Thus saith the LORD; “Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, ‘Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for His mercy endureth for ever:’ and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first,” saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 33:10-11
Bridegroom
Being Ready
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, “Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” But the wise answered, saying, “Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.” And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” But he answered and said, “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. Matthew 25:1-13
Without being too complicated, and I do not believe Jesus intended the understanding of this parable to be hard to understand; I will keep this short and simple without trying to explain every item within it. There is one simple message to the parable of the ten virgins. I will state it in one sentence.
The Lord Jesus is coming again for His bride, which is the Church, and if an individual does not have the Holy Spirit abiding in them, they will not make it.
If you are not ready with the Holy Spirit in you (Romans 8:9) then you will find yourself standing outside the door of the Savior crying “Lord, Lord” and He will not let you in. You receive the Holy Spirit by repenting of your sin, calling on the name of Jesus as your Lord and Savior in faith, knowing that He died on the cross for your sins, He was buried, and He rose again. Call on Him today.
Words Of Jesus; Son Of God, God The Son – 080520
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.’
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, ‘Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, I know you not.’
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.” Matthew 25:1-13 (KJB)
The New and the Old
“And Jesus said unto them, ‘Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.’” Mark 2:19-22 (KJB)
From John Gills Exposition of the Bible…
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth, The traditions of the elders are meant, particularly concerning eating and drinking, and fasting, things before spoken of; and which occasioned this parable, and which were new things in comparison of the commands of God: some of them were of very short standing, devised in, that age; and most, if not all of them, were since the times of Ezra.
On an old garment; the moral and ceremonial righteousness of the Jews, in obedience to the law of God; signifying, that the former were not to be joined with these, to make up a justifying righteousness before God; which were not sufficient for such a purpose, either singly, or both together:
else the new piece that filled it up, taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse; for by attendance to the traditions of the elders, the Jews were taken off from, and neglected the commandments of God; nay, oftentimes the commands of God were made void by these traditions, so that the old garment of their own righteousness, which was very ragged and imperfect of itself, instead of being purer and more perfect, became much the worse, even for the purpose for which it was intended; See Gill on Mat_9:16.
When the New Comes
“And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto Him, ‘Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Thy disciples fast not?’ And Jesus said unto them, ‘Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.’” Mark 2:18-22 (KJB)
The religious leaders of Jerusalem, of Israel, had made traditions laws; and those traditions were in many cases loopholes around the law of Moses. Of course the Pharisees held the law of Moses in high esteem, but then violated it; and that is what Jesus is confronting.
The question was asked about fasting. From the previous verses we see that it was the scribes and Pharisees who were asking Jesus this question. They needed the confrontation. O, if only they would have heard.
There are two New things which Jesus mentions; the first is a “New cloth”. The old garment was the old religion of the Hebrews which had been tainted by their traditions which provided loopholes; which was mostly for those in the know about the loopholes which would have been the priests and the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus confronted their sin. You cannot sew a new piece of cloth onto a old piece of clothing with a good outcome. When you wash the garment the new piece will shrink, and tear the old garment, because the old does not shrink. Jesus brought in, brought us the new way of faith and life, fulfilling the law to the max.
The second New thing is “New wine”. Old wine skins have reached their max with the fermentation process, so new wine skins would be needed for new wine. The Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) is given to all who are born again in Christ Jesus and His finished work on Calvary. The New wine is a picture of that work of the Spirit of God making us new in Him. He is not available for those who refuse to repent of their sins, and refuse to trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Like the New wine needs in a new wine skin, so too does the Spirit of God work in a new heart given to Christ.
Jesus in Genesis (6)
Genesis 24:1-67
“And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; He shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. Genesis 24:1-9 (KJV).
I will not post all 67 verses, but I will put the verse numbers for your reference to check out.
We have been LOOKING FOR JESUS in Genesis for several articles. I will do one more following this one, and then I am going to do a study in The Revelation of Jesus Christ; Lord willing.
