Fasting appears to be an often-misunderstood teaching of Scripture. What adds to its complication is the fact that not many Christians incorporate fasting into their list of spiritual disciplines. Fasting has a tendency to be that thing that is heard about, maybe even talked about, but for whatever reason dismissed as outdated or optional. While fasting should assume a different place in the life of a believer over against something like prayer, fasting should be exercised by the believer nonetheless.
In the Old Testament (OT), fasting was only commanded once a year. This is much different than something like prayer and Bible reading. Prayer and Bible reading should be taking place every day. Scripture even says that a believer should pray without ceasing. However, when it comes to fasting, the OT mandate is that it was to take place once a year. Specifically, it was to be done on the Day of Atonement. After the fall of Jerusalem, various fast days were instituted. These days were not commanded by God, but they were recognized by God in the Bible (Zech. 7:3, 5; 8:19).
It should be clear that fasting was not intended to take the same place as something like Bible reading and prayer. This does not mean that the one who fasts regularly and frequently is wrong, but what it does mean is that someone who does not fast that often is not wrong either. Fasting is more subjective and hence more of a personal matter. Prayer and Bible reading may be seen as somewhat less personal and subjective, since it is to be done every day. When someone fasts, it may be because he is experiencing great difficulty, a crisis is taking place, he needs the Lord’s guidance, etc.
While the Christian should seek the Lord’s guidance on fasting, he should also not feel condemned because he does not fast often. He should also develop a proper understanding of what fasting actually consists of and why someone might fast.
At the outset, it is important to know that Biblical fasting is abstaining from food. In the Greek, the word fasting literally means to abstain from food. When someone abstains from food for a period of time, it is deemed fasting.
Have you ever given much thought to why breakfast is called breakfast? Pull the word apart, and you will see. The first word is “break”; the second word is “fast.” When someone eats the first meal of the day, he is, in essence, breaking his fast. The individual has abstained from food for a period of time and is now eating again.
While that may be an interesting piece of information, God had more in mind than simply eating, sleeping, waking up, eating again, and then calling it a fast.
It is also important to note that fasting is not a substitute for obedience. Obedience is said to be better than sacrifice. It is common for a man to substitute religious behavior for simple obedience. It is common for people to think that they can read the Bible, pray, evangelize, preach, teach, etc., and that these good deeds make up for their lack of obedience to the commands of God.
This tendency to replace obedience with religious activity is at the heart of Isaiah chapter 58.
An unacceptable fast
Scripture says, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God” (Is. 58:1-2). The beginning of this chapter may seem a bit confusing.
It is important to recognize the context and what is actually at stake in God declaring what He did in verses 1-2. The people were not actually doing as well as it may seem, based on verse 2. In verse 1, God declares loudly that the people of Israel were living in sin. He then transitions to their religious performances in verse 2 when He speaks of the people seeking Him and delighting in Him.
With this as the foundation, God then transitions to the topic of fasting.
The cry of the people
Scripture says, “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. 58:3-4). In this portion of Scripture, God anticipates and/or declares the cry of the people.
It is as though the people were astonished that God did not hear their cries in the midst of their fasting. The problem was not that God did not hear. The problem was not that God did not notice. He did notice, and He did hear. The problem was that the people had substituted obedience for fasting. They substituted simple obedience to the commands of God for religious activity.
The Word of God
While the people cried out to God, God also responded with His own words. In Isaiah 58:6-7, God tells the people what they must do. He ties fasting into the various matters in which the people were lacking, and throughout verses 6-7, the following can be seen:
• The people should have been focusing on loosing the bonds of wickedness (6).
• The people should have been focusing on undoing heavy burdens (6).
• The people should have been focusing on letting the oppressed go free (6).
• The people should have been focusing on breaking every yoke (6).
• The people should have been focusing on giving bread to the needy (7).
• The people should have been focusing on providing shelter to the poor (7).
• The people should have been focusing on providing clothing for the less fortunate (7).
• The people should have been focusing on giving support to their fellow man (7)
The people had neglected these “weightier” matters of the law. It is almost as though they foreshadowed the religious experts known as the Pharisees. Surely, they did many outward religious things, but the heart of the matter is that their hearts were far from God. If they loved God, they would have obeyed God’s commands.
It must be noted that fasting is no substitute for obedience. You will not be able to call down God’s blessing by merely outward religious activity.
The blessing of obedience
God goes on from verses 6-7 to verse 8 and says, “Then…” If the people were to correct their ways and do what was found in verses 6-7, “[t]hen…” the following would come:
• The people’s light would break forth as the morning (8).
• The people’s health would spring forth speedily (8).
• The people’s righteousness would go before them (8).
• The people’s reward would be the glory of the Lord (8).
• The people’s call would be answered by the Lord (9).
• The people’s cry would gain a response of, “Here I am,” from the Lord (9).
• The people’s light would rise in obscurity (10).
• The people’s darkness would be as the noonday (10).
• The people’s souls would be satisfied in drought, and they would be guided by the Lord (11).
This list is only a part of the blessings that would be received from the Lord if they would simply turn from their ways. For a closer examination, continue to read verses 11-14.
Application
So what should you make of all this? It is important to know that fasting is more of a personal matter before the Lord than it is an objectively-defined discipline in regards to the days in which it should be done. It is also important to know that fasting is not a substitute for obedience. If someone wants to be blessed by the Lord, he must first turn to Christ as Savior and Lord, embrace His wrath-bearing death for the forgiveness of sin, and believe in the resurrection of Christ. However, one cannot simply say that he believes these things. The life of the professing Christian must also align with the Word of God. When this takes place, blessing is surely a reality.
Religious activity was never meant to substitute for obedience. But when a heart is right before the Lord, fasting is a beautiful display of love to God.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for Your desire for me. I also thank You for Your correction; it is evidence of Your love. Help me to fast in a way that is pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen.