Fasting, Why Fast?

The following message is presented by John Elliott, a minister in the United Church of God. When you want something really badly, what do you do? Plead, bargain, beg, negotiate, maybe threaten. And if you still can't get it, what do you do? Pray. And if you still can't get it? Go on a hunger strike? The definition of a hunger strike is refusal to eat.

It's an ancient device of attempting to force another to give in to one's wishes. It's used by protesters, by prison inmates wanting better conditions, by university students. It was a powerful tool that Mohandas Gandhi used against British rule in India. Sometimes we internally realize that there's a need for a personal fast. Occasionally the Church asks everyone to set aside a day for fasting. Let's use this opportunity to examine what the Bible says about fasting.

Fasting can be valuable or it can be a waste of time. It can spur positive change in an individual or it can just make him or her grumpy. A fast can seek to better oneself or to change oneself into a better person. So let's take a look at fasting. Why fast? God has given you a spiritual toolkit. When we look at the armor of God, we see various tools that God has given us. And if we put these on, they are very effective tools to accomplish the things that are needed within the New Covenant.

Sometimes we have an urgent need in our life and we look at our tools and we say, ooh, what should I use for this? I've gotten some tools here. Just as an example, here's a torque wrench. A torque wrench, that's an effective tool for certain things. It could even be used as a breaker bar. Here is a set of pliers that will clamp down when you don't have someone else to do it.

You can clamp these down and they'll hold something for you. Again, for certain jobs, very effective. Here's something probably everybody has, a good hammer. And so if we think of the spiritual tools God has given us, and we have some urgent need, we might grab a tool. We might, for instance, say, oh, I have this need. It's an urgent need. I'm in a rush. I need it now. And what I need to do is, well, I have a piece of angle iron and I need to cut it. I needed a certain length. I need it now.

This is urgent, urgent, urgent. So maybe we say in our life, I'll grab the fasting tool. See, maybe I'll grab the hammer and I need this thing cut a certain length. So I'll start flailing away with a hammer, pounding on it, warping it, distressing it. It's noisy. It makes a lot of noise. And just in case God isn't hearing and answering my need, I could even hit my thumb a few times. You know, that's often what people do when they fast. They'll afflict themselves, hoping that God will hear.

In Isaiah chapter 58 and verse 3, God says, quoting us, Isaiah 58 verse 3, why have we fasted, they say, and you have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls and you take no notice? I think in God's eyes sometimes our fasting can be nothing more than pounding away in a noisy manner and afflicting ourselves, hoping for some outcome that we desperately want. An example of this is David. David had an urgent need as his son's life was waning and he could die.

Let's turn to 2 Samuel chapter 12 and verse 15. 2 Samuel chapter 12 and verse 15. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David. Ooh, we see right here, there's a problem. David has had a child by another man's wife. And God had struck this child, and it became ill. Verse 16, therefore David pleaded with God for the child and David fasted and he went in and lay all night on the ground. Not in his bed, but maybe on a bed of nails, some people would do, or something very uncomfortable, in this case on the ground, just to make himself less comfort so God would act.

David fasted for God to bless a sinful situation and the child died. The hammer didn't work. Remember Ahab and Jezebel? One of the most evil kings in the history of Israel and his wife Jezebel are mentioned in 1 Kings 21 and verse 25. 1 Kings 21 and we'll begin in verse 25.

But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness. Okay, so we've identified here from Scripture that Ahab was like no one else, sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. God said in verse 21, Behold, I will bring calamity on you, Ahab. I will take away your posterity. I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free.

Now, sinful Ahab suddenly had an urgent need. Which tool could he use for that? The hammer, the wrench, the pliers? Dropping down to verse 27. So it was when Ahab heard these words that he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth on his body, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.

Interesting here. He uses the same tool, but as we're going to see, this tool is a little different than just a noisy hammer. This tool of fasting by a sinful man is done in a different way that David did it. When you and I have an urgent need, one that we really need help with, an effective tool in our spiritual toolkit is fasting.

To stop eating all foods, stop drinking all liquids. But an important question to ask before we dive into a fast is this, for which need is the fasting tool effective? See, David had a certain need, and the fasting tool was not effective for that need. He wanted to perpetuate a sinful situation.

