Fasting Day 19: Fresh Inspiration From the Archives
Fasting Day 19: The Calvary Road, Part 2
There is a direct relationship between Jesus’ forty-day fast and Israel’s testing in the wilderness.
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Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness – note it was the wilderness, just as the Israelites had been in the wilderness.
To counter the temptations of Satan, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy, all of which were spoken by Moses to the Israelites about their time of testing in the wilderness….
The Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness. In this we see shadows of the Old Testament replaced with New Testament reality. Something greater is at stake – something greater than Moses and the wilderness and the Law and Joshua and the Promised Land.
The time of fulfillment is at hand. God’s promise to Moses is coming true and being fulfilled. “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him” (Deut. 18:15).
It means that God is now, with the incarnation of his Son, preparing to deliver His people—the new Israel—from the Egyptian bondage of sin into the Promised Land of forgiveness and righteousness and eternal life. To do this he has sent a new Moses, or in this case, a new Joshua (Jesus reenacts both roles, and the name “Jesus” is identical to “Joshua” in New Testament Greek). This new Joshua stands as the head and representative of the whole new people that Jesus will gather from Jews and Gentiles. On their behalf Jesus will now be led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He will stay forty days to represent forty years. He will be tested as Israel was tested. And he will hunger as Israel hungered. And if he triumphs, he wand all his people go safely into the Promised Land of forgiveness and eternal life.
Call for the Fasting, Watching Women
In the Bible, women were called upon to fast and pray in times of crisis. They were also called upon to proclaim God’s word — to make Him known. Women today have the same callings.
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When we fast, God promises to loose the bonds of wickedness. Part of our scriptural role as women is to be a watchman for our home.
“She looketh well to her household” (Proverbs 31:27).
The words “looketh well” means “watchman.” It is used twenty times in the Old Testament as “watchman.” As a watchman, we are on guard, alert and ready for action when there is any oppression or bond of wickedness in our home.
In scripture, God gave women a unique privilege and responsibility. In the Old Testament, whenever death crept into a city or a nation, they called for the wailing women.
“Consider and call for the mourning women,
That they may come;
And send for skillful wailing women,
That they may come.
18 Let them make haste
And take up a wailing for us,
That our eyes may run with tears,
And our eyelids gush with water.
19 For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion”
Jeremiah 9:17-19
The practice of fasting originated from mourning. People were too deeply grieved to eat. Because of their grief, God’s presence and intervention became a requirement. They sought Him intensely. They came to realize that the cause and effect could be reversed. They could choose the effect (not eating) in order to get the cause (grief and repentance for sin and a hunger for God). When they wanted the same intensity, desire and sincerity before God that they had when mourning, they would fast.
So in other words, when Jeremiah 9:17 says to “call for the wailing women,” it is saying, “call for the fasting women.” Women could not mourn and still eat. An inability to eat accompanies mourning.
Fasting Day 19: Breaking Bondage, The Disciples’ Fast
Are there secret sins from which you cannot get free, no matter how hard you try or how many times you confess? God desires to set you free. He has established a path to freedom for you – a path of fasting.
“Is not this the fast I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness” (Isa. 58:6).
The Disciple’s Fast is a fast to break bondage and besetting sin. Many Christians fall prey to besetting sins. Besetting sins aren’t every day sins or momentary omission. Neither are they sins of rebellion – sins where God has clearly said, “You shall not,” and the Believer says, “Oh yes I will!” shaking their fist in his face. Besetting sins are habitual sins that enslave people.
A besetting sin controls you. Although you don’t want to go back to the sinful behavior and beg to be free, you once again find yourself committing the same sinful act. You are helpless and broken before God, yet you can’t be free. You cry out, “I can’t help it!” You hate playing the game and you always lose…but you can’t help accepting the invitation to the next game.
Fasting Day 19: Faith, Bravery, and the God Who is Able
Guest Post by Scott Brodie
When I think of healing and bravery in the midst of certain death, no other person stands out to me like Hezekiah. Rather than surrender to the enemy, which appeared to be the only option for Hezekiah in this life or death scenario, he turned to God and His word for deliverance.
. . . . . . .
Hezekiah was doing all these great things for God and serving Him with all his heart—then Sennacherib came to attack Jerusalem. The first thing Sennacherib did before any physical assault was attempt to send lies over the city walls of Jerusalem — to try and promote fear and doubt in the people’s hearts and to question Gods power to deliver.
I can only imagine the lies the enemy directed at Hezekiah such as:
- “Where is your God now?”
- “Your God has failed you!”
- “You’re going to die.”
- “I’ve taken down greater men than you.”
- “You’re next, Hezekiah, because God sent me to tell you…”
Dear friend, the devil will come after a believer with his biggest attacks when you display you are a threat to his kingdom and are showing others the way out of darkness. He sends lies over the walls of your mind attempting to shake your faith in Gods power to deliver again. Satan just wants you to believe one of his lies so that you will back down and surrender your faith in God.
Fasting Day 18: Returning in Power, Part 2
Has your communion with Christ been broken? Are you experiencing oppression and negativity? When we fast and pray, God promises to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke.
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When we enter God’s chosen fast, He promises to:
1. Let the oppressed go free (Isaiah 58:6)
God sets free those who are oppressed physically or spiritually – who are discouraged and wounded. The word picture for this phrase is those who are “cracking up.” Are you cracking up? Perhaps because you are:
- overloaded
- stressed over money
- burdened because your relationship with your family is cracking up
- broken because your marriage is cracking up
God sets the oppressed – those who are cracking up – free!
This phrase also refers to personal and national revival – to those who are oppressed by the devil. It refers to those who are oppressed because they belong to the kingdom of darkness and not kingdom of light. Or it holds meaning for us when we are oppressed by dryness and spiritual drought in our life.
Fasting Day 18: Returning in Power, Part 3
When we enter God’s chosen fast, He promises:
Your light will break forth like the dawn (v.8).
Are you facing decisions this month, this year – things for which you need wisdom and direction? Life presents major decisions that are crucial to our future. Are you caught in a quandary, wondering what you should do?
God promises that when we enter the chosen fast, He will cause His “light [to] break forth like the morning” (Isa. 58:8).
If we focus on God’s will and not our own when we are facing major decisions, He will give us the wisdom, perspective and insight we need to make the right choice. One way we focus on Him and His will is through fasting.
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