Sermon # 30 - Fasting - A Spiritual Discipline Series

We read in Jonah 3:4-5, Jonah started through the city, and after walking a whole day, he proclaimed, "In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed!" The people of Nineveh believed God's message. So they decided that everyone should fast, and all the people, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth to show that they had repented. (GNB)

God had sent the prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh to convey a message to them. The people of Nineveh were living carelessly giving no thought to God their creator, or His ways whatsoever. As their wickedness increased the Lord intended to sensitize them about their sinful ways. Before the Lord decided to punish these people, He graciously gave them an opportunity to repent. God sent Jonah for this purpose, and when the people of Nineveh heard the preaching of Jonah they immediately believed, took a fast, put on sackcloth, and repented of their sins. The people of Nineveh though numerous did not hide their sins or justify their faults, nor did they argue or quarrel with the prophet, but on the other hand right away believed the word of the Lord. The reason for this turnaround was that all of them realized their sins, and decided to set their lives in order.

Each one of us as individuals are quite aware of the areas in our lives where we do wrong. Some may think that no one else is aware of the sins in their lives, but the truth is that nothing can be hidden from the sight of God. Moreover, inside of each of us is the voice of our conscience that no one can silence. Repentance is that sense of remorse that overwhelms us, for those things that are not right in our lives.

Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 12:41, “On the Judgment Day the people of Nineveh will stand up and accuse you, because they turned from their sins when they heard Jonah preach; and I tell you that there is something here greater than Jonah!” (GNB)

In His teaching, while Jesus was here on the earth, He referred to this incident of Jonah, and the people of Nineveh, though it happened hundreds of years before Jesus came. Jesus was forthright to teach that there was a day of judgement for all of mankind, and that the people of Nineveh would actually stand to accuse all those who heard the teaching of Jesus, but did not repent. Further, Jesus went on to say that He was the one greater than Jonah who was in the midst of them, whom they failed to recognize. Jesus was the Son of God who came down to the earth to take on Himself the sins of all mankind. He died, was buried and rose again on the third day, and will come again as the King of Kings.

Though Jonah lived so many years before Jesus came, the message that Jonah preached so pricked the hearts of the people of Nineveh that they immediately repented of their sins and wickedness. Interestingly, Jonah gave the people of Nineveh just forty days within which they had to set things in order or face the judgement of God.

The teachings of Jesus is a clear reminder to us that there is an impending day of judgement for all of us, and that we should be prepared to stand before the righteous judge. While Jesus was here on earth, He preached for three and a half years. However, it seemed that the people in those days were unwilling to change, and hence Jesus had to caution them with the example of the people of Nineveh.

One important thing that the people of Nineveh did was to take up a fast. A fast signified that more that the physical food, the relationship with God was of utmost importance. In order to live a life that is pleasing to God, we need His grace and strength, and a fast reveals this total dependence that we have on God. You may have a question as to what is the significance of setting aside food during a fast.

The first restriction that God set

We read in Genesis 2:16-17, He told him, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day." (GNB)

The one command that God gave to Adam and Eve was that they should not eat the fruit of this one tree in the garden, which interestingly was a food restriction. Adam and Eve enjoyed this amazing fellowship and relationship with God in the Garden of Eden until the serpent subtly entered in. When the serpent entered the garden, it deceived Eve and Adam into believing a lie which led to their disobedience.