Why Afflict Your Souls?

Well, today we have gathered in holy convocation and according to God's command to observe the Day of Atonement. This day, indeed, is rich in spiritual meaning. We recognize the importance of the major symbols related to the Day of Atonement, especially those found in Leviticus 16, which do describe the sacrifice of Atonement, the symbolic significance of the two goats and of the high priest. They do enhance our understanding of events, yet to occur all in accordance with God's plan of salvation. And there is a fourth symbol, besides the two goats and the high priest, that we must be sure that we do not overlook. Now, one might think that it's impossible to overlook this symbol because I'm sure we're feeling its slight effects by now. The fourth symbol is fasting, or what we read as a command to afflict your souls. Fasting is a physical action we do on the Day of Atonement, but it has great spiritual implications.

It is also symbolic, though it may not seem so at first. Fasting represents several things. It represents our deep sorrow and grief for sin, and it also represents our humble repentance and desire for mercy. But fasting also represents something more. The title of my sermon is, Why Afflict Your Souls? Why Afflict Your Souls? And in today's sermon, we will review the major symbols of Leviticus 16 and remember their significance and events prophesied to occur, events that we know are unprecedented in all of human history. And we will also learn more about fasting as both a physical action and a symbol of reconciliation with God. So, to begin, let's review the significance of this Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement symbolizes the reconciliation of God in all humanity. Of course, this is not the only holy day with a focus on reconciliation.

The Day of Atonement, like Passover, uses the symbols of animal sacrifice and shed blood as symbols for the blood of Jesus Christ that atones for our past sins and that reconciles us, that makes us at one with God. I would like to read to you several paragraphs from the book, like God's Holy Day Plan. I'd hold it up for you to see, but they've all been used in the back of the room. But I want to read to you from the chapter on Atonement. It provides a really good description better than I could write out myself. It provides a good description of the shared meanings and differences of these two holy days, Passover and Atonement. The booklet states, The Day of Atonement and Passover both teach us about the forgiveness of sin and our reconciliation with God through Christ's sacrifice. However, Passover concerns the redemption of the firstborn, and thus applies most directly to Christians whom God has called in this age, while Atonement carries universal implications. Moreover, The Day of Atonement pictures an essential, additional step in God's salvation plan not found in the symbolism of the Passover. This step must take place before humanity can experience true peace on earth. All people suffer the tragic consequences of sin, but sin doesn't happen without a cause. And God makes this cause clear in the symbolism associated with The Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement involves not only the forgiveness of sin, it pictures the removal of the primary cause of sin, Satan and his demons. Until God removes the original instigator of sin, mankind will simply continue to fall back into disobedience and suffering. Although our human nature has a part to play in our sins, Satan the devil bears great responsibility for influencing mankind to disobey God.

So on this holy day, we especially look forward to that time when God will begin to make available reconciliation, the forgiveness of sin, to all humanity, everyone.

But for that to occur, Satan must first be subdued and banished to where he cannot interfere with human beings. It is crucial that Satan be banished. You can begin turning with me to 2 Corinthians 4, verse 3 through 4, 2 Corinthians 4, verse 3. It is crucial that Satan be banished.

As we probably remember, Revelation 12, verse 9 tells us that it's Satan who deceives the whole world. That's a reference to Revelation 12.9. Let's read 2 Corinthians 4, verse 3 through 4.

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel, of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. This time of darkness, this time of Satan blinding the people of this world, is about to come to an end. Light is going to shine, minds will be opened, and the spiritual darkness of Satan's world will be put to an end. Let's also turn to John 8.44. John 8.44.

Christ reveals exactly where the attitudes of rebellion and sin originate. They began somewhere.

And here in John 8.44, Jesus himself called those who acted against his teachings at that time. He called them, in essence, sons of the devil. In John 8.44, Jesus told these men who were against him, you are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. He's absolutely dark. Absolutely. And when Satan speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Now let's turn back to 1 John 3.8.

Learning, reminding ourselves of what Satan is like and why he must be banished. 1 John 3.8. Satan is the author of sin, and Christ came to put an end to his works of deceit and rebellion and sin. We read 1 John 3.8, He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. We can't do it. Christ can. Christ can also help us banish the devil, make him flee from us when we work with him and allow him to work and live through us. So the Day of Atonement points us to the time when Satan will be removed and unable to influence and deceive humanity. So now let's be turning back to Leviticus 16. We're going to spend a little bit of time there today. It's important that we remember these things. It's important that our children, our young people, hear these things and become very familiar with these things.

