The importance of fasting
Psalm 109: 24 "My knees are weakened because of fasting, and my flesh faints because of lack of fatness.
Psalm 109: 25 I have been an object of reproach to them; They looked at me, and mocking me, they shook their heads. "
This passage describes Jesus as someone who not only suffered by nails, by the crown of thorns or by the Roman whip, but suffered for his people in fasting and did it out of love! Fasting is a path of self-denial and affliction of the soul. Something that also tells another prophetic psalm that describes a sad situation. Fasting is a high demonstration of pure love towards the needy even if they never thank or pay badly for the good that they have wanted to do.
Psalm 35:13 "But I, when they were sick, wore sackcloth; I humiliated my soul with fasting, and my prayer was repeated in my chest "
Jesus being the son of God told the Father "do not do my will but yours" and thus renounced what he felt or thought, humbled himself, Jesus is the perfect example. Notice that this is voluntary and there is no better way to be humble.
Fasting is humiliating your will because you will want to eat (will), you will think that it is good to eat and with very good arguments (intellect); and I assure you that you will feel like eating (emotions), so when you fast you humiliate your soul.
"The stomach is a bad servant and lousy master" wants to dominate us and does not want to obey, we have to fight the battle of the stomach. "Fasting is obtaining food for a spiritual purpose"
FASTING AND FORGIVENESS
Leviticus 16: 19-31 The indications for the day of forgiveness. The whole nation depended on sacrifice, but also that they humiliate their souls, the sacrifice was not available to the people, but each one had to humiliate their souls.
Leviticus 16:29 "And this shall be a perpetual statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and you shall do no work, neither the native nor the foreigner who dwells among you."
It is humiliating your soul or fasting. It was necessary for forgiveness, 3400 years ago that Israel does that for forgiveness. The part of the atoning sacrifice, Jesus did it already and it is perfect, but what it is up to the person is to humble themselves, notice that fasting is important, it is not the only way to humble oneself, but it is important for the people to humble themselves and to receive the benefit in their favor.
THE FASTING AND PROTECTION OF GOD
There is a tremendous lesson that Ezra gives us, we can read it in Ezra 8:21 "And I proclaimed a fast there by the river Ahava, to afflict ourselves before our God, to request from him the right way for us, and for our children, and for all our goods. 8:22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for troops and horsemen to defend us from the enemy on the road; for we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is for good over all who seek him; but his power and his fury against all those who abandon him. 8:23 We fasted, and asked our God for this, and he was propitious to us. "
Ezra used the method of God and not the method of the world, there will always be two alternatives: we solve the issue in a carnal way or we do it in a spiritual way. And believe me the way God works!
2 Samuel 12:14 "But because you have made this matter to blaspheme the enemies of the Lord, the son who is born to you will certainly die." See 2 Samuel 12: 15-23.
It is interesting the understanding that David had to seek God in the crisis, but he understood that it was not worthwhile to fast for something that God had already determined to happen. It is also good to note that others did not understand the purpose of the fast, and thought that it was only because of sadness.
