Biblical Purpose of Fasting: God’s Guidance

• [Go Back]

• By Rev. Devadosan Sugirtharaj
• Posted 03/05/2021
• Viewed 444

• Tweet

Theme: Biblical Purpose of Fasting

Topic: God’s Guidance

Text: Judges 20:26-29

Introduction

In the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting, we ask God for his guidance. In the Bible, the people of God fasted many times to seek God’s guidance in their lives.

Word Study

• The Hebrew word for prayer is Tachbulah and it is generally translated as direction and counsel.
• The Greek word for prayer is hodeuo and it means to travel or journey.
• The Bible gives numerous examples of individuals and communities experienced God’s guidance or direction. This guidance and direction of God take the initiatives to lead his people.

Context: 

Judges 20: As the tribe of Benjamin were violent, arrogant and greedy, they had a war with other tribes and it was ended with huge disasters on the other tribes of Israel and they lost their peoples. At that time, the other tribes were sad about what happened and took fasting and prayer to seek God’s guidance in this matter regarding the tribe of Benjamin.

Fasting is the time when we come across a time of crisis in our lives and we don’t know what to do. Judges.20:26

• 26 Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to [c]the house of God and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
• 26. அப்பொழுது இஸ்ரவேல் புத்திரராகிய சகல ஜனங்களும் புறப்பட்டு, தேவனுடைய வீட்டிற்குப் போய்், அங்கே கர்த்தருடைய சந்நிதியில் அழுது, தரித்திருந்து, அன்று சாயங்காலமட்டும் உபவாசித்து, கர்த்தருடைய சந்நிதியில் சர்வாங்க தகனபலிகளையும் சமாதானபலிகளையும் இட்டு,
• When the people of Israel experienced the horror of the crime at Gibeah, it was the result of the sin of the tribe of Benjamin but of the whole people of Israel. The whole other tribes of Israel humbled themselves before God as it became the problem of the entire nation. So they were sorry and wept. They fasted and prayed before the Lord to repent as well as they wanted to know what the future steps they would take in this matter.
• When we encounter crises in our personal, family, workplace, church and world, we are panic, sad and anxious. We do not know how to solve the crisis. In this term, the only place we can do is to fast and pray to the Lord. We need to humble ourselves before God.
• Psalm 32:8:I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
• 8. நான் உனக்குப் போதித்து, நீ நடக்கவேண்டிய வழியை உனக்குக் காட்டுவேன்; உன்மேல் என் கண்ணை வைத்து, உனக்கு ஆலோசனை சொல்லுவேன்.
• James.1:5-6:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
• 5. உங்களில் ஒருவன் ஞானத்தில் குறைவுள்ளவனாயிருந்தால், யாவருக்கும் சம்பூரணமாய்க் கொடுக்கிறவரும் ஒருவரையும் கடிந்துகொள்ளாதவருமாகிய தேவனிடத்தில் கேட்கக்கடவன், அப்பொழுது அவனுக்குக் கொடுக்கப்படும்.6. ஆனாலும் அவன் எவ்வளவாகிலும் சந்தேகப்படாமல் விசுவாசத்தோடே கேட்கக்கடவன்; சந்தேகப்படுகிறவன் காற்றினால் அடிபட்டு அலைகிற கடலின் அலைக்கு ஒப்பாயிருக்கிறான்.
• Bible Example: Abraham’s Servant. Genesis.24:12-27: 12 Then he said, “O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham
• 12. என் எஜமானாகிய ஆபிரகாமுக்கு தேவனாயிருக்கிற கர்த்தாவே, இன்றைக்கு நீர் எனக்குக் காரியம் சித்திக்கப்பண்ணி, என் எஜமானாகிய ஆபிரகாமுக்குத் தயவு செய்தருளும்.
• Sermon Illustration:.The story is told about the father of a vacationing family who came across a large sign that read, “Road Closed. Do Not Enter.” The man proceeded around the sign because he was confident it would save them time. His wife was resistant to the adventure, but there was no turning back for this persistent road warrior. After a few miles of successful navigation, he began to boast about his gift of discernment. His proud smile was quickly replaced with humble sweat when the road led to a washed-out bridge. He turned the car around and retraced his tracks to the main road. When they arrived at the original warning sign he was greeted by large letters on the back of the sign “Welcome back, stupid!”Sometimes we can have utmost confidence in ourselves to figure out issues or fix problems, but we let ourselves down. Confidence is only as good as the object it’s placed in. When going through life, the wise person places their confidence in an unchanging, all-powerful God.

Fasting is the time when we seek God’s guidance in the time of crisis in our lives and then we follow it. Judges.20:27-29.

