Background to passage: Dec 519 BC, 2nd of 3 post exilic prophets.
Zechariah 7:1–7 ESV
In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev.
Now the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men to entreat the favor of the Lord,
saying to the priests of the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets, “Should I weep and abstain in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”
Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me:
“Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?
Were not these the words that the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, with her cities around her, and the South and the lowland were inhabited?’ ”
Opening illustration: Story of the man who fasted yet accomplished nothing. “I’ve fasted on several occasions; and nothing happened. I just got hungry … several years ago I heard a couple of pastors discussing fasting. On their recommendation I tried my first fast. They said it was commanded in the Bible and should be practiced by every Christian. Being a Christian, I decided to try it. After putting it off for several days, I mustered up enough courage to start. I couldn’t go to the breakfast table with my family because I didn’t think I would have enough willpower to abstain from eating, so I went on to work. The coffee break was almost unbearable, and I told a little white lie about why I didn’t go with the group. All I could think about was how hungry I was. I said to myself, “If ever I get through this day, I’ll never try this again.” The afternoon was even worse. I tried to concentrate on my work, but I all I could hear was the growling of my stomach. My wife prepared a meal herself and our child, and the aroma of the food was all I could bear. I figured that if I could make it till midnight, I would have fasted all day. I did – but immediately after the striking of the hour of twelve, I dug into food. I don’t think that day of fasting helped me one bit.” -Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney
Main thought: One of the purposes of fasting is to fix our eyes upon God, examining ourselves in light of Him in order to strengthen prayer. For our Month of Fasting and Prayer 2024, we are going to focus on God, his attributes and character so that we might be transformed, and pray by the Spirit for the right things. So, rather than a well thought out list, we will pray as we see His face.
I want 2024 to be a year of REFOCUS at WHBC. We are refocusing our eyes, hearts, minds for the kingdom. This morning we will look at motivation.
1) Is Your Fasting and Praying for Him? (v. 5-6)
Zechariah 7:5–6 ESV
“Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves?
1) Is Your Fasting and Praying for Him? (v. 5-6)
Explanation: Multiple times in the OT, the evaluation for fasting by the prophets was its result. Did a person’s or the nation’s fast lead to a life that is godly, often spoken about how they treat other people, especially the weak, oppressed, and needy.
Here, the people ask a question about continuing fasting in the fifth and seventh month as they did in Babylon. God asks a question about their motivation, rather than giving them an answer at this point.
Regardless of the discipline or the act of worship (songs, sacrifices, offerings, vows), God desires purity of motivation. He desires that things be done for him with sincerity and with love for him. He instructs us that we are to do things, all things, for his glory and for his great name.
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
God is very clear in the OT that forms of worship done otherwise are not acceptable.
1 Samuel 15:22–23 ESV
And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
Hosea 6:6 ESV
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Amos 5:21–24 ESV
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
We have dedicated a month to prayer and fasting at the beginning of the last three years, but WHY? -
We want to see God, be transformed, and glorify him.
Argumentation: saw God and it transformed their lives - Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Peter, Paul, Mary
But now, in this text, in our context we must evaluate purpose and motivation.
Illustration: Let’s say Erika is cleaning our bathroom, what might be her motivation? To feel better or have company. What if I was cleaning it? Could be that I love her and want her to be happy, or that I think my life will go better, or that I want something, then at best it is buttering her up, at worst manipulating circumstances for my gain.
Application: However, with our fast we will ask the question about fasting prior the end of the fast, and prior to any results demonstrated in our lives, with the hope that transformation is seen. I think this is one of the reasons that I felt Steve and I felt led for our church to look upon the face of God. If you want true transformation in our lives, look upon Him.
Even though we are seven days into our fasting and prayer, let’s do some evaluation of WHY. The WHY is incredibly important! John Piper’s example of giving flowers to Noel on their anniversary as a duty. We do not want God to reject our fasting or it to be fruitless. Questions for your heart and mind that only you can answer honestly that we can ask:
Why did you sign up?
What’s your approach on the day that you have chosen?
What about the days that you haven’t selected to own?
What do you expect to gain?
What is your goal?
Of course, these questions could/ be asked of everything we do. Also, especially, as this is a church effort, we should ask what is the church’s goal, what should it expect to gain. If the glorification of God is not at the top of these answers, we are not doing it right...
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Application: We must pray once we see our heart for purity of motivation, even if your motivation now is right. For the next 23 days let your fasting cause you to look toward God, and ask him to reveal himself to you. OK, pastor, how do I do that. Glad you asked. This week, on Tues, we looked and meditated on Jehovah M’Kaddesh - The LORD who Sanctifies. One of the ways we see God is through his Word, His truth.
John 17:17 ESV
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Secondly, look at Christ.
John 14:8–10 ESV
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Thirdly, you can see his names and his works.
Fourthly, you can seek extra teaching or resources related to this attributes and actions of God to further enrich your meditation.
Do everything you can to see Christ for the right reasons, and you WILL be changed in 2024, our church will REFOCUS in 2024, and God will be glorified in 2024.
Closing illustration: Heart of Worship
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All is stripped away
And I simply come
… Longin' just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
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… I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
… You search much deeper within
Through the ways things appear
You're looking into my heart
… I'm comin' back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
… I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
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… King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve?
… Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
… I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
… You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart, yeah
… I'm comin' back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
… I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
Are you doing this for him or for yourself? Are you going through the motions, checking off your days? Grinding it out until you can eat again?
Or are you pursuing him? Are you desiring to know him? Do you want more of him, more transformation of your life so that he can be glorified?
