WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND The Scripture teaches that fasting is good stewardship that has physical and spiritual benefits.

February 1, 2015 ADULT FEASTING AND FASTING MINISTRY INVOCATION O God: We give thanks to You for the manifold blessings to us. You did not have to bless us but You did. We shall remain eternally grateful. Amen. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND The Scripture teaches that fasting is good stewardship that has physical and spiritual benefits. THE APPLIED FULL GOSPEL DISTINCTIVE We believe in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost for all believers and that the Holy Ghost verifies and validates the Believer as part of the Body of Christ. TEXT: Background Scripture Daniel 1:5, 8-17, Matthew 6:6-18; 9:9-17 Key Verse Matthew 6:17-18 Lesson Scripture Daniel 1:5, 8-17, Matthew 6:6-18 Daniel 1:5 (NRSV) 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king s court. Daniel 1:8 17 (NRSV) 8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself. 9 Now God allowed Daniel to receive favor and compassion from the palace master. 10 The palace master said to Daniel, I am afraid of my lord the king; he has appointed your food and your drink. If he should see you in poorer condition than the other young men of your own age, you would endanger my head with the king. 11 Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 12 Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you observe. 14 So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was observed that they appeared better and fatter than all the young men who had been eating the royal rations. 16 So the guard continued to withdraw their royal rations and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. 17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel also had insight into all visions and dreams. 1

Matthew 6:6 18 (NRSV) 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Concerning Fasting 16 And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. COMMENTARY 1:5 Daniel and his friends received a privileged diet as well. Their food came from the king s table that is, they ate the very food the king ate. Rich food would capture the idea even better. An opportunity to achieve a privileged position in the king s court was also afforded to the young men. They were to be trained ( nourishing them, KJV) is literally to make them great. This training period was to continue for three years and was intended to prepare the young men to serve the king in some capacity. It is reasonable to suppose that the Babylonian training period was similar to that of the Persians and other peoples. After the successful completion of the three-year training period, the young men were to enter royal service. Evidently, the level of governmental responsibility was determined by the king s examination of the trainees at the end of the program. 2

1:8 Throughout their history, remaining true to the Mosaic law in matters concerning diet was a challenge for the Jews when in foreign lands and now the four Hebrew youths were confronted with this dilemma. Yet Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. His friends concurred in this decision. At least two factors would have caused these religious Jews to be reluctant to eat the king s food. First, many of the foods eaten at the Babylonian court (e.g., pork and horseflesh) would have been unclean according to the law of Moses, either inherently or because they were not prepared properly; for example, the blood might not have been drained from the meat. To eat such foods would have been a sin for an Israelite and would have rendered the individual ceremonially unclean before God. Second, the meat and wine would have been undesirable because a portion of it was (at least on occasions if not always) first offered sacrificially to the Babylonian gods before being sent to the king and was therefore associated with idolatrous worship. Although wine was not forbidden by the Jewish law, Daniel s aversion to drinking it probably is to be explained by its use as a libation in these pagan rituals. First-century Christians faced a similar dilemma. Thus, Daniel s refusal to eat the king s food was based upon his deep religious convictions. He desired to remain true to his God. This is one reason God blessed Daniel with such great insight. He acted upon the spiritual light he had and God honored his faithfulness by imparting more. In order to avoid defilement, the young Jewish captive asked the chief official (Ashpenaz) if he might be served a substitute diet. In making his request, Daniel was polite and tactful. Believers today may disagree with official policies and even with each other, but they should follow Daniel s example in disagreeing in an agreeable fashion. At first glance, this request seemed simple enough, but a number of factors rendered this a courageous act. (1) To refuse the royal diet could have been taken as an insult to the king and as an act of direct disobedience to Nebuchadnezzar s orders. (2) Pressure from Daniel s peers most certainly made the decision difficult. Everyone else was doing it. By choosing this course of action, Daniel and his friends were setting themselves apart from the others. Now they were different, strange. (3) Such unorthodox behavior could have jeopardized their chances for advancement. (4) The quality of food would have been attractive. It was the best in the land. (5) Their new location may have tempted them to be unfaithful. Judah was nine hundred miles away; parents and friends would never know whether or not they kept God s laws. Yet Daniel and his friends were aware of a very important fact. Other people might not know their actions, 3

