Category Archives: Fasting

All Powerful / King of All, Fasting, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Wise

Prayer, Fasting, and Thoughtful Planning

As we continue to read in Esther, we pick up in chapter 5. Haman has previously set about a plan to destroy the Jews in Persia. Esther risks her life to come before the king uninvited in order to try to save her people. She and the Jews of Susa have prayed and fasted for three days. Still, she has a plan for how to surface the request to save the Jews. She plans two banquets and includes Haman in them. This is interesting and there could be interesting study in why she might have chosen this path instead of just talking privately to the king.

However, a key point to focus on here today is much simpler. Having prayed and fasted, and having asked others to do so with her, she still is thoughtful about how she proceeds. She is clever and subtle at first, not just laying it out there bluntly to the king. She gains his favor. Of course, do not overlook that God is at work in response to the prayer and fasting that is helping her be successful as well. There is much to be learned that we can apply in our own lives.

Esther 5

Esther Plans a Banquet

      1Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. 2When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter. 3Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”

      5Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly that we may do as Esther desires.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared. 6As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7So Esther replied, “My petition and my request is: 8if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says.”

Haman’s Pride

      9Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. 10Haman controlled himself, however, went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king. 12Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. 13“Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows fifty cubits high made and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.

When we face difficult situations, and we come before God in fasting and prayer, we can also still be thoughtful in how we approach any situation to try to get the best outcome. Don’t underestimate, however, that part of why the plan is working so well is because God is at work. Esther has taken personal risk and is carefully engaging the king, but she did so after first engaging God to help!

As a side note, we also see Haman’s pride on display, which leads him to construct gallows for Mordecai. (Spoiler alert: Mordecai is not the one who will hang on them.)

What situations do you have in your life that require you to overcome significant challenges? Are you praying and fasting to seek the LORD? If you are praying and fasting, are you also planning thoughtfully how to proceed?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You that we can approach You in prayer and fasting to seek Your help. Thank You for examples in scripture that can help guide us in how we should live. Thank You for having mercy and forgiveness for Your people and redeeming us through Yeshua. Please help us to defeat the plans of the enemy and to protect Your people still today. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Church / Body of Christ, Courage / Fear, Fasting, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Persecution / Glorifying God, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Wickedness / Evil

For Such a Time as This

Sometimes the choices we are forced to make may seem like being put between a rock and a hard place. There appears to be no good choice.  This certainly applies to Esther in the record we find in chapter 4. Haman plans to kill all the Jews and she has to decide if she will risk her life to try to stop him. Ultimately, she has to answer the question, “Has she been put in this position by God for such a time as this?”

Esther 4

Esther Learns of Haman’s Plot

      1When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. 2He went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.

      4Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. 5Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. 7Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people.

      9Hathach came back and related Mordecai’s words to Esther. 10Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: 11“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” 12They related Esther’s words to Mordecai.

      13Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. 14“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Esther Plans to Intercede

      15Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16“Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.

Even as Esther plans to take action, she turns to the LORD. She calls for a three day fast for herself and all the Jews in Susa. She is drawing near to Yahweh and seeking His favor and help. This is a good approach for us as well. Esther chose to risk her life to save her people. We should be asking ourselves, “What am I able to influence given what position(s) I am in today?” “Does God want me to take certain action that may seem difficult for me but could be why He has placed me in this position?”

I think it is also worth highlighting a few other thoughts. When the Jews heard about the decree, they responded with fasting and mourning. We often overlook the value of fasting today. Additionally, take note of Mordecai’s faith, expressed in verse 14,  that the Jews will be rescued by God one way or another. I appreciate that faith. That is another area in which we sometimes fall short today.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for the Bible which leads and guides us and inspires us in our desire to walk closely with You. Please protect Your people around the world today from persecution. Raise up righteous leaders and prepare Your people to listen, repent of their wicked ways, and draw near to You. Defeat the plans of those who wish to come against Your people. Kindle in us an appropriate desire for fasting and prayer as a way to draw near to You and ask for Your help. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fasting, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Mockers, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness

From Desire to Reality through the Power of Prayer and Action

Nehemiah was deeply grieved to hear about Jerusalem and the sorry shape it was in. He fasted and prayed. In chapter 2 we see how his prayer begins to be answered.

Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah’s Prayer Answered

      1And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” 4Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” 6Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. 7And I said to the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, 8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.” And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.

      9Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

      11So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. 14Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. 15So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.

      17Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” 18I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work. 19But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20So I answered them and said to them, “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Let us consider that we will see in Nehemiah a combination of prayer and action. He is not just idle and waiting for God to do everything. God opens the opportunity before the king to speak and he does speak, respectfully and boldly. He takes personal risk. If he would have remained silent, perhaps God would not have used him in this rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.

We also see that after prayer and fasting, God begins to work through the pagan king of Persia to bring about the restoration of Jerusalem and the answer to Nehemiah’s prayer. God is able to use anyone and any situation. Where we feel completely powerless, as Nehemiah must have felt, God is totally able to make a way we can’t even anticipate.

What Nehemiah was praying for was not a selfish request. It was in line with God’s plan to return the people to Jerusalem. When he prayed, he was praying in line with the work that God already wanted to do. God used him and supported him.

People will often come against you as you go about God’s work. It takes courage and boldness, and some clear planning, to overcome them. When God gets directly involved to help you overcome your adversaries or mockers, that really helps as well!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have strong desire to be part of what You want to accomplish instead of making my own plans. Help me to be courageous and bold. Help me to turn to You with prayer and fasting but also be willing to take bold action. Let me not be distracted by those who mock me, or You. Silence them or open their eyes to Your glory and draw them near to You. Bring about the restoration of Your ways among Your people! Help Christians around the world return to Your ways instead of the ways of men which are so mingled in the common church doctrine and teaching. Help Jews to recognize and embrace Yeshua as Messiah. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Fasting, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Admit Our Sin and Turn Back to Yahweh

Many Christians will acknowledge that they have sinned and seek forgiveness. Many will repent of the sins they recognize. However, there is something special in Nehemiah which most of us could stand to reflect on more fully. Nehemiah was not only concerned about his own sins, but more broadly on the sins of His people. He is deeply grieved that his people, God’s people, have strayed so far from God’s commandments and statutes. He admits the sins also of his family and his own. He calls out to the LORD seeking forgiveness. He wept for days. He fasted and prayed. This was not a quick 5-minute prayer in the morning before grabbing a cup of coffee and going to work.

Nehemiah 1

Nehemiah’s Grief for the Exiles

      1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.
Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, 2that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”

      4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5I said, “I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. 7“We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8“Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; 9but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’ 10“They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. 11“O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.”
Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah focuses on God as “the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments.” He acknowledges the need to love God and keep His commandments. It is not simply that we should have genuine emotional feeling for our relationship with God or that we should just observe the laws. It is both! True love for God should drive us to want to live according to His commandments. (This is not just the 10 commandments as some believe today. There is much more. Read Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today?)

Nehemiah never once puts blame toward God for scattering the people. He even recalls specifically that God said He would scatter them if they were unfaithful. He never challenges God or why God acted in a certain way. Full accountability lays on the people for this situation.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please inspire more of us to be like Nehemiah in that we would feel a love for You and a deep grief for how far Your people are from You, even as they call upon Your name today. Please draw more of us to intercede on the behalf of all who call upon the name of Yahweh or Yeshua. Let there be a restoration of Your laws among believers and let there be a full recognition of Yeshua as Messiah. Raise up strong leaders among Your people and those who would intercede in prayer. Lead Your people in repentance to turn back to obeying Your commands, ordinates and statutes and seeking personal relationship with You! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Fasting, Persecution / Glorifying God, Prayer, Share the Good News, Teachable, Unteachable / Foolish

How Can I Proclaim Christ When People Come Against Me?

The more consistently and more widely I share the good news of Yeshua as Messiah and the truth of scripture revealed in the Bible, the more I see a consistent set of responses from those who hear it.

  • Some will indeed hear the message and either be encouraged or be led to a saving relationship with Yeshua. Each person who finds this path is cause for celebration!
  • Some engage in genuine discussion of facts, evidence, and application of scripture. We can have a civil discussion regarding the facts and evidence of the gospel.
  • Sadly, there are also many who react with anger and hostility. They are not interested in listening but have already made up their minds. When you demonstrate the error of their logic, they do not admit that they are wrong and choose instead attack the messengers personally.