However, before we even stop eating, we should ask this, what is my goal in this fast? Why am I fasting? What am I trying to achieve besides being irritable and having a headache? Mr. Kubik wrote in a recent E-News, we do not fast to try to get God to see our way and somehow make him do something we want. We fast to humble ourselves, to spiritually reacquaint ourselves with the need to be connected to God, our need to praise Him for providing us with what we need and sheltering us in times of trouble. Fasting helps us understand that if we are to draw close to God, we must surrender every corner of our lives and fully yield to Him and to His will. Sinful Ahab's fast came with no demands, no attachments, no requests. Simply, he went about mourning. What was God's response to sinful Ahab's fast? Verse 29, See how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring calamity in his days. Notice these words, humble the self before God. He said it twice because he's humbled himself before me. He's taken in a sense to his knees. He has seen himself as nothing in comparison to God. God responded to that.

If we go to Hebrews 4, 12, 13, we can see something that the fasting tool is able to do in this regard. Hebrews 4 and 12.

Let's identify who is being spoken of. In Revelation 19, it says, When Jesus Christ returns with power to rule the nations, his name is the Word of God. Verse 12, For the Word of God, Jesus Christ is living, and he is powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. These are all elements from Revelation 19. Piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and the joints and marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. You and I, when we need to go and find a problem, a source of our issue that is causing us distress, we need to be opened up like this. And Jesus Christ is our great helper. And in combination with that, if we humble ourselves before him, if we humble ourselves before God, and we look to him, he can do that very thing. He can help us through fasting to open ourselves up and find the problem. Turns out, fasting tool is not the hammer or the wrench. It's not the pliers. It's really a tool like this that would open us up. An angle grinder with a cutting wheel. You know, that will cut metal. That will open up things. And if we look at fasting as a tool that will open us up to find the matter, to find the source of the problem, then it's effective. It's effective for humbling the self, for exalting God and getting God's help to help us find the spiritual leaven that is growing somewhere. Remember, during the days of unleavened bread and just before, we go searching for that very elusive, hiding little specks of leaven. Fasting is an effective tool with God's help for doing that. We obviously recall the passage that God resists the proud, but he gives grace, or he gives favors and help to the humble. We need those favors. We need that help. Let's look at Pharaoh as an example. You know, Pharaoh had 10 plagues brought on him by God, and if we go back to Exodus chapter 10 and verse 3, we pick up the story after seven plagues have already happened. Exodus chapter 10 and verse 3. So Moses and Aaron came into Pharaoh and said to him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? See, there's God again saying, How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Ahab humbled himself before God. Let's notice the mindset of the man who carried that message to Pharaoh. It's found in Numbers chapter 12 and verse 3. Numbers chapter 12 and verse 3.

Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the face of the earth.

You know, Moses had spent 40 years in Midian after being so arrogant and killing a guard. He spent 40 years in Midian herding sheep out in the wilderness. And now he is very God-reliant. He has lost his ability to be an orator and have all kinds of ideas to solve all the issues. The most humble man on the face of the earth.

God had the Israelites wander in the wilderness for 40 years. He gave them manna. He gave them water out of rocks. Why did he do that? In Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 2 we find out.

Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 2.

And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these 40 years in the wilderness to humble and to test you. In other words, make them acknowledge God, humble themselves, but acknowledge God and to test you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. You know, your and my purpose in walking our years is just the same. The same as that. To humble and test you to know what is in your heart, whether you will keep his commandments or not.

It's good for us to use the tool of fasting to bring us in line with our purpose for being here. In Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 5 we read that we have to not look to self, not have prideful, arrogant, I know, but be like Moses, trusting God, and humble. Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 5 says, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him. See, there it is again. Humble yourself. Don't look to yourself. But in all your ways and all you do and on your path, acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. Verse 7, do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear or deeply respect the Lord and depart from evil, and it will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones. You know, Jesus sort of boiled down the entire Bible into two statements. Love God with your heart, soul, and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. We can do neither of those if we have self-arrogance, pride, if we think we know the right way to live and how to walk.

