Examples of Liturgical Fasts in the Bible
Can the church can be the true body and bride of Christ without regularly scheduled services and when it doesn’t have easy, immediate access to the Lord’s Supper? When we, by our own will, make the choice to despise God’s preaching and means of grace, we sin by breaking the third commandment. But what if God takes the services away and limits access to the means of grace? This is a good question for faithful Christians who laudably love the reverence of ordered worship and weekly reception of Jesus’ body and blood but are now trying to figure out if we can remain faithful while being isolated at home. A good student of the Scriptures will know that divinely imposed fasts from public worship and certain means of grace are nothing new. They happen both to sinners who are being driven to repentance and to righteous people in fulfillment of God’s greater purposes of love and mercy. Here’s a little list I put together…
Adam and Eve were cast from the garden (Genesis 3:24). Luther beautifully describes what the divine service at the foot of the tree of knowledge of good and evil might have been like. “So, then, this tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or the place where trees of this kind were planted in large number, would have been the church at which Adam, together with his descendants, would have gathered on the Sabbath day. And after refreshing themselves from the tree of life he would have praised God and lauded Him for the dominion over all the creatures on the earth which had been given to mankind. Psalms 148 and 149 suggest a kind of liturgy for such thanksgiving, where the sun, the moon, the stars, the fish, and the dragons are commanded to praise the Lord. Yet every one of us could have composed a better and more perfect psalm than any of these if we had been begotten by Adam in innocence. Adam would have extolled the greatest gift, namely, that he, together with his descendants, was created according to the likeness of God. He would have admonished his descendants to live a holy and sinless life, to work faithfully in the garden, to watch it carefully, and to beware with the greatest care of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This outward place, ceremonial, word, and worship man would have had; and later on he would have returned to his working and guarding until a predetermined time had been fulfilled, when he would have been translated to heaven with the utmost pleasure” (LW 1:105-106). Because of man’s sin, this treasure was lost. The whole worship of creation was shattered as Adam and his descendants set themselves both against God and creation through their disobedience of the Lord’s Word. Nevertheless, though this pure an primal liturgy was lost, the Lord sustained Adam and Eve’s faith in the wilderness east of Eden with the promise of the coming Seed who is Christ (Gen 3:15). Praise God! Though the glory and beauty of one liturgy was taken away, another liturgy was inaugurated for our race’s fast in the wilderness of sin, the preaching of the Seed’s victory over the serpent which is the Gospel.
Cain was cast from his family (Genesis 4:12). It was a disagreement over the nature of the divine service that inflamed Cain to murder his brother. He offered the fruit of the ground, a portion of his labor to gain God’s favor. Abel, on the other hand, offered his firstborn of the flock and their fat portions by faith, not trusting in his own works but giving thanks that the animal’s death symbolized the future sufferings of the Seed by which God’s favor is obtained. The Lord’s punishment for Cain was that he should be cast from his family. This means he’d be cut off from the God-pleasing sacrifices, the preaching of the Seed from Adam, and the church’s prayers. Luther explains, “One sin is punished by a threefold punishment. In the first place, Cain is deprived of a spiritual or ecclesiastical glory; for there is taken from him the promise of the blessed Seed, who was to be born from his descendants. In the second place, the earth is cursed, and this is a punishment that affects his domestic establishment. The third punishment—that he is to be a wanderer and is to find a permanent dwelling place nowhere—involves civil government. Nevertheless, there is a way left for him to come into the church, but without the promise. As I have said, if any of Cain’s descendants joined the true church and the holy fathers, they were saved. Similarly, there is left to him the administration of his household, but without any blessing; likewise civil government, so that he can build a city and dwell there, but without knowing how long. Therefore he is truly like a beggar in the church, in the household, and in the government” (LW 1:294). The fast from divine worship does not preclude repentant return to God by sorrowing over sin and faith in the promise, Luther states. But his sin would have lasting consequences that, no doubt, were intended to teach Cain sorrow over what he had done and to desire God’s forgiveness.
