Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Jehoshaphat proclaimed a national fast throughout all of Judah. What were the results? Jesus talks about fasting in terms of when, not if. What are your experiences concerning fasting? 512 - 12 - 7

What a timely question. At the Sunday evening service before Christmas Pastor Bruce of the Assembly of God church in Quartzsite called for a fast from the day after Christmas, until10 PM New Year’s Eve. Then we will meet and share a light snack to break the fast. The suggestion was meant with mixed levels of enthusiasm.

Having been diagnosed as a diabetic a complete fast is not advised and I have already given up my much loved sweets. During Christmas, I was surrounded by candy, cookies, and pie. While the family enjoyed apple pie and other goodies I ate an apple. Just before Christmas I bought a big bag of my favorite sugar-free/ diabetic candy which incidentally still has to be eaten in moderation. So no sugar-free/ diabetic candy for now, my very limited experience with fasting.
But I digress , back to Pastor Bruce and his suggestion of a fast. He referred us to the several Scriptures where fasts were called for and achieved positive results. In the book of Esther we read of her people engaging in a three-day fast after which she was able to approach her husband, the King, with the result that the Jewish population was spared.

Jehoshaphat was one of the great kings of Judah. 2 Chronicles 17:4, “But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.”
Later, 2 Chronicles 20:1-3, "It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."

Jehoshaphat and his people were rewarded by the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:15, “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

Added later:

Our pastor suggested a six-day fast starting 12/26. He cited Scriptures relating to fasting. Of the five cited, only two seem to meet with positive results. The one he suggested by Isaiah really spoke to me.
Isaiah 58:3-7, "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

This seemed to me to be shades of Matthew 23 with Jesus referring to the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites. So it seems that we should approach a fast as we would our prayer time, with a right attitude of supplication.

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