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A Few Observations on Fasting
By Calvin Culver
PROLEGOMENA
For this topical study I adhered to the following procedure: first,
using the New American Standard Concordance, I collected all
references in the New American Standard Version of the Bible for the
words Fast (when used as a noun), Fasted, Fasting and Fasts. I have
listed these references in the document below. I then combed these
passages looking for two things: 1. The motivations for fasting (WHY
it was done) and 2. Those activities and items which seemed to be
involved (WHAT was done).
The following observations are based on the above procedures.
Please keep in mind that they are only preliminary observations, based
entirely on a reading of the passages in question and what knowledge I
have of the backgrounds of the texts (which is undoubtedly often
inadequate). No attempt was made to do any detailed study of the
cultural, linguistic, or political milieus, and such studies, were
they to be done, might easily alter or invalidate my observations.
With these reservations in mind, then, I humbly offer these my
preliminary observations. All scripture quotations are from the Holy
Bible, New International Version, copyright 1978 by the New York
International Bible Society.
I was motivated originally to begin this study by the WHY category
of questions on fasting. Why do we fast? Why did Biblical figures
fast? What did they hope to achieve? And so on. Many of these
questions were motivated by a desire on my part to find a scriptural
basis for what I had been taught regarding the practice of fasting,
and to see what role (if any) it played in the lives of those we see
in the Bible, especially those of the New Testament.
THE OLD TESTAMENT
Old Testament References:
Jdg 20:26 2Sa 12:21-23 2Ch 20:3 Est 4:3 Psa 109:24 Dan 6:18
Jon 3:5 1Sa 7:6 1Ki 21:9 Ezr 8:21 Est 4:16 Isa 58:3-6
Dan 9:3 Zec 7:5 1Sa 31:13 1Ki 21:12 Ezr 8:23 Est 9:31
Jer 14:12 Joe 1:14 Zec 8:19 2Sa 1:12 1Ki 21:27 Neh 1:4
Psa 35:13 Jer 36:6 Joe 2:12 2Sa 12:16 1Ch 10:12 Neh 9:1
Psa 69:10 Jer 36:9 Joe 2:15
As for the motivations for fasting, I find almost nothing in the
references in the New Testament. The practice is mentioned a number
of times, but almost always only in reference, without any indications
of the reasons behind it. The Old Testament, on the other hand, gives
indication of a variety of motivations for fasting, among them such
things as distress, repentance, mourning, grief and as an act of
humility. For example, looking at the first reference, Judges 20:26,
we see Israel, reeling from repeated defeat at the hands of the tribe
of Benjamin, 'weeping before the Lord. They fasted that day until
evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the
Lord.' In 2nd Samuel 1:12, the men of Jabesh Gilead recover the body
of Saul and burn it, then 'They mourned and wept and fasted till
evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord
and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.' When
the Jews in exile learn of the king's edict that they be destroyed, we
read that 'In every province to which the edict and order of the king
came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping
and wailing. Many lay on sackcloth and ashes' (Esther 4:16). And,
when the king had thrown Daniel to the lions, we read, in Daniel 6:18,
that he 'returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and
without any entertainment being brought to him.' In these passages,
we see examples of fasting as an expression of grief or distress.
Again, we can see elements of repentance in the practice of
fasting. For example, we read in 1st Kings 21:27-29 of Ahab when he
hears the rebuke of Elijah: 'When Ahab heard these words, he tore his
clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went
around meekly.' And in Nehemiah 9:1-3 we read of the rediscovery of
the Law after the return from exile, and that 'On the twenty-fourth
day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and
wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.... They stood in
their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their
fathers.'
Coupled with repentance is the concept of confession. This can be
seen in the account of Israel's reaction to the capture of the Ark of
the Lord, which recounts that all Israel, distressed at the Ark's
loss, 'assembled at Mizpah, [and] they drew water and poured it out
before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed,
"We have sinned against the Lord"' (1st Samuel 7:6). And, again, in
the passage in Nehemiah 9:1-3, we see large implications of
repentance.
And, often, fasting was a means of humbling oneself before the
Lord. In 1st Kings 21:27-29, the Lord responds to Ahab's fast by
saying to Elijah 'Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before
me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in
his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.' In
Ezra 8:21, Ezra, detailing the return of the remnant from Exile, says
that 'by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble
ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our
children, with all our possessions.'
Finally, often fasting is connected with the presentation of a
petition or request before God. We see this clearly in the passage
from Ezra quoted above, and again in Psalm 35:13, where the psalmist
declares about his enemies that 'when they were ill, I put on
sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned
to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or
brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.'
Thus, in the early Old Testament period at least, fasting was
largely associated with times of extreme distress or mourning, or of
special confession and repentance, or as an act of humility before
God. This seems to have remained the case at least through the time
of the Babylonian Captivity, and even somewhat beyond.
