If you are like me, you have experienced times in your life where it seems like God is inundating you with the same message from a variety of means. For me, that time is now and I believe God is tellng me ithat I need to enter a period of fasting just to seek Him, to pursue excellence, and to deny myself.
Pastor Joel’s sermon this past weekend was really challenging and perfectly timed, as the Lenten season begins today. I also am doing a Bible study on the book of Daniel with some friends, and last Tuesday we watched the introductory video for Beth Moore’s study on this powerful book. I thought I would share some of the thoughts from that lesson with all of you.
Daniel 1 begins by telling us that around 605 B.C., King Nebudchadnezzar of Babylon besieges the city of Jerusalem and overthrows Jehoiakim, the king of Judah. He orders his chief official to select sons of Israel for his service, including Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and to feed them choice foods and wine from the king’s own table. As you probably recall, Daniel and his friends refuse, challenging the chief official to feed them only vegetables (the Hebrew word used is zeroa, which means “sown seed” and has been interpreted to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains) and water for 10 days and then to compare their appearance with that of the other young men who had eaten the king’s food. Obviously, Daniel and company appeared healthier and the overseer allowed them to continue their meal plan.
Often we read this story and focus on the type of diet and Daniel’s “triumph” over the men eating the king’s food. But it is more important to see Daniel’s heart which motivated this fast: “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8). Daniel chose to be sanctified and set apart, resolving not to lose his identity and integrity.
For what it is worth, Babylon was a wanton and wicked nation that promoted a mentality of complete overindulgence. Not unlike modern-day America, Babylon offered a smorgasboard of choices and put a great deal of importance on youth, beauty and intelligence. Complete self-absorption was a celebrated “virtue.”
When Daniel and his friends chose to refrain from defiling themselves with the Babylonian king’s food, they were sending a powerful statement that they would not become like the world around them. Likewise, when we fast we are symbolically demonstrating that we will not eat off the world’s table, and rather than being carried away by what Beth Moore calls the “tyranny of choices” that tempt us, we will exercise a little restraint.
Pastor Joel challenged us this weekend to consider a 40-day fast or even a 24-hour fast. I plan to do so - what about you? Can we, as leaders, deny our flesh and rebel against a little of the world’s overindulgence?
Great stuff, Sarah. Challenging. I’d also encourage everyone to go to http://40days.theaterchurch.com/ to join in the community of NCCers who are sharing Lenten fasting stories.
Heather Z
February 6th, 2008
Thanks for the message Sarah - it’s perfect for this season at NCC and in my own life as well!
Leslie
February 7th, 2008