Fasting's Old Testament Foundation
Fasting is not a uniquely Christian discipline. It’s not that we fast that sets us apart. It’s why we fast.
Ancient Greek philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and Hippocrates engaged in fasting, and it was also encouraged by Confucius, Zoroaster, and Hindu priests. Modern Muslims observe an entire month of fasting during Ramadan.
Fasting, however, is not just about abstaining from food. For God’s people, it is a unique practice of righteousness, deeply rooted in the Old Testament and carried forward by Jesus and His disciples. Fasting is mentioned at least 75 times in the Bible, with over 40 references in the Old Testament alone. For those unfamiliar with this spiritual discipline, exploring these instances can be enlightening.
King David frequently practiced fasting. When his child with Bathsheba fell critically ill, David fasted and pleaded for the child's life (2 Samuel 12:16). He also fasted when his military commander Abner died (2 Samuel 3), and even on behalf of his enemies, as described in Psalm 35.
David's commitment to fasting was evident, and while his fasts were often individual, the Old Testament also records instances of communal fasting.
In Judges 20, the Israelite army fasted and wept after losing 18,000 men in battle. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a national fast in Judah when threatened by the Moabites and Ammonites, as seen in 2 Chronicles 20. Facing seemingly insurmountable odds, they sought God's help through fasting. Similarly, in Esther 4, Queen Esther and all the Jews in Susa fasted for three days before she approached the king to plead for her people.
Fasting often accompanied repentance. When the people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s preaching, they were so convicted that they proclaimed a fast, from the greatest to the least, and even their animals refrained from food and water (Jonah 3:5, 7-8). This act of humility and repentance turned God’s wrath away from them.
These examples show fasting as a response to God's actions, a plea for His intervention, and a reaction to His revelations. Daniel, contemplating Jeremiah’s prophecy of Jerusalem’s desolation, sought God through prayer and fasting (Daniel 9:2-3). His fasting was a manifestation of his earnest seeking of God's will.
The Old Testament outlines numerous reasons for fasting, yet there were few direct commands regarding it. Most fasts arose from genuine responses to divine circumstances. The only regular fast commanded in the Law was on the Day of Atonement, as detailed in Leviticus 16.
The ESV translates the Hebrew word for fasting as "self-denial," which encapsulates the essence of fasting: denying the body's most basic needs to seek spiritual growth and divine intervention.
Understanding Old Testament fasting enriches our appreciation of this profound spiritual discipline, emphasizing its significance in seeking God's presence and aligning with His will.
Ancient Greek philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and Hippocrates engaged in fasting, and it was also encouraged by Confucius, Zoroaster, and Hindu priests. Modern Muslims observe an entire month of fasting during Ramadan.
Fasting, however, is not just about abstaining from food. For God’s people, it is a unique practice of righteousness, deeply rooted in the Old Testament and carried forward by Jesus and His disciples. Fasting is mentioned at least 75 times in the Bible, with over 40 references in the Old Testament alone. For those unfamiliar with this spiritual discipline, exploring these instances can be enlightening.
King David frequently practiced fasting. When his child with Bathsheba fell critically ill, David fasted and pleaded for the child's life (2 Samuel 12:16). He also fasted when his military commander Abner died (2 Samuel 3), and even on behalf of his enemies, as described in Psalm 35.
David's commitment to fasting was evident, and while his fasts were often individual, the Old Testament also records instances of communal fasting.
In Judges 20, the Israelite army fasted and wept after losing 18,000 men in battle. Jehoshaphat proclaimed a national fast in Judah when threatened by the Moabites and Ammonites, as seen in 2 Chronicles 20. Facing seemingly insurmountable odds, they sought God's help through fasting. Similarly, in Esther 4, Queen Esther and all the Jews in Susa fasted for three days before she approached the king to plead for her people.
Fasting often accompanied repentance. When the people of Nineveh heard Jonah’s preaching, they were so convicted that they proclaimed a fast, from the greatest to the least, and even their animals refrained from food and water (Jonah 3:5, 7-8). This act of humility and repentance turned God’s wrath away from them.
These examples show fasting as a response to God's actions, a plea for His intervention, and a reaction to His revelations. Daniel, contemplating Jeremiah’s prophecy of Jerusalem’s desolation, sought God through prayer and fasting (Daniel 9:2-3). His fasting was a manifestation of his earnest seeking of God's will.
The Old Testament outlines numerous reasons for fasting, yet there were few direct commands regarding it. Most fasts arose from genuine responses to divine circumstances. The only regular fast commanded in the Law was on the Day of Atonement, as detailed in Leviticus 16.
The ESV translates the Hebrew word for fasting as "self-denial," which encapsulates the essence of fasting: denying the body's most basic needs to seek spiritual growth and divine intervention.
Understanding Old Testament fasting enriches our appreciation of this profound spiritual discipline, emphasizing its significance in seeking God's presence and aligning with His will.
Recent
Archive
2024
May
July
August
September
Categories
no categories