“Fasting”

While the New Testament doesn’t command us to fast, there are times when it’s right to do so. Hello, I’m Phil Sanders, and this is a Bible study “In Search of the Lord’s Way.” Today we’re going to explore what the Bible says about fasting.

Welcome to In SEARCH of the Lord’s Way! We’re here to search the Scriptures for God’s will. God is the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, and He shares that wisdom and knowledge with us in the Scriptures. God’s ways are righteous and pure. And the one who follows Him can live the righteous and pure life that honors God. The more we know about God, the more we want to love Him and love other people. The knowledge of God lived out in our lives blesses everyone. Nothing is more valuable than knowing God and living for Him. Thanks for taking time with us today. We want to be a part of your life each week.

Matthew 9:14 to 15 says, “Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” 

While the New Testament speaks of fasting, it doesn’t command it. We know the early church fasted voluntarily. Jesus spoke of the day when He would no longer be with them, and they would fast. Jesus himself fasted forty days before the devil tempted Him. He knew the value of setting aside the physical to enhance the spiritual.

Fasting means abstaining from food, and possibly drink, for a limited period of time as a mark of religious commitment and devotion or as an expression of repentance for sins. Fasting may seem like a physical thing; but it’s really a spiritual discipline, designed to draw us closer to God and to help us grow spiritually. While there are some physical benefits to fasting regularly, the spiritual benefits can be more valuable to our souls.

We offer this study free on fasting. And if you’d like a printed copy or a CD of our study and you live in the United States, mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or send an e-mail to searchtv@searchtv.org.  Or, you can call our toll-free telephone number.  That number is 1-800-321-8633.  We also have materials free on our website at www.searchtv.org.   

The Edmond church will now worship in song, we’ll read from Matthew 4:1 through 4, and explore what the Bible teaches about fasting.

Our reading today comes from the gospel according to Matthew chapter 4 the first four verses. And here Jesus of course, is been baptized by John the Baptist and He has gone into the wilderness and He’s there fasting for 40 days. 

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.  And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”  But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

Yes we need bread but we also need the word of God for our souls. Let’s pray together. Father we’re thankful that You have given us Your word. Help us heavenly Father to discipline ourselves and to put the spiritual as more important in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Though the Bible speaks of fasting, we shouldn’t assume that all fasting was alike or for the same amount of time. The Bible describes three main forms of fasting: First, there is the normal fast, involving the total abstinence of food. Luke 4 and verse 2 reveals Jesus was tempted for forty days. “And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.” Usually a fast only lasts one day. The Law of Moses prescribed that the Israelites would “afflict themselves” that is fast during the Day of Atonement.

Second, there are some absolute fasts like Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9 and verse 9, where for three days He “neither did eat nor drink.” Esther, seeing how the lives of all the Jews were at stake, said,“Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4 and verse 16). 

Third, there is a partial fast, that is eating some foods but abstaining from others. Daniel 1 and verse 8 says, “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.” For whatever reason, Daniel regarded the food and the wine of the king as unclean; he belonged to the true God and did not want to displease Him. Daniel and his three friends restricted their diet rather than complete abstinence. The context implies that there were physical benefits resulting from this partial fast. However, this verse indicates that God was with Daniel in this time of fasting.  On another occasion Daniel abstained from “pleasant bread,” flesh, wine, and anointing for three weeks (Daniel 10 and verse 3).

God instructed the children of Israel not to eat anything with leaven during the week of the Passover. God said in Exodus 13 verses 7 and 8, “Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’” Now, God gives commands like this for a spiritual purpose, to remind us of His kindness and His power. 

The spiritual discipline of fasting is not simply a denial of food; it has an important spiritual focus that turns from the physical circumstances to focus on God. Sometimes people fasted as a means of confessing sin and repentance. After Nehemiah finished building the wall around the city of Jerusalem, they worshiped and read from the book of the law of God, explaining it so the people understood. But once they heard this law, they knew they had sinned. Nehemiah 9 verses 1 to 3 says, “Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.”

While many consider sin as trivial, God does not. These Jews, who heard the law of the Lord, knew they had sinned against God. They rejoiced over God, but knew sin was in their lives. Sin is serious business with God; when we learn that we’ve sinned, we should change our hearts and our lives in repentance.

Sometimes people fasted at a time of mourning. When David learned King Saul and his son Jonathan had died, “David took hold of his clothes and (he) tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword” (2 Samuel 1 verses 11 to 12). 

Sometimes people fasted to seek God’s favor at a critical time. When the child born to David and Bathsheba was on his deathbed, David lay on the ground for seven days and fasted; but after the child died, David arose, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. David first went to the house of the Lord and worshiped and then came home. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12 verses 21 to 23). 

When King Jehoshaphat was facing war with Moab, and Ammon, and others, he began to seek the

Lord. 2 Chronicles 20 verses 3 to 4 says, “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the

LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.” Fasting and praying is one way that we seek the Lord and turn to Him in times of trouble. Since fasting became a recognized way of seeking Divine favor and protection, it, it was natural that it should be associated with confession of sin, as evidence of penitence or sorrow for sin.

