Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. (Isaiah 58:4)
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: 10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. 11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. (1 Kings 21:9-13)
The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? (Proverbs 21:27)
What a stark example of wrong fasting! This one is a shocker! Queen Jezebel helping Ahab out by using valid religious ceremonies to wickedly murder a man who refused to break God's law. What an abomination to God that whole fast must have been. Don't think it can't happen again; if Isaiah 58 is relevant today then it is probably happening now in God's church. Are leaders calling religious rituals like fasting in order to build themselves up and to bring others down? I'm not sure I've seen that. But I do know that my behaviour is influenced by other people in ways I'm not very comfortable with. I'm inclined to fast when others are doing it because I don't want them to think I'm impious (devoted to God). We need to take other people into account when we make decisions, because we should avoid causing another to stumble (1 Cor 8:13). But if my motivation for any kind of piety (devotion to God) is selfish that piety will not help me to perfect the christian character that I need to be a citizen of heaven.
Only Jesus can change our motivations, we must pray that he transform our motives and thoughts.
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