23:31-32 God instructs: You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwell - ings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath. “Sabbath”, in this context, refers to the Holy Day in question – the Day of Atonement. Purpose Fasting is designed to afflict our souls. The Hebrew word for afflict is ANAH, which means to be afflicted, to humble oneself, to oppress, to depress. While this passage re- fers specifically to the Day of Atonement, the principle applies to fasting in general. Fasting is meant to humble us. Abstaining from food and water reminds us of our fragility and dependence on God. Going without food and water for a short period of time, we begin to feel weak and out of energy, perhaps even light-headed. Fasting serves as a good reminder that we are weak and in need of God. Voluntary fasting shows God that we are se - rious enough to sacrifice basic comforts for His sake. Fasting also teaches us to put God first in our lives, helping us focus on His will rather than our own desires. This natu- rally leads to the question: why should we fast, and when? There are many reasons— seeking guidance, asking for healing, re- pentance, fasting for the church, or request- ing more of God’s Spirit. The key is to have a clear purpose before beginning. After all, fasting without a reason will produce little more than hunger. Similar to determining reasons for why we fast, when we fast is up to us. However, we should be mindful of biblical examples of frequent fasting.
Corinthians 11:27 describes Paul enduring trials, including “fast - ings often.” While some of the Apostles’ fasts were simply from scarcity or lack of available food and water many would have also been for deeper spiritual reasons. King David and the disciples also fasted regularly. Fasting is often inconvenient, and it should not be reserved solely for the Sabbath. The Sabbath is one of God’s appointed Feast days (Lev 23). That isn’t to say that God’s people can’t fast on the Sabbath, but it should not be routine that the Sabbath is the only day that Christians fast. From Physical to Spiritual Fasting is not just about abstaining from physical food. One must replace that physical food with spiritual nourishment through prayer, Bible study, and meditation. Just as the Days of Unleavened Bread teach Christians lessons about removing sin and replacing it with sincerity and truth, fasting teaches God’s people that recogniz- ing weakness physically leads to strengthening us spiritually. The Apostle Paul recorded in II Corinthians 12:10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. After his many fastings he deeply understood the value of relying on God for his strength. In Philippians 4:12-13 he was also inspired to record: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Every - where and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Continued on page 21
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