Christ has fulfilled the Day of Atonement once and for all. We're not under any law to fast, it is not compulsory because Jesus has fulfilled the law for us.
So why did the the people fast in the Old Testament apart from on the Day of Atonement? In summary, we can say that the other voluntary times of fasting expressed a mournful, urgent seeking of God in distressing circumstances. Consider some illustrations;
- 2 Samuel 12: 16-18: David fasted and wept for his dying child.
- Esther 4:3, 16: The Jews fasted when threatened with extermination at the hands of Haman.
- Jonah 3:6-10: Nineveh fasted when Jonah pronounced judgment on them.
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. Joel 2:12-13
In other words, their fasting naturally flowed from profound spiritual urgency. It was not a ritual. Fasting was an outward expression of the inward reality of a broken heart. In fact fasting is a natural state when we are suffering. When we are sick or sad we lose our appetite.
On March 9th 2011 not long after the second Christchurch earthquake, I started on Lent for the first time. I was desperately seeking a breakthrough in my friends life for them to find faith in Jesus. You may have a family member or friend who is following their own way and is lost from God and this is making you very sad. This was my motivation for starting. In fact I am still waiting but in the intervening years I've been on a remarkable journey that has led me to Valencia and Brittany and I believe exciting things lie ahead if I persevere. At times I have wanted to give up thinking it's too hard or else I'm crazy. However, every time I've been at the point of my greatest discouragement, I am reminded of God's promise and that gives me the strength to carry on.
In many ways Lent is Old Testament and religious in that it is scheduled. If we do something merely to tick a box then our heart won't be in it, our faith will be very low and the results will be unsurprisingly next to nothing. However, many of us do have some sorrow for the way things are. It may be personal sin or struggle of some kind, it may be a lost family member or friend, it may be the sadness we see in the daily events around the world. With that sorrow we can take it to God during a fast and He will listen. We are not alone and powerless in our daily struggles. Jesus is with us and He wants us to have victory. Our joy in victory will be the greater in proportion to the sorrow we have endured.
Fasting and Spiritual Warfare
However, fasting is not just a thing to do when we are sad and helpless. In fact, fasting is a weapon of spiritual warfare. I have come to believe from my Lent experience that fasting as well as prayer are the essential secret weapons for every Christian to use in the battle for souls. We are living in a time of a great crisis where God is allowing the nations to be shaken from their comfort. The Church is the only place left for the World. We are at the harvest. There isn't a moment to lose!
Jesus
Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights while he battled with Satan. Immediately after, his ministry began. Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted, to do battle with Satan. It does not say he was led into the desert to fast. I believe that Jesus, knowing he was to battle Satan, chose to fast.
- Fasting is a primary weapon of spiritual warfare.
- Jesus's experience of overcoming temptation was preparation for future battles encountering demons and especially at the Cross when it would have been easier to give up the fight.
- Fasting is a way to build up endurance While fasting in spiritual warfare, things become clearer. Deuteronomy 8:3 says man shall not live by bread alone. This scripture didn't make a lot of sense until the day Jesus recalled it to Satan in the desert. It's as if it was there especially for that occasion.
John the Baptist's call was to prepare the way for the Messiah. He was a voice in the Wilderness waiting for a great King to come and overthrow the Romans. John's message was one of sorrow, of judgment, eternal fire and repentance being the only means of escape. John regularly fasted - his diet was locusts and wild honey. The sorrow John felt which motivated him to fast made him an effective prophet. Jesus called John the greatest of men.
John didn't know who the Messiah was going to be but the Holy Spirit revealed it to him. God had told him that the one would be identified by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove so he knew what to look for. John was expecting a King like everyone else not his cousin! When the Dove came and sat on Jesus it must have been the greatest of surprises for him! Even John didn't know God's plan in full but fasting was an effective way to hear God's voice clearly and take the next step.
Moses
Moses fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before receiving the 10 commandments
Moses was up on the mountain with the Lord for forty days and forty nights, and in all that time he neither ate nor drank. At that time God wrote out the Covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.Moses didn’t realize as he came back down the mountain with the tablets that his face glowed from being in the presence of God.
Exodus 34:28-29
Paul
Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch were Barnabas and Symeon (also called “The Black Man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the foster-brother of King Herod), and Paul. One day as these men were worshiping and fasting the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Paul for a special job I have for them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them—and sent them on their way.
Acts 13:1-3
Daniel
Daniel was someone who regularly fasted during the captivity in Babylon. He fasted on behalf of Israel for forgiveness for their sins and great things happened in the spiritual realm.
Then he said, “Don’t be frightened, Daniel, for your request has been heard in heaven and was answered the very first day you began to fast before the Lord and pray for understanding; that very day I was sent here to meet you. But for twenty-one days the mighty Evil Spirit who overrules the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the top officers of the heavenly army, came to help me, so that I was able to break through these spirit rulers of Persia.
Daniel 10:12-13
Ninevah
For when the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne, laid aside his royal robes, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And the king and his nobles sent this message throughout the city: “Let no one, not even the animals, eat anything at all, nor even drink any water. Everyone must wear sackcloth and cry mightily to God, and let everyone turn from his evil ways, from his violence and robbing. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will decide to let us live and will hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.” And when God saw that they had put a stop to their evil ways, he abandoned his plan to destroy them and didn’t carry it through.
Jonah 3:6-10
Wouldn't it be great if the President of France or the U.S. or the Chancellor of Germany recognised that what is happening in their countries at this time is not normal and was to declare a national fasting before God? What a difference that could make!
Summary
What I'm saying is that big things happen in the Spiritual Realm when we fast. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught on the connection between the physical and the spiritual realms. When Jesus said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Jesus was connecting fasting with a time when God will satisfy us. God will not let his Children go hungry!
Please note that Jesus cautioned us against making it known when we are fasting because we are not seeking attention from people, only from God.
When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18
The point is not to tell others to impress them with your spirituality. Fasting is a Secret Weapon.
Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ has said:
“Revival will be preceded by a mighty move of fasting and prayer. The greatest awakening we have known is beginning; I see evidence of spiritual harvest all over the world ... Revival is Jesus. Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God. If we obey Him, He will reveal Himself to us. The manifestation is Jesus, not a mystical emotional encounter. When God reveals Himself, His people experience revival.”
P.S. Fasting is also known to have health benefits which I won't touch on today but if you're interested please read the following link. http://falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm
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