Leviticus 16 is where we find God's instruction to ancient Israel in regards to observing the Day of Atonement. And it's here that we find symbols that look forward to the reconciliation of all humanity to God in this putting of way of Satan we've been just now looking at. In Leviticus 16, 7 through 9 is where I'd like to begin. Here we read that Aaron, his high priest, was to select two goats for a sin offering for the people and to present them as a sin offering. So verse 7, he shall take the two goats and present them before the eternal at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the eternal and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell and offer it as a sin offering. The goat represented Jesus Christ, this goat that had the lot fall upon him. It represented Jesus Christ, who would be sacrificed to pay the penalty for our sins, all humanity's sins. Now back in verse 8, the word scapegoat, it's the wrong word to be used here. It's the wrong word. Some of you may be familiar with that word. A scapegoat is someone who unfairly gets away with something. A scapegoat is someone who unfairly gets away with something.

But this goat represented Satan. And what we've already read and know, Satan will not get away with anything. Our God is a God of justice. The meaning of the Hebrew word, the Hebrew word here, is actually azazel, a-z-a-z-e-l. Its meaning is somewhat obscure, and it's only used in Leviticus 16.

But Strong's Concordance defines it with a much clearer meaning. Strong's Concordance defines it as goat of departure. That goat's on its way out. A goat of departure, which is certainly much more accurate definition than a scapegoat. Now the azazel goat, as we saw here between the two, this azazel goat served a different purpose. Let's read on in verse 10.

But the goat on which the lot fell to be the azazel goat shall be presented alive before the eternal to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the azazel into the wilderness then, putting in the better word. Skipping down to verse 21-22, and Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. The azazel goat, we know, represents Satan, who bears the responsibility for the sins of humanity, and Aaron the high priest placed the sins of the people upon the goat, representing what Jesus Christ will be doing. Satan bears responsibility for deceiving and leading humanity to sin, and God will hold him accountable for his actions. The fate of the azazel goat anticipates Satan's banishment at the start of Christ's reign over the earth. If you hold your place here, we'll be coming back to Leviticus 16, but let's look at Revelation 20 and see that very important scripture. Revelation 20, verse 1 through 3.

Revelation 20, verse 1 through 3, we find described here Satan's future removal.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a little while. So as Satan restrained and unable to interfere, humanity's long-awaited reconciliation to God will begin in earnest. We look forward to that day. Now let's turn back to Leviticus 16.

Leviticus 16, to complete our review of these three major symbols, let's look at the symbolic meaning of the high priest. Leviticus 16, and we'll pick it up in verse 15. Verse 15 begins to describe the actions of the high priest. The high priest had to go through all these intricate details as part of this sacrifice, this process. This was done only once a year, and only on the day of atonement. He was to take the blood of the goat of the sin offering into the most holy place, and that's the holiest part of the tabernacle.

And he took it directly to the mercy seat. The mercy seat was symbolic of the very throne of Almighty God. We begin reading here in verse 15. Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the holy place, because the uncleanness of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions for all their sins. And so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting, which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place. He goes in there all alone. And until he comes out, he will be alone, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. Verse 18, And he shall go out to the altar that is before the eternal, and make atonement for it. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull, and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his fingers seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it for the uncleanness of the children of Israel. You can imagine this is quite a complicated process, and he had to do it exactly as prescribed here. Now let's turn back to Hebrews 9, verse 11 through 12. In Hebrews 9, verse 11 through 12, we find that it is the high priest that acted out the function Christ performs for us. Hebrews 9, verse 11. Christ is ascended to the very throne of God to represent the blood of his sacrifice, and so Christ intercedes for us now. He has been doing that since his resurrection. Jesus Christ is our high priest. In Hebrews 9, 11 through 12, verse 11 through 12, we see the symbolism of Leviticus 16 much more clearly. Hebrews 9, 11. But Christ came as high priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, and not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he entered the most holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Because of Christ's sacrifice, we have direct access to the true mercy seat, that throne of our most merciful God and our Holy Father. Let's also read a few chapters forward in Hebrews 4, verse 14 through 16. In Hebrews 4, verse 14 through 16, Jesus Christ is our high priest and our intercessor, and because of his sacrifice, as we read here, we can come boldly to the throne of grace. So Hebrews 11, excuse me, Hebrews 4, 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession, cling to it, do not let it go. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We see then that the high priest of Leviticus 16 does symbolize Jesus Christ, who now acts as our high priest, making intercession for us at the very throne of God. But as I mentioned in my introduction, there remains that fourth symbol in Leviticus 16.

