THE DISCIPLINE OF FASTING

-{Matthew 6}

-As we move on in our study of the spiritual disciplines, tonight I want to talk about a discipline that might get me fired as a Baptist preacher. It goes against every ounce of our human desires as well as going against every Baptist bone in our bodies. Tonight I want to talk about the discipline of fasting.

-I say that word, and every muscle in our bodies tensed up and our minds put up some sort of road block. There is something about fasting that seems so unnatural. We can understand Bible study and prayer as spiritual disciplines, but fasting just seems extreme to us. Maybe it’s for those Christians who are on the level that is above ours—those super advanced Christians. It’s not for us normal Christians, is it? It really doesn’t have any spiritual benefits does it?

-I think that our day and age is just so used to indulging ourselves in whatever we want, that it is difficult to see how much that worldly things truly distracts us from that which is most important and of the most benefit to ourselves. Fasting doesn’t sound pleasant, but its benefits to our souls really outweigh the the bad press that it gets.

-But before we get ahead of ourselves, what do I mean by fasting. In a very generic sense:

The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship Fasting

Fasting is a physical process of restricting one’s level of use of such things as food, drink, play, etc., ordinarily for some religious rationale.

-Fasting is to abstain from something physical to accomplish some sort of spiritual task. The Bible seems to describe three types of fasting:

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Fasting

The normal fast involves the total abstinence of food. Luke 4:2 reveals that Jesus “ate nothing”; afterwards “He was hungry.” Jesus abstained from food but not from water.

In Acts 9:9 we read of an absolute fast where for three days Paul “did not eat or drink” (HCSB). The abstinence from both food and water seems to have lasted no more than three days (Ezra 10:6; Esther 4:16).

The partial fast in Dan. 10:3 emphasizes the restriction of diet rather than complete abstinence. The context implies that there were physical benefits resulting from this partial fast. However, this verse indicates that there was a revelation given to Daniel as a result of this time of fasting.

-We want to keep these ideas in mind when we look at what Jesus says about fasting. He said:

Matthew 6:16–18 LSB

16 “Now whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

-In this particular passage, Jesus gives us some principles of fasting (which we will look at before we do more of a wider biblical survey about fasting). First, there is an expectation of fasting—Jesus’ expected His disciples to fast. Jesus says WHENEVER YOU FAST. Not IF you fast. Not WHEN YOU’RE IN THE MOOD TO FAST. It was an assumption that Jesus’ disciples would fast.

-Another quick takeaway is that when we are fasting we are not to do it to put on some sort of spiritual show so that we draw attention to ourselves. Fasting was often associated with mourning, and let’s face it, fasting is not a comfortable thing to do. So, it would be easy to put on a show about how miserable you are that you are doing it. I know that when I start to get hungry I turn into Mr. Grumpy Bear. And I’m going to make sure that everybody around me knows that I’m grumpy until you give me some food.

-But Jesus says that when you are fasting for a spiritual purpose, don’t turn into Mr. Grumpy Bear so as to put on a big spectacle that you are fasting. He says to look and act like you normally do, not letting others know what you are doing. And the God who sees you fasting in secret will spiritually reward you for whatever the reason might be that you are fasting.

-What are some of the purposes for fasting? Some fasting was a natural reaction to grief—be it over a loss or something else. For example, David and the nation of Israel fasted in grief after the death of Saul and Jonathan.

2 Samuel 1:12 LSB

12 And they lamented and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of Yahweh and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

-When someone was severely sick, they fasted to seek God’s healing. For example, David actually fasted and prayed when his enemies were sick. We read:

Psalm 35:11–13 LSB

11 Malicious witnesses rise up, Who ask me of things that I do not know. 12 They repay me evil for good, It is bereavement to my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

-There were those who fasted as a sign of repentance and seeking the forgiveness of God. For example, Daniel fasted as he confessed the sins of Israel.

Daniel 9:3–5 LSB

3 So I gave my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to Yahweh my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity and acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and judgments.

-Another example is when Ezra read the law to the people, and they realized how badly they had broken God’s law, they fasted as a sign of repentance:

Nehemiah 9:1–3 LSB

1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel gathered with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. 2 The seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they rose up in their place and read from the book of the law of Yahweh their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they were confessing and worshiping Yahweh their God.

-People fasted when there was the threat of war and they sought God’s help and protection, and to get themselves spiritually ready for battle. For example, before they went to battle against the Philistines, it is said:

1 Samuel 7:6 LSB

6 And they gathered to Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before Yahweh and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.

-People also fasted when they were faced with impending danger. Jehoshaphat fasted when threatened by Edom. It says:

2 Chronicles 20:3 LSB

3 And Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek Yahweh, and called for a fast throughout all Judah.

-The Jews fasted after the decree came from the king that they were to be destroyed in:

Esther 4:3 LSB

3 Now in each and every province where the word and law of the king reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many made their bed in sackcloth and ashes.

-Fasting was done by those who relied on the Lord and needed His strength during times of trial. We think of Jesus Himself who relied on the strength of the God through the Holy Spirit to face His temptations. We are told:

Luke 4:1–2 LSB

1 Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was being led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had finished, He was hungry.

-People fasted when they sought God’s guidance in ministry. The church of Antioch fasted to seek God’s will for their church,

Acts 13:1–3 LSB

1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

-And again:

Acts 14:21–23 LSB

21 And after they had proclaimed the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.” 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

-But what is the purpose of fasting? There is definitely the element of humbling ourselves before God. David in Psalm 35:13 described it as humbling his soul with fasting. There is a recognition that we are not strong enough and we rely on God for just about everything.

-There is also the idea of humbling yourself in recognition of your sinfulness. Sometimes it would be called affliction of the soul or humbling of the soul as in the day of atonement:

Leviticus 23:26–32 LSB

26 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and bring an offering by fire near to Yahweh. 28 “And you shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before Yahweh your God. 29 “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. 30 “And as for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will cause to perish from among his people. 31 “You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your places of habitation. 32 “It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.”

-Or it is sometimes called a chastening of the soul or weeping of the soul:

Psalm 69:10 LSB

10 When I wept in my soul with fasting, It became my reproach.

-Or they would fast and humble themselves to seek God’s favor in their lives:

Ezra 8:21–23 LSB

21 Then I called for a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a direct journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to ask from the king for a military force and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is upon all those who seek Him, for their good, but His strength and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.” 23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He was moved by our entreaty.

-You may notice that fasting is often paired with prayer—you pray while you fast, seeking God for favor, for forgiveness, for help, for strength.

-But, real quick, I want to close with some practical guidelines. There is no set type of fasting that goes with any set type of circumstances—whether you do a normal, full, or partial fast, it is however you feel led. There is no set length of time for fasting—again, it is how you feel led.

-Some final suggestions given by teachers:

1. Don't fast just because it sounds like a neat thing to do

a. Take the subject seriously

b. Fast only when the occasion is a serious one

c. One in which you deeply desire God's help

2. If you have never fasted before...

a. Start slow, fasting only for brief periods of time

b. End slow, gradually breaking your fast with fresh fruits and

vegetables in small amounts

3. Fast when you have time to spend in prayerful meditation

a. Remember the purpose for fasting

1) To humble oneself in God's sight

2) To seek favorable answer to prayer for some important

plea

b. Thus fast when you have time

1) To pray

2) To meditate

c. Remember fasting can be:

1) Partial abstention from food, not necessarily complete

2) Just for one day or night, not necessarily for days and

nights