Paul encountered this same range of responses from people when he proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ thousands of years ago. There is no new “modern” response to the message of Yeshua. We can learn much from studying the Bible and all that God reveals in it regarding how those who went before us handled these situations.

Acts 14:19-23

     19But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. 21After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” 23When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Some Jews actually came perhaps 130 miles to hinder the work of Paul. It was not enough just that they rejected Messiah. They felt they had to stop the message of Christ so no one else would accept the message either. They did not win on facts and evidence. Miracles were happening where Paul went with the message of Christ. Those who opposed Yeshua went to the most brutal response they could get away with… in this case stoning Paul in an attempt to kill him.

What was Paul’s response to such hatred and persecution? Did he stop proclaiming Yeshua? No! He got up, moved on and gave glory to God by accepting and teaching that those who proclaim the good news will face much tribulation. He continued to do the work of Christ, appointing elders for every church and commending them to the Lord with prayer and fasting. We should take note that he did move on to another location. We are not always to remain in the face of that force of adversary. This is something for which we must each seek the LORD on when to stay and when to leave this level of resistance.

What a remarkable servant of Christ! I can only hope to follow in the example of Paul in whatever opportunity I have to overcome opposition to the sharing of the gospel. Paul demonstrating true faith in Christ. He was willing to die to share the gospel. He stopped at nothing, regardless of the level of resistance he faced.

What resistance are you facing in your life that discourages you from sharing the gospel? What can you learn from Paul’s response to persecution that you can apply in your life? Do not overlook the value of prayer and fasting with other disciples of Yeshua.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help unite those who are pursuing You. Help people who hear Your message be willing to accept the need for change in their life. Help prepare the field for harvest by making the people ready to hear the good news. Help even those who already proclaim to follow You to be open to changing their ways to be more like Your ways. Help raise up messengers who will be bold in proclaiming truth. Bless and protect the messengers so that they overcome the resistance that will come against them. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Fasting, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Learning To Pray Effectively, Persecution / Glorifying God, Seeking God, Teachable, Traditions / Holidays

Out of the Ways of Men and Back on the Path to God

We have been discussing how the book of Ezra, which details the return of people of Juday to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple, compares to each of us individually or collectively in our effort to return to or draw near to the LORD our God. One major theme is that God’s will is behind it, driving it. His people are seeking to return to Him and His ways and extracting themselves out of traditions of men and other cultures that have surrounded them for a few generations.

In Ezra 8, I read an account where a community of God’s people are coming together and working in unity to return to His ways. It is so much more than just one person. They fall back on the roles and tribes into which God organized their people. There is emphasis on family structure as an organizing thread in the community. Priests and Levites each have their appointed roles.

There is fasting and prayer to seek the LORD and draw near to Him for big decisions. There is faith placed in the LORD above even an escort of soldiers from the king.  It is an historical record that is overflowing with activity.

Ezra 8

People Who Went with Ezra

      1Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; 3of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list; 4of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 males with him; 5of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him; 6and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him; 7and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him; 8and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him; 9of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; 10and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; 11and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him; 12and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; 13and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and 60 males with them; 14and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and 70 males with them.

Ezra Sends for Levites

      15Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there. 16So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. 17I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. 18According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men; 19and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men; 20and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.

Protection of God Invoked

      21Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.” 23So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

      24Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered. 26Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents, 27and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28Then I said to them, “You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers. 29“Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.” 30So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

      31Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. 32Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.

Treasure Placed in the Temple

      33On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time.

      35The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the LORD. 36Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God.

What elements do you see in Ezra 8 that may apply for an individual or group that is trying to draw near to the LORD today? Perhaps I can lead with a few examples. I am willing to conclude that likely the people coming out of Babylon had many pagan customs they had been exposed to and perhaps blended with their own customs. They had to lay them down as they picked up and focused on the ways of the LORD. There are often adversaries that will come against us as we try to change and draw nearer to the LORD. Sometimes the very fact that we are changing and admitting that some of what we were doing is wrong can lead others to be very uncomfortable and even resistant… and we are not even asking them to change. It is almost like they need to convince us not to change or they may feel like they are wrong not to! Spend some time in pray and reflection.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help stir the spirit of Your people to unite and leave behind the ways of men to move together in unity toward a restoration of Your ways! Help us have courage to leave some things behind and embrace a return to Your ways, some of which may seem strange to some of us (e.g. Your appointed times such as Passover, Tabernacles, etc.). Help us to embrace fasting and prayer in unity and seek to come together with others of Your people who want to pursue You! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Fasting, Learning To Pray Effectively, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Prayer and Fasting and Seeking the LORD Wholeheartedly in Crisis

As we read in Chronicles 20, we again see an excellent example of how the LORD wants the righteous to turn to Him and trust in Him when faced by seemingly insurmountable odds.  We may not all face an invading army as Jehoshaphat did, but we all face stress and challenges that may seem overwhelming to us.