We could be turning back there. I guess I should have warned you to hold your place. Leviticus 16, once again, I'd even hold my own place. That's easy. There it is. This fourth symbol, Leviticus 16, we truly do need to understand.

That fourth symbol appears as that repeated phrase, afflict your souls. Leviticus 16, verse 29, is where we see this phrase appear in chapter 16 of Leviticus. It's part of the specific instructions on how we are to keep the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 16, 29, this shall be a statute forever for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls. And you shall do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day, the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, as we've seen, that you may be clean from all your sins before the eternal. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. Let's also turn to Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23, and we'll be reading in verse 26. Of all the feast, only for the Day of Atonement, does God command us to afflict our souls.

So we read that here in Leviticus 23 verse 26.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Also, the tenth day of the seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the eternal. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make Atonement for you before the eternal your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest. You shall afflict your souls. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath.

Twice in Leviticus 16, and three times in Leviticus 23, God specifically commands that we afflict our souls on the Day of Atonement. Do you suppose this is important to him? Do you suppose this is very important for us? Yes, to both. The Hebrew word for afflict that we have been reading and afflict our souls, the Hebrew word is spelled A-N-A-H, anah. It also means to humble or weaken oneself. The New International version translates the same phrase afflict your souls as deny yourselves. And maybe that's a little easier way for you to understand that, to deny yourselves.

The same word afflict, or the Hebrew, anah, is often used in connection with fasting. By itself, it does not mean fasting. It means to deny yourself. But fasting, or the other word we see in the Hebrew Bible, is psalm, T-S-O-M-E. We often see this word afflict or anah used in conjunction with fasting, or the Hebrew word for fasting is T-S-O-M-E, pronounced psalm.

It allows another meaning, another way of expressing our humble desire to draw closer to God.

Fasting, or psalm, is the word that literally means to abstain from food and drink. Together, afflict and fast often appear together in Scripture. For example, let's look at Psalm 35 verse 13. Here we're reading a psalm of David.

David is, in this particular section of Psalm 35, lamenting the fact that he's doing very kind things for people that are treating him terribly, that are treating him like an enemy. This is part of what we're going to read here in verse 13, as part of what David has been doing for his so-called enemies. Psalm 35, 13, he writes, but as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. The closest thing to sackcloth we probably have nowadays is burlap. That's what I think of when I think of sackcloth. I don't like it on my skin.

My clothing was sackcloth. David says, I humbled or anah myself with fasting, psalm. I anah myself with psalm. So here we see those two words used together. And then he adds, my prayer would return to my own heart. Some scholars think that means he's doing these good things for others, and it does no good for them because they don't want to hear it from him. They don't care. So it comes back to him. His prayer still doesn't benefit because he is extending love towards others. Others say his prayer comes back to him because he's got his head bowed and he's praying with his chin towards his heart. His prayer turns towards his heart.

But at any rate, what we see here is that fasting, along with wearing rough sackcloth against his skin, was the way David humbled himself or afflicted his soul. Let's also look at Daniel 9. Daniel chapter 9. We see here in Daniel 9 verse 3 through 5 how afflicting one's soul with fasting helps to develop a humble attitude and a repentant mindset. And this example of Daniel is a very good one and very clear to help us see why we should fast and pray and draw close to God.

So Daniel 9 verse 3 through 5.

Daniel writes, Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make requests by prayer and supplications with fasting, and with sackcloth. Obviously, like David, he made himself afflicted.

And he also did it with ashes. Apparently he sat in ashes or maybe put ashes on his head. In verse 4, Daniel says, I prayed to the eternal my God and made confession and 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, we have sinned and committed iniquity. We have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from your precepts and your judgments.

So in this section we see Daniel in a state of mourning, practically. He's so grieved by the sins that the people have done that he has done against God. In this aspect of affliction, he's showing how he practically mourns and grief. In a sense, he is mourning in that sense. The Bible shows us that fasting was a primary means of afflicting one's soul in ancient times, but we also see there are other things to be done, such as wearing sackcloth, sitting in ashes. We don't do all that today. Most of us, some of us may. That would be a choice. Today we abstain from food and water on the day of atonement as our primary means of afflicting our souls. And I think if I asked any of you, you would say, yes, you feel afflicted.