Humility and the love of God and the love of fellow man is a necessarily component. They go together. In Psalm chapter 25 and verse 9, Psalm chapter 25 and verse 9, we're warned against being full of me and trying to make myself look good in the eyes of myself and others. Psalm chapter 25 and verse 9. Who does God guide? Do you think he guides you and me when we're just so cool and we're asking him to support us and support our life and we have all these ideas and before we launch into them, we pray and say, God, bless me in this. In verse 9 of Psalm 25, the humble he guides in justice. Do we want to be led by Jesus Christ or do we want to lead Jesus Christ and have him support us? And the humble he teaches his way. Is it my way I want to teach him or am I humbly learning his way and following him? Verse 10, all the paths of the Lord, see the paths, the direction, the walking of the Lord, they are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. We can be off the trail, off the track, off the road, not keeping his commandments, not keeping his covenant, not keeping his testimonies and think somehow as we bang with our hammer that God is going to support us. We need the tool of fasting to help us put sin out of our life, to find it, like finding leaven, and then to eradicate it. In 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 6, a passage that is good year-round, 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 6, your glorying is not good. There it is again. Glorying. Glory of me. That is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump. How do you find that leaven? Well, you work with Jesus Christ who can open you up, and you and I fast and humble ourselves and acknowledge God. We come before God in humility, looking to Him, help me find the leaven, help me get it out, restore me, and help me then follow you.

We might ask, am I ready to fast, get my need filled? Yep, I've got this need. I'm ready to fast. Well, guess what? God is on to us already when we do that. Let's go back to Isaiah chapter 58 and verse 3 again. Isaiah chapter 58 and verse 3. God has lots of experience with people grabbing the hammer, banging it, and saying, help me, help me, help me, help me accomplish what I want to accomplish here. So Isaiah 58 and verse 3, why have we fasted, they say to God, and you have not seen. Why have we afflicted our souls, and you take no notice. Verse 6, God says, is this not the fast that I have chosen to loosen the bonds of wickedness? Go in and find those bonds of sin, of wickedness. To undo the heavy burdens. You see, wickedness puts burdens on other people. Sins have consequences, and the one who's sinning doesn't always bear the consequence. That's why it's called sin. You know, killing someone, stealing from someone, lying to someone, lying about someone, being a false witness against someone, desiring their spouse, etc., etc., these hurt other people. And God wants us to loose these bonds and undo these burdens, to let the oppressed go free. See, in our own glorying, in our own self-arrogance, we can be commanding and demanding and tyrant. Sometimes husbands will be dictators instead of loving, compassionate spouses like Jesus Christ to his church. We need to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke that we stick on someone's neck to sort of do what I want you to do. Verse 7, harking to what is said in Matthew 25, those who are welcomed into the kingdom as sheep, is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out? Notice it didn't say, you know, wish them well. You know, the poor who get cast out because they can't pay the rent, he said, bring to your house. And when you see the naked that you cover him, Jesus said, take off a piece of clothing you have and give it to them. David eventually put away that noisy hammer and instead used a cutting tool that opened up with God's help, opened up, and he was able to get right to the heart of the matter. Psalm 51, thankfully, we have, inspired by God and penned by David. Chapter 51 in verse 2, David begins now to say, after fasting the right way and having the right goal, humble before God, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, I found it, wash it away, cleanse me from my sin, he identified a particular sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you only I have sinned and done this evil in your sight, that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge. Verse 10, create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me by your generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners shall be converted to you. See, with that in mind, we now see that God's way, God's path is the right way, and we say to everybody, hey, live God's way. God's way works. Get rid of my way. Don't follow what you saw me do. Let's all acknowledge God and his path and Jesus Christ. Fasting is the tool. For humbling the self. It facilitates a repentant mindset, if that is our purpose. It facilitates developing a more godly attitude. In Ezra 8 and verse 21, not just talking to us now, but examples. Let's look at several examples of individuals in the Bible who fasted the right way. Ezra chapter 8 and verse 21.