With the coming of the prophets, however, this seems to have begun
to change. It is in the words of Isaiah that one begins to see
attempts at a redefinition of the practice. In Isaiah 58:1-7 God
describes Israel to Isaiah:
"Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a
trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of
Jacob their sins. For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager
to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and
has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just
decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 'Why have we
fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled
ourselves, and you have not noticed?' Yet on that day of your
fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your
fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with
wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice
to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a
day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head
like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you
call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the kind of
fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the
cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is
it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor
wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not
to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
Thus, fasting begins to lose some of the cultic overtones it seems
to have acquired (that is, as a means of obtaining something from
God--his attention, or his blessing or favor, or what have you), and
begins to take on something of the quality of an act of worship to
God. Fasting becomes a part of the larger expression of the kingdom
of God as it works itself out in shalom--the community of peace and of
justice which God is establishing on earth.
THE NEW TESTAMENT
New Testament References:
Mat 4:2 Luk 2:37 Act 27:9
Mat 6:16-18 Luk 5:33-35
Mat 9:14,15 Luk 18:12
Mat 17:21 Act 13:2,3
Mar 2:18-20 Act 14:23
In the New Testament, we find very little data for determining the
purposes of fasting. In Matthew 4:1,2 we have the record of Jesus' 40
day fast in the wilderness, but there is nothing explicitly giving the
reasons for his fast. We might say he went out to pray before the
inauguration of his ministry, but the text itself does not say this.
Or we might say that he fasted, seeking the strength and the wisdom to
resist and defeat the enemy in the battle of temptation he knew was
coming. But again, the text does not state this explicitly.
Again, in Matthew 6:16-18 we have Jesus' instructions on how to
conduct one's fast; in secret, where only the Father will know. But,
still, there is no indication as to WHY one should fast, only some
ground rules for HOW he should do it.
One of the more interesting of the New Testament passages on
fasting is that found in Matthew 9:14-17, and echoed in Mark 2:18-22
and Luke 5:33-35. Here, the disciples of John ask Jesus why Jesus'
disciples do not fast. Jesus responds by saying that when he (the
bridegroom) has been taken from them, then they will fast, but while
the bridegroom is present, it doesn't make sense to do so. He then,
in all three accounts, follows this up with the parables of the patch
and the wineskins. In the context, these parables were obviously
intended as explanation to the disciples of John, and they seem to
hold the most promise for answering the question as to why we should
fast. Unfortunately, I am really not certain as to what Jesus meant
to convey by them.
The remainder of the New Testament references simply mention the
practice, as for instance in the description of Anna the prophetess,
who ministered daily in the Temple (Luke 2:37), or the Pharisee in the
story of the Publican and the Sinner (Luke 18:12), who claims to have
fasted twice a week. Each of these stories indicates that fasting
had, by Jesus' day, taken on a more ritualistic form, and was regarded
as a badge of spirituality of some sort; something which the truly
serious religious practiced regularly. In Anna's case, it seems to
have been a true expression of her love for God (though, again, the
text doesn't say so explicitly) while the Pharisee seems to use it in
a prideful manner, to appear religious; he sort of wears it on his
sleeve.
The last two references of interest in the New Testament are found
in Acts, in the 13th and 14th chapters. In Acts 13:2,3 we read of the
commissioning of Paul and Barnabas for the ministry to which God had
called them: 'While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the
Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to
which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they
placed their hands on them and sent them off.' And in Acts 14:23 we
read that as Paul and Barnabas revisited the churches they had planted
they 'appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and
fasting, committed them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust.'
Both of these passages connect fasting not only with prayer, but with
some sort of dedication or consecration ceremony for Christian leaders
as well.
CONCLUSION
It is not the intent of this study to draw conclusions about the
practice of fasting, but simply to offer some preliminary observations
based on a cursory reading of the pertinent passages. It is hoped the
reader will be stimulated to pursue further study for himself. I
myself am yet unclear as to what the proper motivations for fasting
are, however a few tentative conclusions may be drawn about other
facets of the practice.
First, it seems apparent that, as originally conceived in the early
Old Testament period, fasting was something that was done under
exceptional conditions of distress, of mourning, or of conviction and
confession. It was often accompanied by ritual offerings--burnt
offerings, fellowship offerings, and drink offerings are explicitly
mentioned--and by laying in or wearing of sackcloth and ashes. It was
often accompanied as well by prayer, by confession and occasionally by
reading the Word of God. And Jesus commanded that it was to be done
in secret.
In the grand tradition of the prophets, Isaiah attempted, in the
post-Exilic period, to redefine the practice, to divorce it from the
cults with which it had become identified.
Finally, by the time of Christ, it would seem that Isaiah's reform
had been--at least in part--adopted by the faithful. It had certainly
become an act of worship or service to God, rather than a means by
which one obtained something from him, though even this had its
abuses. And we can see in Luke's account of the Acts of the Apostles
that it was also used as a part of the ritual of consecration,
accompanied by prayers of dedication.
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