Sunday: Fasting and Worship
Read Nehemiah 9:1-3. Why were the people separating themselves from all foreigners?
Although Nehemiah was eager to make sure that the people associated this time with joy, he now led the assembly to fasting. They humbled themselves before God and threw dust on their heads, while wearing sackcloth.
Worship
Because the foreigners didn’t have a share in the corporate sin of the people of Israel, the Israelites separated themselves from them, as the Hebrews knew that it was their sins that needed to be forgiven. They acknowledged the sins of their nation, which had led them into exile.
Their corporate prayers and confession demonstrated a deep understanding of the nature of sin. The Israelites could have been angry that their predecessors messed up and led their whole nation into exile. Or they could have spent time complaining about the choices of their leaders and the lack of godliness displayed by the previous generations, which had led them to where they were right now — just a small group of returnees. However, instead of harboring hatred and grievances, they turned to God in humility and confession.
Nehemiah 9:3 reports that the people read from the Book of the Law for a fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed sin and worshiped God. This is the third reading of the Torah. Reading the Torah is central to confession, which must be based on the truth, which comes from God. Through our reading of the Bible, God draws near to us, and the Holy Spirit can speak to us and teach us. The truth of His Word molds our thinking and understanding, encourages and lifts us up. The Israelites also sorrowed and wept, because spending time in God’s holy presence makes us aware of His beauty and goodness while impressing upon us how amazing it is that the Creator of the universe chooses to be with us, even despite our unworthiness. Thus, we realize that without God in our lives, we are no different from any of our spiritual ancestors in the faith. Only with God working in us can we be who we should be.
| Read Daniel 9:4-19. In what ways is His prayer applicable to ourselves today? What should the reality of this application say to us individually, and as a church? |
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Yesterday, I speculated whether the lesson would tackle the issue of corporate sin. Now that I have had time to read ahead a bit, I am glad to see that this issue has been raised. I would like to sound a word of caution. I am sure that most of us can think up things where the church is wrong. Having worked for the church for over 40 years I have my own list that could extend over several pages and keep us in comments for weeks. But here is the caution; rather than saying “the church has done … or should have done …”, maybe it is more profitable for us to say “we have done … or should have done …” We are part of the church and if the church has done wrong, then we need to take ownership of that wrong, asking forgiveness and doing our part in restitution. It is too easy for us to accuse the church and put ourselves above the church by judging it. Taking ownership by including ourselves as part of the problem is what a Christian does.
Daniel sets the example for us in his prayer for Israel:
If our church has sinned, what is our responsibility in renewal and restoration?
Exactly Maurice!
Isn't that what corporate sin is all about?
I agree we need to stop complaining and do something.
P.S. I enjoy and appreciate your comments, realizing the commitment and amount of work it takes. Thank you and the Lord bless!
Thank you Jana.
I believe that we can pray for the sins of the church in the corporate setting just like they did in Israel. I have to brighten the corner where I am at, hence, in going forward, I must refuse to make the same mistake the corporate body makes and teach men to execute the right. A prevalent sin of our church today, is its omission in calling out the sins committed by our nation towards the strangers within our gates (at our borders); and the marginalization of minorities in the society. We are generally dumb, and only direct others to our written standards "without crying out" against the atrocities being rendered. Look at the following extracts from EGW:
“In the story of the good Samaritan, Christ illustrates the nature of true religion. He shows that it consists not in systems, creeds, or rites, but in the performance of loving deeds, in bringing the greatest good to others, in genuine goodness.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 497; and
“The standard of the golden rule is the true standard of Christianity; anything short of it is a deception. A religion that leads men to place a low estimate upon human beings, whom Christ has esteemed of such value as to give Himself for them; a religion that would lead us to be careless of human needs, sufferings, or rights, is a spurious religion. In slighting the claims of the poor, the suffering, and the sinful, we are proving ourselves traitors to Christ. It is because men take upon themselves the name of Christ, while in life they deny His character, that Christianity has so little power in the world.”—Pages 136, 137.
BLESSINGS!
I like your contribution to the discussion Renrick. A very important perspective!
