Fasting

IS FASTING APPLICABLE TODAY?

FASTING IS THE INVENTION OF MAN and not commanded by God. Fasting was borrow by the exiled Jews in the early part of theirs Babylonian exiled to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem.

The Jewish exile had inserted the ceremony of fasting in the fifth month of the Jewish calendar. Later, they added fasting in the fourth, seventh and tenth month.

The ritualistic ceremonial rites of fasting took place without real meaning in the Old Testament time.

Zechariah raised a very timely and vital question; “Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain [ritualistic fasting] as I have done these many years? [170 years in captivity] (Zechariah 7:3b).

GOD ANSWERED THAT QUESTION WITH FOUR MESSAGES:

The Jewish exiled fasted for 170 years of captivity but not for God [Zechariah 7:4-7].
The Jews fasted but refused to pay attention to God and to His Bible doctrine [7:8-14].
The Jews prayed and fasted but violated the Mosaic Laws and Word of God [8:1-17].
Genuine prayer and fasting will have real meaning during the millennial kingdom [8:18-23].

TO FAST [NESTEUO, is to abstain from eating and used for voluntary fasting. Fasting is based on the free will decision of the positive volition believers.

CHRIST AND HIS DISCIPLES OBSERVED voluntary fast [like on the day of Atonement] but imposed no frequent fasts in addition [Matthew 9:15].

Christ taught the need of purity and simplicity of motive. What He taught was suitable to change the mental attitude. The very purpose He designed for all believers.

THE FAST OF ACTS 27:9 refers to the Day of Atonement of the Jews not a fasting instituted by the Church Age believers [Leviticus 16:29].

THE JEWISH BELIEVERS IN ACTS 13:2-3 had carried over to Church Age time the Jewish practice, which the LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES DID NOT COMMANDS the Christians to practice.

SOME PRINCIPLES:

THE JEWISH EXILES IN BABYLON INVENTED & INSTITUTED FASTING but never commanded by God.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST DID NOT COMMAND THE CHRISTIANS TO PRACTICE FASTING.

THE DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES DID NOT COMMAND THE CHURCH AGE BELIEVERS TO FAST.

FASTING WAS NEVER A SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT and it has no spiritual relevance in the Old Testament and today.

We are not more spiritual if we fast and we are not less spiritual if we do not fast. When it comes to our spiritual life, BIBLE DOCTRINE IS TOP PRIORITY not fasting.

JR Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

12/06/06