Genesis 2:1-3, Leviticus 26:2, Isaiah 58, Ezekiel 20:19-24, Matthew 12:6-13, Luke 13:10-17, Hebrews 4:6-11
Our blessed Creator JESUS has bestowed upon me soul awakening revelation about the meaning of a (true fast= fasting in the way that God has intended), as well as another subject of much significance which works in tandem with a (true fast), which is the necessity for mankind to genuinely uphold the (7th day of the week/Sabbath day as Holy), as was established by God from the beginning of Creation. The 10 commandments are still recognized by our Creator as necessary for us to uphold, and many teachings established through the fullness of the law and the prophets are still intended by Him for us to be applying to everyday existence. Remember what (God/JESUS) has revealed to us through the historical record of:
Matthew 5:18
Till Heaven and earth pass away, neither one jot nor tittle will pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
The significance is to understand what among the law and prophets is necessary for us to uphold, and what is not. It is written about JESUS Christ that He would be straightening the crooked path, as declared through the historical record of:
Isaiah 40:3-5
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 42:16
I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.
Isaiah 45:2
‘I will go before you
And make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
Luke 3:3-6
And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
One of the most important ways the crooked path would be straightened, is through revealing the true meaning of what was taught in ancient days through Moses and various other Prophets, and we read of JESUS Christ often doing this, correcting the leaders and teachers of that era, straightening the crooked path of misunderstanding, and false doctrine.
Though it is not the earliest mention of the Sabbath found in the Holy Bible, I am beginning where the source of this glorious revelation was communicated to me, Isaiah 58. There are two primary subjects spoken of in the historical record of Isaiah 58: Fasting & Sabbath
I was prompted to ask the question, why would these two topics be spoken in conjunction within the same chapter? Could it be that the activity of Godly intended Fasting, is somehow interwoven with upholding the Sabbath days in the way that God has truly intended? Many who read this article could have already read Isaiah 58 and even have a decent knowledge of what is communicated through that specific chapter. That being said, be sure to invest enough precious moments in reading this article that you would not be at a loss, for this article was inspired and compelled by JESUS to be rendered through me, and His labor is not in vain. I will also add that as His servant whom He has chosen to empower and communicate this vital revelation to all of mankind through; I am exceedingly glad to recognize that it is on this holy Sabbath unto our blessed Creator JESUS (3/5/2022), that He has begun declaring this message through me!
Not long after (the only God/JESUS) transformed me back in 2002, was the subject of (fasting) brought to my attention through reading the historical record of the Holy Bible, specifically passages in which JESUS Christ Himself is recorded speaking. Like the majority of mankind who has heard of or read about fasting, whether through the historical record of the Holy Bible or some other source, I myself was locked into the idea that “fasting”, especially the type of “fasting” that pleases God, was solely identified with abstaining from the consumption of food and or drink. Whether that be for: (hours, days, weeks, or even as scary as it sounds, 1 month or longer), as was performed through both Moses and JESUS Christ Himself, who both through empowerment of the only God, went without physical food and water for 40 days.
I encourage all who believe they are led to abstain from eating and drinking physical food for the purpose of obeying our Creator, to be patient to know that it is His genuine will for us to do so. To fast food and or drink should not be something we determine on our own, hoping that it will (somehow/someway) force our relationship with our Creator to be improved, believing that abstaining from consumption of food is a requirement in order for us to progress in our relationship with the only God. There are many who lacking in knowledge and being led astray in various ways, have been seriously physically and psychologically harmed through the seemingly harmless act of “fasting food”.
That being said, this article does not condemn (fasting food), it does however reveal the undeniable revelation that from the perspective of the only God, a “fast” is not solely defined by abstaining from consumption of physical food. A (food fast) is only one of many forms of (fasting activities) that our blessed Creator regards as (acceptable & chosen). Without further ado, let us have a look at the historical record of Isaiah 58:
Isaiah 58:
1“Cry aloud, spare not;
lift up your voice like a trumpet.
Tell My people their transgression,
and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet, they seek Me daily,
and delight to know My ways,
as a nation that did righteousness,
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God.
They ask of Me the ordinances of justice,
they take delight in approaching God.
3 Why have we fasted, they say, and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?
4“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
and exploit all your laborers. You fast for strife and debate,
and to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
to make your voice heard on high.
5 Is a fast that I have chosen?:
A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast,
and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen?:
To untie the bonds of wickedness,
to lift away the heavy burdens,
to set the oppressed free,
and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out,
when you see the naked, that you cover him,
and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
your healing shall spring forth speedily,
and your righteousness shall go before you,
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
10“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, extend your soul to the hungry,
and satisfy the afflicted soul,
then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
and your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your soul in drought,
and strengthen your bones,
you shall be like a watered garden,
and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you
shall build the old waste places,
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations,
and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, and stop pursuing your pleasure on My holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight,
the holy day of the Lord honorable,
to honor Him, not doing your own ways,
nor finding your own pleasure,
nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord.