Joseph was sold into slavery (Genesis 37:28). Whereas the previous two fasts came as result of the individual’s sin, Joseph did not sin. He was sinned against. His brothers actions meant that he lost the preaching of the coming Seed from Jacob. He lost the sacrifices that prefigured the Seed’s sufferings. He lost the prayers and fellowship of the saints. Instead he was surrounded by idols and unbelief. What his brothers meant for evil, God meant for salvation and life. The Lord sent Joseph into exile so that Israel’s descendants would have a refuge in Egypt from the plague. During Joseph’s time of exile, do you think the Lord abandoned him or that he lost his saving faith? Of course not. Proof is the great comfort Joseph proclaims to his brothers after he reveals himself. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 45:7-8). Imagine how Joseph’s faith was tested when he was, put in chains, tempted by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown in prison. Yet, the Lord was with him. He preserved Joseph’s trust in the promises of salvation that would come through the Seed born through Israel’s line.
The Ark was captured by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4-5). Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas were bad priests. They desecrated the tabernacle through their sins (1 Samuel 2:22-25). The Lord rebuked them and promised that their lives would soon lost together on the same day. But they didn’t just loose their lives. By carrying the Ark into battle thinking that God’s power would blast their enemies, Raiders of the Lost Ark style, the Lord made the whole of Israel suffer by letting the Philistines capture the mercy seat. Again, it wasn’t the faithful Hebrews who sinned, but they still suffered a fast sent from God. They went without the divine worship commanded by God to take place around his ark. When the time was right, the Lord himself ended the fast by making the Philistines return the ark.
David was cast from Saul’s presence and his flight into gentile lands (1 Samuel 20-27; Psalm 56, 57). Though David was blameless in God’s sight, Saul could only see the young man as a threat to his power. When Saul raised his hand against David (1 Samuel 19:10), David had no choice. He fled more than once to the gentile lands of Gath and into caves in the wilderness. During these times, David composed Psalms of desperate prayer and faith. He continues to teach the church removed from the comforts of the Lord’s house by reminding them that the Lord sees and saves us. David sings, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back int the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.” (Psalm 56:8-9). And again, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (Psalm 57:1).
Elijah’s flight from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-18). The Lord gave victory to Elijah in his contest against Baal’s priests and prophets. The Lord graciously sent rain and quenched Israel’s thirst. Though the Lord worked wonders, the Lord’s enemies only felt emboldened to persecute Elijah and the true church. There wasn’t time for feasting and worship. Elijah fled into the wilderness without help or hope. Even with the aid of angels Elijah’s heart wasn’t up to the tasks of continuing what appeared to his eyes to be a losing campaign. The Lord, on the other hand, sees far more than our sin stained eyes. The Lord spoke to Elijah. He strengthened him and told him of the remnant of seven thousand who had not been corrupted by Baal though Elijah was convinced that he was the only godly man left. Men see hopelessness. The Lord sees life and deliverance for his saints. Trusting in the Lord’s Word, the saints are sustained during their fast from peace, ease, and separation from their faithful brothers and sisters.
The temple’s destruction in 586 BC (Isaiah; Jeremiah; Lamentations; Ezekiel; 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Psalm 137). Nothing illustrates God’s willingness to lead his people to repentance through taking their worship from them than Jerusalem and the temple’s destruction at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jeremiah, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, says that even though Babylonians are causing the damage, death, and destruction, they are the Lord’s servants to punish Judah’s sin (Jeremiah 25:9; 27:6; 43:10). The only appropriate response to such chastisement is lament. Jeremiah teaches us how. He teaches us to see our sins with shame (Lamentations 1:8). He teaches us to see God’s wrath against our sins in what we’ve lost (Lamentations 2:2). He teaches us to know contrition. He teaches us to pray for the restoration of repentance according to God’s unchangeable mercy which the saints have with or without the temple with all its services and sacrifices. “For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men” (Lamentations 31-33). When the time is right, the Lord granted the services to resume in the rebuilt temple. When the time was right he sent his Son as the fulfillment of the temple’s promise, that God’s dwelling will be with men and that through God’s sacrifice men will be redeemed.
