Purim - 6 of 10 instructive examples from The Whole Megilla (the book of Esther)

March 9, 5:19 PMMilwaukee Christian Living ExaminerDelores Liesner

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The Queen called for a fast, but not just any fast. Esther’s choice of the type of fast she instructed Mordecai to commence is very telling. 

Biblical types of fasts are:

The Daniel Fast Eat no meat, no sweets and no bread. Some interpret this as vegetables of any type. Others hold specific that Daniel drank water and ate pulse. Pulse is an edible seed that grows in a pod. Pulses are a great source of protein for vegetarians, but they are also a very healthy choice for meat-eaters. Pulses include the whole range of beans, peas and lentils such as: baked beans, red, green, yellow and brown lentils, black eyed peas, garden peas, runner beans, chickpeas, broad beans, kidney beans, butter beans

3-Day Fast This fast can be a Full Fast, Daniel Fast or give up at least one item of food.

Partial Fast A partial fast is from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm or from sun up to sundown. You can select from three types of fasting —a Full Fast, Daniel Fast or give up at least one item of food.

Full Fast No liquid or food – or Drink only liquids (you establish the number of days).

Typically the length and severity of the fast were in keeping with the serious nature of the spiritual intercession, challenge or opposition.

Biblical reasons for fasting:

1)    To subject the physical to the spiritual and to give priority to spiritual goals;

2)    To disentangle oneself for a time from one’s environment, material things, daily responsibilities, and cares

3)    To devote one’s whole spiritual attention to God and prayer. – not implying that daily duties and life’s necessities are unholy or unspiritual; rather, we subject permissible things, even profitable things, to greater spiritual priorities.  (Wesley Duewel, “Mighty Prevailing Prayer”, p. 182)

4)    To Strengthen Our Spiritual Appetites & Longings for Him and to Protect us from Becoming Satisfied with Natural and Temporary Things (John Piper, “When I Don’t Desire God”, p. 172)

5)    To Bring Our Flesh Under Submission

6)    To Humble Ourselves

7)    To Combat Temptation and Spiritual Opposition

8)    During Times of Repentance and Intercession

9)    When Facing a Great Challenge or Obstacle

10) When you face an overwhelming need, a human impossibility, and your soul hungers to see God intervene by supernatural power, add fasting

Esther decreed as Queen through Mordecai saying “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

• Esther’s call for the dramatic full fasting for three days – night and day – was remarkably similar to Moses second fast
• Moses fasted for forty days and forty nights, twice back-to-back, without food or water; the first, immediately before he received the tablets on the mountain with God.  (Certainly an illustration of 1 and 3)
• The second time, after coming down, seeing the Israelites practicing idolatry, and breaking the tablets in anger. (Deuteronomy 9:7-21) (illustrating 4 and 5)

Fasting is also a wonderful ‘escape route’ to take ourselves out of the focus and allow God to be involved in our lives and decisions in ways that otherwise would not occur.  It is a wonderfully freeing experience, lifting life’s burdens and responsibilities and focusing on Christ – the resolution bringer – instead of the problems.

Because this examiner has experienced the effect and result of fasting, it is doubtful in her mind that when Esther prepared three days later, to go to the King, she was not lethargic, dizzy, or disoriented.  On the contrary, spiritual fasting in this examiner’s experience brings a heightened awareness of God’s presence and teachings, a clearer understanding of how to personally apply God’s Word to situations and a willingness – even eagerness or anticipation – to do so.

In continuing personal instructions from Esther and The Whole Megilla we shall see a submitted Esther following God’s instructions to the letter.

A local church practicing prayer and fasting is Burlington Assembly of God

For future reference, other types of submission and omission are considered fasting by many Christians such as: Fasting a meal,Fasting a day or a number of days, or

Fasting from something distracting in order to pursue the Lord such as these four:

·      Media Fast – T V, Movies, Newspaper reading, etc.

·      Activities Fast – Shopping, Sports, Hobbies, etc.

·      People Fast – Pursuing time with the Lord in place of social interactions

·      “The Non -Essentials Fast ” [an adaptation of Daniels fast in Dan 10:1-3

3 weeks of just the basic needs being met and the disposing of luxury foods and practices.