As you read 2 Chronicles 20, think of it not just in terms of the context of an invading army but in terms of situations in which you feel overwhelmed and should follow the example of Jehoshaphat and turn to the LORD for deliverance.

2 Chronicles 20:1-34

Judah Invaded

      1Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” 3Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

      5Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, 6and he said, “O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. 7“Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8“They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, 9‘Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.’ 10“Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), 11see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. 12“O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

      13All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children.

Jahaziel Answers the Prayer

      14Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16‘Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.”

      18Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Enemies Destroy Themselves

      20They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” 21When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 22When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. 23For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

      24When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. 25When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.

Triumphant Return to Jerusalem

      26Then on the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Beracah, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore they have named that place “The Valley of Beracah” until today. 27Every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres and trumpets to the house of the LORD. 29And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides.

      31Now Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. 33The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

      34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

I want to highlight some key elements I find in today’s scripture. I am sure you can find more if you seek it.

  • Jehoshaphat was afraid. It is a human emotion. Don’t be ashamed if you feel fear or difficulty over a situation. Recognize it and turn to the LORD.
  • The people of Judah came together to seek the LORD.
  • The people of Judah fasted together to further emphasize their focus on seeking the LORD in prayer.
  • They came together to pray, led by Jehoshaphat. He led prayer by focusing on who God is and on His power. He focused on how God has delivered them before. He lifted up and glorified the name of Yahweh before even asking for the help he so desperately needed.
  •  The LORD sent His Spirit on one of the crowd and answered. He gave specific details, which may not always  be the case.
  • The people worshipped and praised Yahweh. They did not just disappear and go back to their business after Yahweh said yes to helping them.
  • In this case the LORD said they would not have to fight the enemy. They showed strong faith by sending out those with song and praise in front of the army!
  • As they sang and praised the enemy was defeated.
  • They celebrated with thankful heart after the victory was delivered.
  • Their prayer and trust in the LORD brought them peace beyond the initial battle for which they were asking for help.
  • It all played out for the glory of Yahweh and not Jehoshaphat or the people of Judah.

Prayerfully reflect on these elements and how you may apply them to situations in your own life. Discuss with someone you trust that is submitted to the LORD.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to draw near to You and rely on You in good times and in difficult ones. Please surround me with a family and friends that will seek You alongside me and not abandon me when things get tough. Help us to seek You and glorify You. Let us cast our anxiety upon You for you love us. Thank you for your help!

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fasting, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

John’s Disciples Ask Yeshua About Fasting

At one point, the disciples of John came to Yeshua and asked Him about why they and the Pharisees fasted, but the disciples of Yeshua did not. It is interesting that they are not appearing to ask about Yeshua, Himself, but his disciples.

Matthew 9:14-17

The Question about Fasting

      14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16“But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. 17“Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Yeshua’s acknowledges that there is an appropriate time to fast, but highlights that for His disciples, now is not the time. He uses a clear metaphor of a bridegroom that emphasizes that while He is still among them, they should celebrate with Him and not mourn.

The other two examples of the wine skin and the cloth are not suggesting that Yeshua is changing the Torah or making up new things. We must understand that the fasting the Pharisees were doing was twice a week tradition they created, not one Yahweh instructed. Thus Yeshua was saying that it is not appropriate for Him to build observing the Torah correctly upon the traditions of men. It should be the other way around. To read more about the cloth and the wine skin, consider Barnes commentary.

Do not take this scripture to mean that Yeshua was saying the Torah  no longer fits and He was bringing “new teaching”. That is a wrong understanding. The fasting being discussed was not even instructed by Torah. Quite the opposite. Yeshua is not going to build His observance of Torah on the traditions of men, the Pharisees in this case. That would make a mess, like the cloth and the wine skin.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Fasting, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

Yeshua’s Guidance on Fasting

When our Messiah gives us instruction, we should listen. This may seem obvious to some, but for many they may be missing the point.