It is our primary means of afflicting our souls on this day. And when we fast before God, when we fast before God, we must be sure to couple our fasting with humble and heartfelt prayers of repentance and of our desire for God's forgiveness of sin. We desire reconciliation. And doing these things on atonement, and also throughout the year, whenever we might choose to fast, and we should, doing that helps us to draw near to God and to achieve greater humility.

But Scripture does have some warning for us. Scripture does warn us about fasting for the wrong reasons or in the wrong way. Sometimes, for medical reasons, we do fast or abstain for food and water for a time. I've done that. A lot of you have done that for certain tests, whatever it might be. And that's purely abstaining from food and water. But fasting before God is much more than just missing our usual meals, our nice little snacks, and our drinks in order to make ourselves feel weak or puny, as they say in the South. There is more to fasting before God than just not eating and drinking to feel weak.

And I know a lot of us are feeling that way now. Being in a weak and physical state helps us put on a more humble and repentant, and this one is important, teachable mindset.

Fasting helps us to put on a more teachable frame of mind before God. Fasting is a means, then, of getting our minds back on the reality, the real reality, that we are not self-sufficient. We can't make it through this life alone. Fasting helps us realize just how fragile we really are and how much we do depend on things beyond ourselves.

It brings to mind Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 12, 10. Paul wrote, When I feel weak, then I am strong. That's part of the approach of what should happen to us when we fast. He reminds us of the value of fasting. When we feel weak, we tend to be more willing to turn to God for strength and for help. And fasting reacquaints us with our own human frailty and God's enduring omnipotence. We feel pretty sure of ourselves when we're eating three square meals a day and loaded up with drinks. Take that away. And suddenly we do want God's help. We do desire it. Afflicting our souls through fasting is an effective way that without God's many, many life-sustaining blessings, we would soon die.

And it's that reality check that helps us to have that greater reverence towards God that we know we must have. And it also gives us greater eagerness to do as He commands.

Let's turn now to Matthew 6. Matthew 6, 16 through 18.

Jesus Christ was very concerned that we would use fasting in the right way. It's a very important tool in our efforts to be reconciled and remain reconciled with God.

So in Matthew 6, 16 through 18, Christ reminded the disciples and reminds us today that there is a right way and a wrong way to fast.

Jesus taught that fasting must always be done with humility and sincerity. We never fast for pretense or to show. We do not fast ever to try to appear more righteous before others.

Let's read then Matthew 6, 16. Christ said, Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face. Go ahead and comb your hair. If anybody still wears Brill Cream, put it on. Make yourself look good, that you are not obviously in a state of fast with God. Anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting. Why?

You fast for your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. We don't fast for others, per se. We fast to be close to God. Our fasting helps us draw near our Father. We don't do it to be noticed by others. And as we can see, Christ condemned fasting in order to get people's pity. Oh, you're fasting? Oh, you poor thing! No, don't do that. We don't fast to make a show of righteousness. If you do fast two times a week, don't go advertising it. You kind of ruin it for yourself in trying to get right with God. That's the type of bragging going on. That kind of fasting is hypocritical, and it does us absolutely no good. It's also Luke, Luke 18. In Luke 18, verse 10 through 14, Jesus paints another picture for us of the sort of hypocrisy that he despises, the sort of hypocrisy of religious practice that we must avoid. He paints a picture of hypocrisy with this parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. I think our children are very familiar with this one, and it's a great one to remember. They all are great, but this one today is very good to remember. Let's read it. Luke 18, verse 10. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. They hated the tax collectors back then. I'm sure glad that doesn't happen anymore. We're not supposed to hate anybody, but they were not well-liked in that day and age. One a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. You notice that? It doesn't sound like it's going anywhere. He prayed with himself, and of course with everybody else that could hear him.