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava. See, Ezra had come back from Babylon with Nehemiah, and they had been told to rebuild the walls, rebuild the temple. Things were going difficult. He needed help. And notice, I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava. Why? That we might humble ourselves before our God. To seek from him the right way for us and for our little ones. Verse 23. So we fasted and entreated our God for this. And he answered our prayer. See, when we have the right purpose and we have the right attitude and use the right tool, then God responds and helps us. You know, Daniel was an amazing prophet. He was an individual who rose quite high in the government of Babylon and afterward in the Medo-Persian Empire. Notice how Daniel, who was righteous, and we see many things that he did that are exemplary. Notice how he fasted. Daniel chapter 9 and verse 3. Let's go to Daniel chapter 9 and verse 3. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. He wasn't this great guy in his own eyes, asking God to support whatever he was trying to do there for Nebuchadnezzar at this point in time.

In verse 4, I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession. He used it and looked at himself to find wrong, identify it, and then confess it. And he said, O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and mercy with those who love him and with those who keep his commandments.

See, acknowledging God, walking his way, following him, these are the ones who God keeps his covenant with and gives mercy to. Verse 5, we have sinned and committed iniquity. We have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from your precepts and your judgments.

This attitude is repeated over and over. Now, let's take a look at some associated reasons for fasting. They're not different reasons for fasting, but they're associated with the same acknowledgement of God and a desire to stay on the path. To persevere in godliness is shown in Matthew 4, verse 1, by Jesus Christ himself. He sets us an example in this. Matthew 4, verse 1, he was about to be tested, tempted by Satan the devil. What did he do? He humbled himself, acknowledged God, and dedicated himself to stay on the path of godliness. We see here in Matthew 4, verse 1, then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and when he had fasted forty days and forty nights.

See, there's a tool to have one on point, on guard, humble before God, looking to God. Jesus looked to God for the same armaments, the same clothing, those spiritual tools that he has given us. You know, sometimes we need help in order to love our enemies. Someone does something to you, or says things about you, or whatever, that are very, very difficult. And rather than have an arrogant retort, Jesus Christ told us to not respond in kind, but to love our enemies, and pray for those, and bless those who spitefully use us. Notice in Acts, I'm sorry, notice in Psalm 35, in verse 12. Psalm chapter 35, in verse 12, David, who was a man after God's own heart, at times, or certainly later in life, as he grew into that, sets us this example.

Psalm 35 verse 12, they reward me evil for good. I'm trying to do good, and they reward me with evil. Verse 13, but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting. He was very concerned. He grieved for them, but he did not do that without first humbling himself, aligning himself with God, and then fasting for them, and praying for them, and asking for God to intervene when they were sick. There's also an example in Scripture, for fasting to submit ourselves first to God before doing his will. God has certain things that he wants us to accomplish. In order to accomplish them properly and effectively, like Jesus Christ did before Satan, we are best served by fasting, by having the right humble attitude, by acknowledging God, and striving to do what God wants in the matter. This is the case that we find, like in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 11, where Jesus himself gives some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. That's not something that the ministry is to take on, and just a point who looks good, sounds good, is friendly or supportive to them, etc., etc. In order to fulfill Jesus Christ's will, as who is anointed, we find in Acts chapter 14 and verse 23 an example of how the apostles did this, one that we follow today. Acts chapter 14 and verse 23, So when they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord. And again, that is the way it has been done in the church in my lifetime and continues to be done today. So in conclusion, brethren, you and I have unlimited opportunities to use the tool of fasting, to be opened up, to be humbled, to acknowledge God in all of our ways and all of our steps. It's very important that we have the right goal when you and I fast. I'd like to conclude by reading the goal that God gives us for a fast. It's found in Joel chapter 2 and verse 12. Joel chapter 2 and verse 12 Now therefore says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and with mourning. So, rend your heart, verse 13, and not your garments, return to the Lord your God. That's the purpose of fasting. Humble ourselves, return to God, get back on the path, find what disconnected us from God, get rid of that. For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and he relents from doing harm. So, let's each use the tool of fasting for the right purpose. Remember also to fast with the countenance that Jesus Christ said to do. Wash your face, comb your hair, and then let's fast humbly to submit ourselves to obey God and to perform his will in all things.