• 27 So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord (the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”29 Then Israel set men in ambush all around Gibeah.30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in battle array against Gibeah as at the other times. 
• 27. கர்த்தரிடத்தில் விசாரித்தார்கள்; தேவனுடைய உடன்படிக்கையின் பெட்டி அந்நாட்களில் அங்கே இருந்தது.28. ஆரோனின் குமாரனாகிய எலெயாசாரின் மகன் பினெகாஸ் அந்நாட்களில் அவருடைய சந்நிதியில் நின்றான்; எங்கள் சகோதரராகிய பென்யமீன் புத்திரரோடே பின்னும் யுத்தம்பண்ணப் புறப்படலாமா புறப்படலாகாதா என்று அவர்கள் விசாரித்தார்கள்; அப்பொழுது கர்த்தர்: போங்கள்; நாளைக்கு அவர்களை உங்கள் கையில் ஒப்புக்கொடுப்பேன் என்றார். 29. அப்பொழுது இஸ்ரவேல் புத்திரர் கிபியாவைச்சுற்றிலும் பதிவிடையாட்களை வைத்து,30. மூன்றாம்நாளிலே பென்யமீன் புத்திரருக்கு விரோதமாய்ப் போய், முன் இரண்டுதரம் செய்ததுபோல, கிபியாவுக்குச் சமீபமாய்ப் போருக்கு அணிவகுத்து நின்றார்கள்.
• When the people of Israel fasted and prayed to seek the counsel of the Lord and asked the Lord whether they go out to battle against the tribe of Benjamin. The Lord spoke to them through Phinehas that they would go to the battle and win it. They listened to God and obeyed him.
• When we are at the crossroads, we need to fast and pray in order to seek God’s counsel for our crisis and the Lord is faithful to guide and counsel us on what we have to do. It would be great to seek God and follow his ways and counsel so that we may live victorious lives. 
• Proverbs.8:14:Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.
• 14. ஆலோசனையும் மெய்ஞ்ஞானமும் என்னுடையவைகள்; நானே புத்தி, வல்லமை என்னுடையது.
• Proverbs.19:21:There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
• 21. மனுஷனுடைய இருதயத்தின் எண்ணங்கள் அநேகம்; ஆனாலும் கர்த்தருடைய யோசனையே நிலைநிற்கும்.
• Bible Example: 2 Samuel.16:23; 17:14 Ahithophel.23 Now the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one had inquired at the oracle of God. So was all the advice of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.14 So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.
• 23. அந்நாட்களில் அகித்தோப்பேல் சொல்லும் ஆலோசனையெல்லாம் தேவனுடைய வாக்கைப்போல இருந்தது, அப்படியே அகித்தோப்பேலின் ஆலோசனையெல்லாம் தாவீதுக்கும் இருந்தது, அப்சலோமுக்கும் அப்படியே இருந்தது.
• 14. அப்பொழுது அப்சலோமும் இஸ்ரவேல் மனுஷர் அனைவரும்: அகித்தோப்பேலின் ஆலோசனையைப்பார்க்கிலும் அற்கியனாகிய ஊசாயின் ஆலோசனை நல்லது என்றார்கள்; இப்படி கர்த்தர் அப்சலோமின்மேல் பொல்லாப்பை வரப்பண்ணும்பொருட்டு, அகித்தோப்பேலின் நல்ல ஆலோசனையை அபத்தமாக்குகிறதற்குக் கர்த்தர் கட்டளையிட்டார்.
• Sermon Illustration: Elizabeth Elliot tells of two adventurers who stopped by to see her, all loaded with equipment for the rain forest east of the Andes. They sought no advice, just a few phrases to converse with the Indians. She writes: "Sometimes we come to God as the two adventurers came to me -- confident and, we think, well-informed and well equipped. But has it occurred to us that with all our accumulation of stuff, something is missing? She suggests that we often ask God for too little. We know what we need--a yes or no answer, please, to a simple question. Or perhaps a road sign. Something quick and easy to point the way. What we really ought to have is the Guide himself. Maps, road signs, a few useful phrases are things, but infinitely better is someone who has been there before and knows the way.

Conclusion

In the times of Lent, we fast and pray. One of the biblical purposes of fasting is to seek God’s counsel. From this passage, we learn that 

• Fasting is the time when we come across a time of crisis in our lives and we don’t know what to do. Judges.20:26
• Fasting is the time when we seek God’s guidance in the time of crisis in our lives and then we follow it.. Judges.20:27-29.

Reflective Questions

1. Why did the people of Israel proclaim a fast? What was the crisis? How did fasting enable them to humble before God in that time? When you are in crisis, where do you go first to seek wisdom and counsel? What is the role of fasting and prayer in times of crisis?
2. Why did the people of Israel consult the Lord? Why did they search for God’s counsel in the context of worship? How did God respond to them? When you are in crisis, how you seek God to ask his counsel? How does God respond to you?

What did the people of Israel do after they listened to God’s counsel though it was a tough decision for them to proceed? Why did they obey God though it was costly? When you are in crisis and listen to God’s counsel, how do you proceed from there? If God’s counsel is costly and difficult to act upon, what makes you proceed with God’s counsel and what are the challenges you to proceed with?