He prayed, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. He's bragging. And the tax collector, and our hearts go out to this man. We can relate to this man. And the tax collector, standing afar off, with not so much as raise his eyes to heaven. But he beat on his chest, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Powerful image. Powerful image to bear in mind as we fast today. Be merciful to me, a sinner. And Jesus said, I tell you, this man went down to his house, justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. We're humbling ourselves today in part because we want to be among those who are exalted. We want to be among those exalted. And so when we fast then, we don't typically let other people know that we are doing it. Of course, we all know we're doing it now. But that's okay. We're supposed to be. We're supposed to know it. Fasting is a private matter between us and God. Now, it does no harm if someone learns that you're fasting. At times, you will need to let your spouse know that, no, you don't need to make me a lunch today. And usually that's a good clue among married couples that, enough said, we get it. But we don't make a show. We don't make a show or appearance that we're fasting. Anyone looking at us today, for example, would never know that we're fasting. They wouldn't know. I'm looking. None of you look like you're fasting to me. And that's the way Christ said it should be. That's the way we're supposed to do it in order to avoid hypocrisy and human pride. God's kingdom will not be gained through hypocrisy and pride. It's not an act. As this day reminds us, those are the ways of the deceiver, Satan. Our true strength and only hope for salvation is through our absolute surrender to God. Fasting, coupled with sincere and humble prayer, helps us to strip away any of our facade that's there because of human pride. And it allows us to see our sin and our need to repent, to stay repentant, and to stay at one with God.

Fasting, that main way we afflict our souls, symbolizes our profound sorrow and grief for our sin. And that attitude of fasting is very much akin to mourning, just as we saw what Daniel was going through. He fasted. He was in mourning. He was that deep and profound, a sadness for sin. And at the same time, fasting symbolizes our humble desire for repentance, God's mercy.

We feel awful, terrible for what we've done, but we also want repentance. We want your forgiveness. We want your mercy. That's what we say when we fast heartfeltly before God. True fasting, the sort described in Scripture that was taught by Jesus Christ, symbolizes our heartfelt desire to be at one with God. Let's be turning back to the book of Joel. It's after Hosea. After Daniel. In Joel 2, verses 11-13, we find described how fasting, coupled with a profound sense of grief, as I've mentioned, and that yearning for true repentance and mercy, we see a picture here in Joel 2, 11-13, just how that really works.

We get an insight here. We will need this sort of closeness to God that fasting enables us to achieve. Joel 2, verse 11- There it is. Scoot down a few lines. That's where I didn't do it. I forgot to jump down a few lines in Joel 2, 11. Breaking into Joel 2, verse 11- For the day of the Eternal is great and very terrible. Who can endure it? We kind of get the answer. We get the answer. Now therefore, says the Eternal, turn to me with all your heart. That turning represents repentance. Turn to me with all your heart, not being double-minded, only going halfway.

And with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning, there's that profoundly grievous sorrow we feel for sin. And so, rend your hearts, it's a spiritual thing, rend your hearts, not your garments, not the showing things. Return, turn back, return to the Eternal, your God, for He is gracious and merciful. He's slow to anger, and of great kindness, He relents from doing harm.

That's the end result of our fasting and sorrow. God will have mercy on us. He'll help us repent. He'll forgive us. So fasting done with true, true contrite-ness of heart, and driven by the desire to be right with God, leads to true repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness. It allows us to get close to God. And that's where we need to be when terrible times strike, the terrible times prophesied to occur in the future. We've got to get close to God if we have any hope of resisting Satan, if we have any hope of enduring the severe trials we're going through now, but we certainly will go through in the future.

Let's consider the sort of fasting we find here, though, with the type of fasting described in Isaiah 58. Let's go back a bit. In Isaiah 58, we find a rather long portion of Scripture here that has to do with fasting. In Isaiah 58, we'll start with verses 3-5. We find God condemning people who do afflict their souls. Yeah, they're afflicting their souls. But God condemns them for afflicting their souls with fasting, but it's because their hearts are not there with God. They're just fasting. They're just not eating or drinking. Their hearts aren't in it. It's quite possible sometimes that happens to us, but it's always something we can repent of and get right.

So let's read this, verse 3. The people are asking God, as it were, Why have we fasted? And you have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls and you take no notice? Now, I'm giving them an attitude. I know, but it kind of helps me to get the idea of the attitude and their prayer to God. Why haven't you been doing anything? We've afflicted ourselves.

We're fasting. Where's our blessing? We've earned it. This all seems to be what they're saying. They're saying we have afflicted ourselves, so why haven't you blessed us? And God replies, In fact, in the day of your fast, you find pleasure. In other words, they haven't really afflicted themselves at all. Not really. Not in the way God wants. And He said, you exploit all your laborers. While you're fasting, you're taking advantage of people. You're cheating people. You're lying to people.