Then I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your ancestor,
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Realistically, I do not recognize needing to say much to elaborate on the message clearly and plainly communicated by our Creator through Isaiah 58 about what defines a (True and Acceptable Fast), also the necessity of upholding (7th day of the week/The Sabbath as Holy), and the expectation that our blessed Creator JESUS has for what we as mankind are created to utilize (Sabbath) days for. The work being accomplished by the (YHWH/LORD= JESUS Christ/only begotten Son of God) through Isaiah chapter 58, is highly reflective of the work the (YHWH/LORD= JESUS Christ/only begotten Son of God) Himself performs while visiting the earth in His unique physical form as JESUS Christ. The clarity of vision that the (YHWH/LORD= JESUS Christ/only begotten Son of God) communicates is found present both through the message declared through Isaiah, and JESUS Christ Himself. Do not be deceived by Anti-Christ doctrines, this does not cast JESUS Christ as a mere True Prophet whom the message of the only God is being communicated through. Instead, this should be a (mind-blowing/soul awakening) revelation that verifies that the same source which provides the absolute truth and infallible wisdom being communicated through all True Prophets, is (YHWH/LORD= JESUS Christ/only begotten Son of God) Himself.
The very same way we see JESUS Christ Himself dwelling among us in His physical and visible form, clarifying the appropriate manner in which the Sabbath days are intended to be upheld, we find the brilliance of His mind being intricately exposed 700 years earlier through one of the True Prophets of the only God, Isaiah. This is being spoken this way for this purpose:
So that through all the confusion of all that exists among creation presently and beyond, attempting to derail us all from being aligned with the will of the only God, preventing us from fulfilling the destiny we have been created for. We are all able to have complete surety in those words communicated through Isaiah 58. For, if the (will of God/ the mind of Christ) is present in the declaration of Isaiah 58, and we are able to search into the books of the New Testament of the Holy Bible and read of the specific actions and activities that JESUS Christ Himself was upholding and performing, especially on the Sabbath days; then it should be clear to us that the message is unchanged, just as He Himself is unchanged! The terms of the God intended manner in which we uphold a (True Fast & True Sabbath), which began through the Old Covenant, have carried over and remained in effect through the New Covenant, which is established through our investment of faith in JESUS Christ alone.
From the beginning of the creation of mankind declared in the historical record of the book of Genesis, we find the installation of the Sabbath being accomplished, and the identification of the Sabbath as being (sanctified/set apart as Holy) by the only God, specifically as a “day of rest”. Like the majority of mankind, I also originally perceived this “rest” as merely being a day in which we would pursue more (“us/me”) moments, legitimate bodily rest from our occupations, and all manner of activities that give us enjoyment. However, the (mind blowing/soul awakening) revelation that we are able to gain through Isaiah 58, is that from the beginning of the creation of mankind, God has intended for the (7th day/Sabbath day) to be a perpetual day of fasting, but not necessarily a fast of food. For, Isaiah 58 reveals that God defines a fast that is legitimate and pleasing to Him, as being so much more!
Here is a reality check for all! Fact, the only God is Almighty, and if He so desired, could rule over us as a supreme dictator, forcing us to do His will, and not merely 1 day a week, but could force us to do His will all 7 days of the week, for He has created all for His purposes! Instead, we find that our Creator has ever so humbly established a mere single day out of 7 in which He has established a specific command for the (7th day of the week/Sabbath day) to specifically set apart for His glory. Though upholding the Sabbath day is a formal command and one of the 10 commandments, the majority of us are without the glorious revelation that the appointed (7th day/the Sabbath day) is actually an invitation to know Him better! A priceless opportunity to develop His (eternal attributes/fruits of His Holy Spirit) within us, for the pursuit of being more like Him. Therefore, the (7th day/Sabbath day) is an invitation to abstain from selfish pleasures, and place strong focus and preference upon pursuing the will of our Creator, allowing ourselves to be utilized for His will to be accomplished through, that all we say and do on the (7th day/Sabbath day), would be purposed for glorifying Him.
For, remember what is declared in the historical record of:
Nehemiah 8:10
The he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the (joy of the LORD is your strength)”.
Therefore, it is through our obedience to our Creator, that He receives joy, and in His receiving joy through our obedience to Him, He empowers us with all provision that is necessary to keep progressing toward the fulfillment of the destiny He has created us for. The Sabbath day has been established as both an obligation, and opportunity.
For,we see it written through Isaiah 58 clearly:
Isaiah 58:13
13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
If we understand why He has established this day as (special, holy, and set apart), then we will not recognize it as a burden, but rather as a blessing. For, is it not a gift to be better related to those who care for us, to be better acquainted with them? It is in this way that our Creator is inviting us to know Him better! Who more than the one who has given all of mankind the opportunity to exist, should we be desiring to know and understand better?
Look at what JESUS Christ Himself reveals to us through the historical record of:
Mark 2:27
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.
Therefore, though the intended purpose for the Sabbath could initially be perceived as an act of selfishness by our Creator, we must remember that He is Himself Love, and when it has to do with His will being achieved, there is often more occurring than what the senses of our body are able to perceive. He teaches us that in order for us to grow and mature in a relationship with Him, to be recipients of all blessings He desires to bestow upon us, and to fulfill the destiny He has created us for, we must do as the historical record of the Holy Bible reveals.
Through the historical records of:
Live by faith:
Romans 1:17
For, in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Hebrews 11:5-7
5 By faith Enoch was taken from the Earth so that he did not see death, because God had taken him, yet before he was taken from the Earth, he had the testimony that he pleased God. Therefore, without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who approaches God must believe that He is able, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God of things not yet seen, moved with Holy fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and was appointed as heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Obey Him:
1 Samuel 15:22-23
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 heed than the fat of rams.
23 For, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry.
Adding to the absolute truth and infallible wisdom of those passages, I am encouraged to remind us all. Often, we could find that our choice to obey (the only God/JESUS) will lead to some form of (sacrifice/fast), this most certainly should never be our goal, rather a necessary and honorable by-product of genuine obedience to the blessed Creator of our soul.
{F}>rw^rd {A}s {T}ruth {E}nterprise 