but God would know, and someday all will give an account of themselves to him. (6) It would have been natural to argue that since God had not protected them from captivity this horrible situation they did not have to be careful to obey his commands. They could have become bitter toward God during this time. Sometimes believers fall into this trap. All of these factors could have caused some people to compromise, but Daniel and his friends remained faithful to their God. In setting forth his reasons for the request, Daniel would have had an indirect opportunity to share his faith with Ashpenaz. From a study of the book, it may be observed that Daniel was a witness throughout his life and probably had great influence in spreading the knowledge of Yahweh throughout that part of the world. 1:9 Ashpenaz was not a follower of Yahweh, but he was impressed with Daniel. By stating that God caused Ashpenaz to have a favorable attitude toward Daniel, the writer again emphasized the fact that God was in control of the situation. He was able to direct the hearts of the captors to accomplish His Sovereign Will. Favor suggests goodwill, and sympathy conveys compassion or a tender feeling. Ashpenaz had genuinely grown to admire and feel affection toward these Jewish captives. God s common grace, which operates in the hearts of unbelievers, was exemplified here. 1:10 Ashpenaz liked and respected these boys; nevertheless he feared the king, who had specifically designated the captives food and drink. If these young men were not well taken care of (i.e., if they looked bad), he could lose not only his job but his head. The official s fears probably were well founded. Nebuchadnezzar s harshness and rash decisions are evidenced on other occasions. The Hebrew root ( looking worse ) means to be sad or upset, the idea being that if the youths were unhealthy because of insufficient nutriment, their faces would appear sad and unhappy. Reference is made to the other young men your age, which again indicates that boys from countries other than Judah were enrolled in Nebuchadnezzar s training program. Daniel proposed to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over them that they might have an alternative diet for a ten-day period. The guard could then judge for himself their physical condition after the test had been completed. 1:11 The Guard was not there primarily to guard the youths but to watch over and care for them. At any rate, this person was a subordinate of Ashpenaz, whose job was to look after the boys as they adjusted to life in Babylon. 4

1:12 As a test, the youths proposed that they might be allowed to eat only vegetables and drink water rather than receive the king s meat and wine for ten days. Vegetables means basically that which grows from sown seed. The term would include not only vegetables but fruits, grains, and bread that is made from grains. Daniel s diet was similar to many so-called health food diets today. By this request, Daniel was not suggesting that eating meat was wrong, for a meat diet was permitted and in some instances even commanded in the law (e.g., in the case of the Passover lamb and other sacrifices). He sought to exclude these items from his diet for reasons stated above. 1:13 14 When the trial period was concluded, the overseer would check their appearance, that is, their physical condition. If they looked healthy, they would be allowed to continue the diet. The overseer agreed to this proposition, and the experiment was carried out. 1:15 16 At the end of this period, the young men looked healthier (lit., better ) and better nourished (lit., fatter of flesh ) than the other youths who were eating the king s rich food. So the overseer allowed Daniel and his friends to continue their new diet. Nutritional experts today advocate a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables for optimum health. It is therefore no surprise that Daniel and his friends looked visibly healthier after following this menu, even for only ten days. 1:17 God gave gifts to these young men for their faithfulness. All abilities and gifts ultimately come from the Lord, who is the source of all blessings. Each of the four youths received the gift of keen intellectual ability, but Daniel had a special gift not possessed by the others. And Daniel might better be translated but Daniel, presenting a sharp contrast between Daniel and the other three boys. The young prophet was miraculously endowed with a gift highly prized in that day, especially in Babylon the ability to understand all kinds of visions and dreams. There are two reasons for directing attention to the fact that Daniel could understand visions and dreams at this point in the book. First, dream interpretation was an important part of Babylonian wisdom, and the Babylonians firmly believed that the gods spoke through dreams. That Daniel had this gift was noteworthy. Second, the statement prepares the reader for the dreams and visions that follow. Often believers wonder if God speaks through dreams and visions today since that was a method of divine communication in biblical times. 5