Verse 4, indeed, you fast for strife and debate. In other words, you're fasting to try to get your own selfish way. Or maybe like the Pharisee to show off and look like something special. And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day to make your voice heard on high. And so He's telling them, look, you're going about fasting all the wrong way. This does nothing between you and me. This does not get you closer to me at all. Verse 5, God says, is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow his head like a bullwrest and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this, in other words, their ungodly way of fasting, a fast and an acceptable day to the eternal? Is that what you think I want? And so God is obviously condemning their fasting, their whole approach, their heart, and it is all wrong. Yet they thought they were doing it the right way. They truly felt very afflicted, and they probably were in some ways. And they felt worthy of God's blessing. They thought their approach would be enough to be right with God, to be reconciled with God. But as we see, God knew that their hearts reflected no grief, no profound sorrow for sin, and their behavior certainly reflected no humility, repentance, or love for fellow man. We'd expect to see that. People really wanted to be repentant. They apparently thought they were doing a great job of it, though. Then God tells them that true fasting pertains to the heart and spirit. And this, of course, is a lesson for us. Isaiah 58, verse 6-7 now. Is this not the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens of sin and guilt, to let the oppressed go free, and that you might break every yoke. Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out, when you see the naked that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh, from your own family, from your own brethren? Here we uncover the goal and the outcome of fasting that is achieved when our hearts and minds are truly sorrowful, humble, repentant, and fully set on drawing closer to God. The ultimate goal of fasting is to have God's righteousness and love. The ultimate goal of fasting is to have God's righteousness and love. Now, these words in Isaiah may sound familiar to us, and they should, because they would be echoed centuries later in Christ's Sermon on the Mount, where Christ said, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. That's in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, verse 44, 45.

As we strive to fast with our focus on God, we will think less if we're doing it right. We'll be thinking less about the food and drink we're not eating and missing, and thinking more about our need to practice God's way of love. Ultimately, we will understand that true fasting is to abstain from sin in the ways of Satan. There's a higher purpose, there's a higher meaning to fasting that we must do. Yes, we abstain from food and drink. Yes, we must be humble. But it points to something higher. True fasting is to abstain from sin in the ways of Satan. Fast from hating your brother. Fast from using bad language.

That's a fast of the heart and of the spirit that we must also be doing, not just merely the physical fast, not eating and drinking food.

And water. Isaiah 58, verse 11.

Isaiah 58, verse 8 through 11. Fasting symbolizes our need to fast from sin in all things contrary to God.

I'm not making this up. Let's look here at verse 8, following what he said here. When we were doing these things, helping people in need, feeding them, clothing those who are naked, not hiding ourselves from our own flesh, verse 8. Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness, which is actually God's righteousness in us, shall go before you. The glory of the eternal shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call and the eternal will answer. You shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. That's pretty fast because we're close to God. He's right there beside us when we're close to him. If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and accusations, and speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light, your example, shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noon day. The eternal will guide you continually and satisfy your soul and drought and strengthen your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58 in many ways reminds us that the phrase afflict your soul is truly more than abstaining from food and water. I'm making that point over and over. It's very important. Fasting that draws us ever closer to God because we strive to abstain from sin is fasting that strengthens us in the way of God and in His Holy Spirit.

God will bless such spiritual fasting from sin and with repentance, with His forgiveness, and the blessing of His Holy Spirit, symbolized in Isaiah 58-11, through His many images of light, flowing waters, and green gardens.

We do not want spiritual drought in our lives. We want a spiritual deluge.

When we fast, we fast from those things that make us especially recognize our human mortality. Don't we? We fast from food and water. We can't exist without food and water and drink.

And when we fast and become weak, we remember, we remember that this is not what God ultimately wants for us. He wants us in all humanity to be reconciled to Him. He wants us to be so like Him that one day we will never have need for food or drink again.

We will be as He is, spirit glorious and immortal.

That is the ultimate goal of being reconciled to God, of being at one with God.

The meaning found in the symbols of the Day of Atonement, as we've been reminded today, enrich our understanding of what God, our Father and His Son Jesus Christ have been doing, and will continue to do to bring about the reconciliation of all humanity with God. Jesus Christ is our Savior and High Priest. Satan will be put away for a time, and then ultimately, forever. Afflicting our souls with fasting done the right way and for the right reasons is very good for us. The fast we undertake on Atonement especially should remind us and even symbolize for us those things we do not want to be. We do not want to be physical, mortal and weak. We do not want to be carnal and sinful. We want to be like our God, our Father. And we should want all people to be just like God, our Father, too.

And God will accomplish that. God will accomplish that reconciliation as the Day of Atonement reveals. May we all have a blessed Day of Atonement.