Homeschool News & Views

Issue 30, July 13, 2007

From Homeschool Helpers

In association with Pass It On Ministries

Greetings. This is Dan White with Homeschool Helpers.

Fathers are the leaders of their families, placed there by God, responsible for leading the family safely through troubled times. But fathers are not to lead through these troubles times by their own spirit and their own wisdom. You can only make it safely through such times with the spirit and wisdom of God, not man.

Fasting is mentioned often in the Bible as a way to grow closer to God. You may be surprised how often the Bible holds up the right kind of fasting as a means of spiritual growth.

Look at these examples.

One of the best known is the fast of Nineveh.

Jon 3:4-10, World English Bible

(4) Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried out, and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

(5) The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

(6) The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

(7) He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;

(8) but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.

(9) Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"

(10) God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn't do it.

That king was serious. Neither people nor animals ate or drank. God heard them.

Good king Jehoshaphat was fast to call a fast when he was surrounded.

2Ch 20:2-4

(2) Then there came some who told Jehoshaphat, saying, There comes a great multitude against you from beyond the sea from Syria; and behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar (the same is En Gedi).

(3) Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek to Yahweh; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

(4) Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help of Yahweh: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh.

Yahweh saw their fast, and answered their need.

2Ch 20:15-18

(15) and he said, Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat: Thus says Yahweh to you, Don't you be afraid, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

(16) Tomorrow go down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and you shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

(17) You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; don't be afraid, nor be dismayed: tomorrow go out against them: for Yahweh is with you.

(18) Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshipping Yahweh.

Nehemiah fasted before the king of Persia allowed him to return to Jerusalem.

Neh 1:3-4

(3) They said to me, The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.

(4) It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

Ezra proclaimed a fast at the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple.

Ezr 8:21-23

(21) Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

(22) For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.

(23) So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he was entreated of us.

Esther led the Jews in a three day fast before she boldly went in before the king, risking her life.

Est 4:16

(16) "Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish."

Again note that a fast is to neither eat nor drink.

King Nebuchadnezzar fasted after he had thrown Daniel into the lions’ den.

Dan 6:16-18

(16) Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.

(17) A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

(18) Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him.

God even accepted the fast of evil King Ahab.

1Ki 21:25-29

(25) (But there was none like Ahab, who did sell himself to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

(26) He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.)

(27) It happened, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

(28) The word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

(29) See how Ahab humbles himself before me? because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil on his house.

Christ fasted before He confronted Satan.

Mat 4:1-2

(1) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

(2) When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.

Cornelius was the first Gentile to be a follower of the Messiah, and he was called while he was fasting.

Act 10:30-31

(30) Cornelius said, "Four days ago, I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour, I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

(31) and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your gifts to the needy are remembered in the sight of God.

Christian fathers must lead their families in regular fasting. Christians fast when they get into a time of trouble. Christians should fast on a regular, scheduled basis to avoid certain times of trouble.

Often, when Christians do fast, it is a type of fast which is never specifically mentioned in the Bible. That is, they avoid food but they take in drink. Notice this example.

Paul fasted when he was struck blind.

Act 9:19

(19) He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

Some would say that in an example like this, where it says that Paul took in food after a fast but it does not say that he took drink, that means in his fast he was only avoiding food and not drink. Also after Christ’s fast of 40 days, when it says he hungered but does not say he thirsted, that means he drank during that fast. But that is not accurate reasoning.

Act 9:8-9

(8) Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

(9) He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

When it says Paul took in food, you can figure out that he drank, also, without his whole menu being enumerated. Over and over the Bible specifies that a fast is to avoid food and drink. People who follow this half fast regimen do not want to humble themselves before God, but yet want to act like they are.

The purpose of a fast is to humble yourself before God. It is not a time when you want to be half humble. If you are going to go to the trouble of having a fast, then do a real fast. There is no Bible example of a fast which says that someone drank during the fast.

Repeat – there is no Bible example of a fast which says someone drank. This type of fast came from human nature, wanting to please God without having to put the self out. People can kid themselves, and they can kid other people, but you can’t kid God. Over and over the Bible shows that a fast is to avoid taking in everything, food and drink. There is no other type of fast specified.

Not eating but taking in drink is not much of an affliction. That’s why people want to do that instead of a real fast. Avoiding drink is the real affliction of a fast. When you break a fast, you never reach for a steak first. You always reach for the water first. After nearly 40 years of fasting, after every fast I have always reached for the water first. That’s the hard part of the fast -- not the food, but the drink.

If you fathers are going to lead your family through this spiritual war that is going on, you have to lead them in regular fasting. And that has to be real fasting, not half fasting, which is not fasting at all.

What does it mean to lead your family in fasting? It means that you fast and they fast, too. It is easier for a family if they all fast on the same day. If one person in a family is fasting, the rest of the family is going to know it, anyway, so it is convenient for all to fast on the same day. All means the father, mother and the kids. Our kids began to fast with us well before the age of six. In gluttonous America, fasting may well be thought of by left wingers as child abuse. But soon teaching the Bible will be considered child abuse by those people, so don’t try to please them. Try to please God.

How often should regular fasting be?

The early Christians fasted twice a week, the Jews on Mondays and Thursdays and the Gentiles on Wednesdays and Fridays. Romans 14 shows they fought over which is better. The whole context there is eating, eating, eating. They should not have been broadcasting their fast days, anyway. Never tell when you are fasting.

Fasting twice a week is very frequent. It is hard to work a normal day when you are really fasting plus you want to have extra time during your fast day for prayer and study and reflection. To be able to schedule that twice a week is very demanding.

Once a week is a more frequent practice today, and can be accomplished without even involving the work week. Fasting once a month is probably a minimum for someone who is at all serious about serving God. That can easily be worked into a monthly schedule. The whole family can plan for it and look forward to it. It is extra time to spend with God, the Father of our big family.

Of course, most Christians are too busy to fast. Their lives are too fast to fast, even once a month. But you will not grow very close to God without fasting. My life is getting rid of me and putting in the Messiah. To do that I have to deny my self. I have to fast. We are in a great spiritual war now, between powers in high places. A strong Christian father will lead his family in regular fasting.