Matthew 6:5 8 As with almsgiving, Jesus does not rule out all public behavior but stresses the private side of piety. Public prayer is very appropriate when practiced with right motives, but public orations should represent the overflow of a vibrant personal prayer life. Prayer ought not to be used to gain plaudits, summarize a sermon, or communicate information to an audience but should reflect genuine conversation with God. Verses 7 8 add a second element to Jesus teaching on prayer. We must not babble. In light of vv. 7b 8, this at least refers to a long-winded and probably flowery or rhetorical oration. Vain repetitions (KJV) should be taken as emphasizing vain and not repetitions. Verse 8 does not forbid prayer, but calls for simplicity, directness, and sincerity in talking to God. Matthew 7:7 8 will urge persistence in prayer, but we are reminded that God wants to give us good gifts; therefore, we need not badger him with our requests. God knows our needs, but he has also chosen to grant some things only when his people pray.. 6:9 13 Jesus then gave His disciples the Our Father, or the Lord s Prayer. Actually, the Lord s Prayer is a better designation for John 17, whereas the model given here might be better entitled The Disciples Prayer. In light of vv. 7 8, it is highly ironic that this prayer has come to be repeated mechanically in many Christian traditions, accompanied by the notion that frequent repetition develops spirituality. Still, the prayer remains an excellent model; it is equally ironic that other Christian traditions have carefully avoided its use or recitation. The key word in v. 9a is how. Verses 9b 13 illustrate key components and attitudes that Jesus disciples should incorporate into their prayer lives. We may choose to pray these exact words thoughtfully and reflectively or to put into our own words similar concerns. More likely the two reflect similar teachings of Jesus from two different occasions in his ministry. The Greek Father probably translates the Aramaic Abba. Use of this intimate term for God was virtually unparalleled in first-century Judaism. Christians should consider God as accessible as the most loving human parent. ( Father should not be read as implying that God has gender or sexuality.) The phrase in heaven balances this intimacy with an affirmation of God s sovereignty and majesty. The Lord s Prayer is not simply a private utterance. The intimacy Christians may have with their Heavenly Father is balanced also with insistence on reverence in the clause hallowed be your name. Name refers to one s person, character, and authority. All that God stands for should be treated as holy and honored because of his utter perfection and goodness. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven expresses the desire that the acknowledgment of God s reign and the accomplishment of His purposes take place in this world even as they already do in God s throne room. The first half of the prayer thus focuses exclusively on God and his agenda 6

as believers adore, worship, and submit to his will before they introduce their own personal petitions. In addition to the traditional translation, daily bread, it could also mean bread for tomorrow (taken either as the next period of twenty-four hours or as the coming fullness of the kingdom) or necessary for existence. Christians therefore should pray daily for the next day s provision of life s essentials as they recognize that all sustenance for one s life comes from God and that he makes no long-term future guarantees. It is also worth noting that the prayer makes request for our needs and not our greed. Forgive us our debts renders the Greek literally. Luke 11:4, however, refers to sins, as does Matthew in vv. 14 15. Spiritual debts to God are first of all in view. Our plea for continued forgiveness as believers, requesting the restoration of fellowship with God following the alienation that sin produces, is predicated on our having forgiven those who have sinned against us. As v. 15 stresses, without this interpersonal reconciliation on the human level, neither can we be reconciled to God. Lead us not into temptation does not imply don t bring us to the place of temptation or don t allow us to be tempted. God s Spirit has already done both of these with Jesus (4:1). Nor does the clause imply don t tempt us because God has promised never to do that anyway (Jas 1:13). Rather, these words seem best taken as don t let us succumb to temptation or don t abandon us to temptation. We do of course periodically succumb to temptation but never because we have no alternative (1 Cor 10:13). So when we give in, we have only ourselves to blame. The second clause of v. 13 phrases the same plea positively, Deliver us from evil (or from the evil one from whom all evil ultimately comes). If we are praying for rescue from the devil, he is more likely tempting than testing us (cf. under 4:1). God tests us in order to prove us and bring us to maturity. Such tests should not be feared, nor should we pray for God to withhold them. Christians regularly and rightly utter many things in prayer that do not directly quote the autographs of Scripture. 6:14 15 Jesus is not claiming God s unwillingness to forgive recalcitrant sinners but disclosing their lack of capacity to receive such forgiveness. 6:16 18 Jesus proceeds with the third example of a common element of Jewish piety. He himself has fasted for forty days (4:2 11). Pharisees typically fasted on Mondays and Thursdays, refraining from food but not from drink. Fasting is more controversial in Christian circles than prayer or giving to the needy. Jesus apparently did not give this spiritual discipline a high priority, especially during his ministry, but he did anticipate that it would occur later (9:15). The only 7

specific New Testament references to later Christian fasting come in contexts of seeking God s will in choosing church leaders (Acts 13:2 3; 14:23). As with almsgiving and prayer, those who fast must not advertise their piety by visible signs of suffering and deprivation. Instead people must groom themselves according to cultural norms in order to appear joyful and content. Christians who judge successful ministries by external statistics such as attendance figures, membership, baptisms, and offerings should seriously rethink their criteria in light of Jesus words here. God judges the greatness of His servants by searching their hearts, examining their inner attitudes, and seeing deeds done in secret. Doubtless, His evaluations of who most honors him will invert a substantial majority of his people s evaluations. RELATED DISCUSSION TOPICS CLOSING PRAYER My God: I am grateful to have found You and kept You in the forefront of my being. Bless us continually with Your grace and mercy. They represent bountiful blessings for all of us. Amen. 8