Matthew 6:16-18

      16“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17“But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

We should not fast to get attention from men. Quite the opposite. We want to handle our physical appearance and our attitudes so they will not even know we are fasting. It is the LORD we want to notice, not men.

While this does apply directly to fasting, it also applies to many other things also. Do not serve or seek the LORD is such a manner as to get the attention of man. Do so to get the attention of God and because we love Him and want to please Him.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fasting, Fear / Reverence for God, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Self Control

The Nazirite Vow

I find the law (instructions) of the Nazirites to be very interesting to study, albeit briefly today. Many of us have heard of John the Baptist or Samson being Nazirite from birth, but in most cases it was intended to be for a limited time. The word Nazirite means separation, as in separation from the world. It is a vow that is intended to help us focus on being holy or set apart for the Lord.

Normally, the Lord allows drinking of wine and strong drink in moderation. Yeshua drank wine and even converted water into wine as His first miracle. However, wine in excess leads to much sin. Without debating too much why abstaining from strong drink was part of the Nazirite vow, we can certainly see that if we vow to avoid something to honor the Lord, we should take it very seriously. They were to avoid any consumption of grapes or grape skins, not just wine. This is a good parallel to demonstrate our approach to things which displease the Lord, such as sin. When He says to avoid sin, we should go far from it and take care not to rationalize how close to a sin we can get and still “be acceptable to the Lord”.

Perhaps in regards to the hair it is a way of separating ourselves from the focus on personal grooming. A separation from the shallow focus on how we look to other people.

Without dwelling too much on the remainder, which you can read for yourself, I think we can also consider that a believer and follower of Yeshua may want to take a vow of holiness or separation from time to time. It may not look exactly like the Nazirite vow, but let us take heart in supporting them if it is well founded. If someone wants to abstain, or “fast”, from alcohol for a time to honor the Lord… why should we discourage them.  Generally we would want to test that what we are abstaining from is consistent and not contradictory with the Biblical teaching. For example, I would not recommend abstaining from prayer… that separates us from the Lord, not from the world to draw nearer to the Lord. I would not abstain from helping others. You get the point.

Numbers 6:1-21

Law of the Nazirites

     1Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the LORD, 3he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes. 4‘All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin.

      5‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.

      6‘All the days of his separation to the LORD he shall not go near to a dead person. 7‘He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. 8‘All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.

      9‘But if a man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his dedicated head of hair, then he shall shave his head on the day when he becomes clean; he shall shave it on the seventh day. 10‘Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. 11‘The priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him concerning his sin because of the dead person. And that same day he shall consecrate his head, 12and shall dedicate to the LORD his days as a Nazirite, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering; but the former days will be void because his separation was defiled.

      13‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall bring the offering to the doorway of the tent of meeting. 14‘He shall present his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering and one ewe-lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering and one ram without defect for a peace offering, 15and a basket of unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering. 16‘Then the priest shall present them before the LORD and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. 17‘He shall also offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, together with the basket of unleavened cakes; the priest shall likewise offer its grain offering and its drink offering. 18‘The Nazirite shall then shave his dedicated head of hair at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and take the dedicated hair of his head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. 19‘The priest shall take the ram’s shoulder when it has been boiled, and one unleavened cake out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his dedicated hair. 20‘Then the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. It is holy for the priest, together with the breast offered by waving and the thigh offered by lifting up; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine.’

      21“This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD according to his separation, in addition to what else he can afford; according to his vow which he takes, so he shall do according to the law of his separation.”

If you or someone you know decides to take a vow of separation from the world, please pray and consider carefully. Take care not to make it so complex and so burdensome that you can not manage it. (I believe this may be why the Lord was so specific in the Nazirite vow… so men would not make it more complicated by adding their own rules.) It is better to not make a vow to the Lord than to make one and then not complete it fully.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

    4When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! 5It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

However, His grace abounds for those who have right heart and are seeking Him. If we stumble, we can repent and ask forgiveness. Seeking separation from the world and to be set apart for the Lord is good indeed. It will draw us nearer to Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.