I want to know the sin which the foreigners didn't share with the people of Israel
The sense of the sentence about sharing sin is that the people of Israel were taking ownership of their own wrongdoing. It was something between them (the Children of Israel) and God. Perhaps an analogy is where a husband and wife take time out together to sort out their differences. They need a little privacy because the issue is theirs and nobody else's business.
When they married foreigners. that was a sin for only Israelites
The Old Testament law specifically required prayer and fasting for only one occasion, which was the Day of Atonement worship.This custom became known as "the day of fasting" (Jeremiah 36:6) or "the Fast" (Acts 27:9). Moses fasted during the 40 days and 40 nights he was on Mount Sinai receiving the law from God (Exodus 34:28). King Jehoshaphat called for a fast in all Israel when they were about to be attacked by the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chronicles 20:3). In response to Jonah's preaching, the men of Nineveh fasted and put on sackcloth (Jonah 3:5). Prayer and fasting was often done in times of distress or trouble. David fasted when he learned that Saul and Jonathan had been killed (2 Samuel 1:12). Nehemiah had a time of prayer and fasting upon learning that Jerusalem was still in ruins (Nehemiah 1:4). Darius, the king of Persia, fasted all night after he was forced to put Daniel in the den of lions (Daniel 6:18).
Prayer and fasting also occurs in the New Testament. Anna "worshipped night and day, fasting and praying" at the Temple (Luke 2:37). John the Baptist taught his disciples to fast (Mark 2:18). Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before His temptation by Satan (Matthew 4:2). The church of Antioch fasted (Acts 13:2) and sent Paul and Barnabas off on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:3). Paul and Barnabas spent time in prayer and fasting for the appointment of elders in the churches (Acts 14:23).
And Jesus tells us that some things occur only by fasting and prayer - Matt. 17:21
What was a true fasting in the bible ? From what foods are we to not indulge?
True fasting is more about "why" and less about what we are abstaining from. If the only thing we remember about a fasting experience is that we were hungry, then perhaps it was for the wrong reason.
Have you ever been so busy that you have forgotten to eat? Has your prayer life been so important that you have put off anything to devote time to prayer?
What happened to the Teaching Plan that used to be part of this site? I found it very helpful when facilitating the lesson in class. Can it be brought back please??
Unfortunately Michael Fracker is having an operation on his back and will not be writing the plans again until December. We pray that the operation will be a success and that he has a speedy recovery. In the meantime William is stepping in and providing us with lesson plans.
should we also practice to pray and fast for GOD leading,s in our
lives, but not only when encountering difficulties and challenges.
Remember that Jesus tells us that some things occur only by fasting and prayer - Matt. 17:21.
How do you get to this state of fasting and prayer?
Without the Holy Spirit moving upon the people, we cannot enter into fasting and prayer.
Moving of the Holy Spirit will create a thirst for the word.
Our true condition is revealed by the reading of the Word of God.
Ezra in 13 years had prepared 26 men who were able to stand and teach the people.
Before they came to the corporate body these 26 men had agreed upon the oneness of the Word.
Which allowed them to answer the question and clarify the Word of God for the people.
When the purity of the Word was revealed unto the people, they were led to the fasting and prayer.
Romans 10:14&15
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who [b]preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
May God bless us as we learn to yield to the leading of Holy Spirit.
"I am not where I want to be but I am not where I used to be." Joyce Meyer
if we say its the church which is wrong then where do we stand we are part of the church
What was a true fasting in the bible ? From what supstainses are we to not indulge?
I don't think that the Bible is specific about what foods to abstain from during fasting. If you look at the examples of fasting in the Bible you will find some who fasted for several days with no food or drink (I resume they still drank water during that time), while others fasted only until evening. It appears that some fasts consisted of eating only plain food and drinking only water.
I come back to the fundamental principle though, that fasting is less important that your mindset. Fasting does not save you, It simply removed the distraction of food so that you can concentrate on the important things.
There is one more thing about fasting in Biblical times. It was often accompanied by wearing sackcloth and covering yourself with ash from the fire. These items are typically hard to come by in our environment today. Perhaps a modern equivalent would be to switch off the TV and computers and disconnect from the Internet. For some of us that would be a fast indeed, and it would remove a major distraction from our prayer time!