Sometimes people fasted before an important task in the service of God. When Ezra asked King Artaxerxes to provide for the money, for them the money and supplies, and utensils for the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, the king granted him all that he requested, because he knew God was with him. Well, Ezra gathered the leading men of Israel to go with him to Jerusalem. And Ezra said, “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty” (Ezra 8 verses 21 to 23). Now, Ezra’s prayer and fasting mattered to God, and God protected them.

When Paul and Barnabas were on their first missionary journey, they appointed elders to watch after the congregations. Acts 14:23 says, “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.” The work of an elder, who is also a shepherd, is very critical to the church. That’s why they fasted and prayed. You’ll notice they appointed a plurality of elders in every congregation. 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 give the qualifications of elders. While a minister sometimes serves as an elder, biblically speaking, it is a mistake to call a minister like me a “pastor,” unless he also serves as an elder or shepherd. Which I am not.

Unlike the Old Testament, which commanded fasting on the Day of Atonement, the New Testament never commands Christians to fast. We have examples of the Lord and of the disciples fasting, but we have no commandment. Now, according to the Jewish Christian historian, Alfred Edersheim, some of the stricter sects among the Jews would fast from sunset to sunset. They not only abstained from food, they also made rules against washing, anointing, of every kind of agreeable activity and even salutations. Well, such fasting was generally practiced in the most austere and pretentious manner, and, among the Pharisees, becoming showy displays. Sadly some Christian denominations have made their own laws requiring fasting; but they have done this outside the teaching of Scripture. They have bound man-made traditions.

The Lord Jesus taught in Matthew 6 and verse 1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” Now, He illustrates this principle, by talking about fasting, in Matthew 6 verses 16 to 18. He said “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. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 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.” Now showy religion leads people to concentrate on themselves. The purpose of our worship is to focus upon God. If we wish to draw close to God, then let’s focus on Him. There’s a difference between worship in spirit and truth and showmanship.

Isaiah spoke of people who fasted but their voices weren’t being heard, because they sought their own pleasures and oppressed others. They went through the motions of fasting but they really didn’t change their lives. God said through Isaiah chapter 58 verses 6 to 9, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’” 

Abstinence in fasting is a form of self-discipline. What it does is it renounces for a time the enjoyments and the needs of the flesh, so that it can focus on God and on the spiritual. When we abstain from food or other pleasures, keeping our physical wants in check, we can focus our interests on a higher purpose and a nobler cause. Colossians 3:1 to 4 urges us, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” 

Abstinence deals with our distractions in this world and points us to what really matters. Do you recall the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 16:24 to 26, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” My friend just as I must feed our bodies to live physically, we must also feed our souls if we wish to live with Christ.

Let’s pray together. Oh, Father we are so grateful for Your love. We are so grateful that You have blessed us through Christ Jesus our Lord. And we pray Father that we may set our hearts upon serving You and seek the things that are above and not the things on this earth. This is our prayer in the name of Jesus our Lord, Amen.

You may want to fast at some point, to help you get your focus back upon God. You may need to confess your sins and repent of them as you fast. You may be facing a critical decision in life. You may be suffering with sorrow over a loved one who’s gone. Fasting will help you build self-discipline, something that we all need from time to time. Let this be voluntary and private between you and God. Pray and study the scriptures, determine to live a righteous life before God. Use that time and fasting to grow in your faith, and in your knowledge of God’s word, and in your love for God.

Drawing close to God ought to remind you of your need to worship regularly, to study the Bible diligently, to serve others joyfully, and to share your faith openly. If you’re a Christian, you belong to God; and you are not your own. While Jesus didn’t command us to observe a certain fast, He does set an example for us. We also read about voluntary fasting in the early church.

More important than fasting, however, is your soul being right with God! Nothing is more valuable to you than your soul. It’s better to cut off your right hand and pluck out your eye than to lose your soul. Draw near to God by placing your faith in Jesus Christ and confessing Him as the Son of God. Repent of your sins and be baptized into Christ, at which point God will wash away your sins and forgive you.  When you’re baptized God will make you His child, add you to His church, and cause you to be born again. Oh, be baptized. Draw close to God today!

We hope that today’s study about fasting has stirred you to consider your relationship with God. If you live in the United States and want a free printed copy or a CD of this message, mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or send an e-mail to searchtv@searchtv.org.  Or, you can call the Search office toll-free at 1-800-321-8633. You can download these lessons or a newsletter online at our website: www.searchtv.org. There’s also a schedule of our programs and a map with the location of churches that are in your area. You can watch SEARCH anytime on YouTube! Just subscribe to our channel, “SearchTVMinistry.” That’s one word and you can be subscribed. We also offer free Bible Correspondence courses. Now don’t worry, we’re not here to get your money. We’re here to help you get to heaven.

There’s no better day than today to get your life back on track by going to church. There’s probably a church of Christ in your area. Why not worship with them today? Now, if you’re looking for a healthy, Biblical church home, we’ll be happy to help you find one. Well we’ll be back next week, Lord willing. So keep searching God’s Word with us and be sure and tell a friend about this program. Let em know that you watch and encourage them to watch too. As always we say God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.