Jesus fasts for 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). The great advantage of hearing God’s Word preached publicly and receiving the sacrament is that our faith is strengthened against the devil’s temptations. Yet, while we had access to the means of grace, our flesh didn’t take advantage of them as we should have. We imposed false fasts from worship by sleeping in, spending the morning brunching with friends, traveling, attending sports camps and games, or simply by being lazy. We didn’t redeem the time because we didn’t think the days were that evil. When life’s good, might as well enjoy it, right? Jesus, driven by the Spirit, removed himself from the strength we despised. He hungered when we have never discovered the meaning of what it means to be hungry. After forty days of isolation in the wilderness, Jesus confronted Satan’s temptations and prevailed. He is victorious. By faith preached into Christian hearts through the means of grace that have not been taken from us, the church shares totally in that victory over temptation on the first day of isolation and well after the hundredth.
Jesus was removed from his disciples sight during his rest in the tomb (John 19:38-42). The divine service of Jesus’ sufferings, death, burial, and resurrection resulted in a time of profound sorrow and fasting from Jesus’ presence for his scattered disciples. Jesus told them what would happen. “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me” (John 16:16). The disciples didn’t know that Jesus was speaking of his three day rest in the tomb, though he had preached his passion on at least three separate occasions (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19). Jesus went on to explain “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy” (John 16:20). There’s no greater sorrow than to be separated from our Lord. How wonderful is it that in the disciples separation from Jesus that the Lord was working perfect and eternal reconciliation with God and joy that no time spent away from church can in diminish.
The imprisonment of the Apostles (Acts 16:25). There’s no way to get to church when you’re in chains. So it was for Paul and Silas in Philippi. But they used their time as Christians praying and singing the hymns they had committed to heart. No you don’t have chains, though your local magistrates may threaten legal punishments if you leave home unnecessarily right now. What you share in common with Paul and Silas is the Word, your catechisms committed to heart, the hymns planted into our memory, the sure and certain trust that no matter how long we’ll have to spend apart from the gathering of saints, the Lord will sustain our saving faith for Christ’s sake. Take advantage of your home Bible. Read and study. Use your hymnal as a family. Sing with joy for the forgiveness, life, and salvation that have not and never will be taken from you. Jesus says that for the sake of this virus, he will not let you slip from his hand (John 6:39).
There is a fair question as to whether present circumstances qualify as a liturgical fast sent from heaven, especially since many church leaders made the decision to close and lock the doors without specific orders or threats of punishment. I suppose that fear rather than prudence could have caused otherwise faithful pastors and congregants to abandon corporate worship. But, from my perspective, the actions of the faithfully prudent and fearful look the same for the moment. Remember that God alone judges the heart. I doubt that many decisions to close the doors came from fear. It seems that everyone is trying to obey the worldly authorities that God has established to minister over health, prosperity, and justice in this world. We should give thanks for their cautious efforts to preserve the lives of their citizens.
There is one thing I do know. This fast, like all others, come to an end. We don’t know when that will be, but the Lord can’t keep us from the public assembly forever. Even if disease takes our life, we have the promise that we’ll be reunited with the saints in worship before the Lamb’s throne. For most of us, the time will come when the doors will open, the saints will embrace, and we’ll eat and drink Jesus’ body and blood next to the rest of our brothers and sister in our local congregations. God grant that day come quickly. God grant also that we don’t forget the lessons we’re being taught; the necessity of worship in the home and the value of public worship. God grant, finally, that this cross will bear fruits of faith and steadfast patience as we wait for the worldly fast that stretches from baptism to the grave to end. Soon Jesus will appear in the clouds with glory. Soon this veil of tears will give way to the new heavens and earth. Soon we will see Jesus face to face.
If you’re one of the three people who might read this and think this piece is questionable or open to rebuke. I’ve turned on the comments.