There is a wedding which is going to be celebrated, in what I believe to be the not too distant future. Here in the Old Testament book of Genesis is a picture of the bringing together of the bride and the Bridegroom.
Jesus promised that after His ascension into Heaven He would send a Comforter. This comforter would guide into all truth. He would draw people to Jesus Christ.
In our text we have an unnamed servant of Abraham who is sent to find a bride for his son. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit inspired the writings of Scripture in the way He has here showing forth the glory of God, and His work bringing the lost to Jesus.
The servant went to the assigned place to seek a bride for Isaac. Rebekah was that chosen bride. This bride 1). “Believed a man she had never met before, 2). was asked to go to a land from which she was never to return, 3). was asked to marry a man whom she as yet had never seen.” M. R. DeHaan. The journey was about 600 miles on the back of a camel.
When the servant chose Rebekah it was then, a decision for her to make. The decision was one that could not wait (vv. 55-58). So Rebekah chose to go on a journey over hard country – a barren, dry and dangerous country.
When Rebekah saw Isaac for the first time he was coming from Lahairoi, which means, “The well of a Living One”. This is the first appearance of Isaac since the altar of Mount Moriah. Jesus will one day appear to take His bride who has been chosen by the Holy Spirit.
Let’s look at four of the characters in this text, and we will try and focus the picture on the One who is True.
First of all, look at the father. He loved Isaac and wanted a bride for him. He believed that God was faithful and would keep His promise and provide the bride. The bride could not be an outsider. The Father getting a bride for His Son, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day”. John 6:44 (KJV).
The next character we see in the text is the servant. He is a model servant. He does not go unsent (vv. 2-9), he goes where he is sent (vv. 4-10), he does nothing else, is prayerful and thankful (vv. 12-14, 26-27), he is wise to win (vv.17, 21), he speaks not of himself, but of his master’s riches, and Isaac’s heirship (vv. 34-36; Acts 1:8), he presents the true issue, and requires a clear decision (v. 49).
The work of the Spirit of God is the True: the antitype. “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” John 15:26 (KJV). “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” John 16:13-14 (KJV).
The third character is the chosen bride herself. She welcomed a stranger, whom she had never seen. This servant came to the well, seeking God’s direction, and Rebekah came and fulfilled the needs of this servants prayer (vv. 18-20, 24, 25). She accepted the servants invitation (vv. 55-58). The invitation was that she return to Canaan to be the wife of Isaac and receive the blessings of what he would inherit. Rebekah and the servant must have spoken much on the journey to meet the Bridegroom. She learned more about Isaac (v. 65) and more as she saw him and was getting nearer to him. She went over hard country in the care of the servant. This “Hard country” is the hardships, trials, and tribulations of living and growing in the Christian life. M. R. DeHaan said, “Rebekah was asked to believe a man she had never met before, to go to a land from which she was never to return, and to marry a man whom she as yet had never seen.”
The final character, but certainly not the least of the four is the son, in particular; his wedding. Weddings are most always a joyous event. It was for Isaac, and it was for Rebekah. When Rebekah came riding up on the camel with the servant she leaped off the camel. It does not say what she did when she leaped off the camel, but I just suppose that she ran to meet him, and their hearts became as one. In leaping off the camel Rebekah had left the last of her worldly possessions behind. Her journey is complete.
When Jesus and His Bride are joined together at last, they will never part, because it will be for all eternity.
The invitation is still extended. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev 22:17 (KJV).
If we have “Eyes to see, and ears to hear” we can see quite clearly the picture the Master has painted for us. We can see Jesus’ death in Isaac at the altar, we see His resurrection and ascension in that Isaac came from the “Well of the Living One”. We can see the work of the Holy Spirit in Abraham’s servant as he sought a bride for Isaac.
God is so good He paints us such beautiful pictures to show us how He is working throughout all of time to draw us to Himself. The Antitype is even more beautiful.
“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:5-10 (KJV).
Day 55 – The Unsocial Prophet
“The preacher who does not mix with people will never make much of a preacher;” at least that has been said or thought by many. One thing needs to be understood by many preachers of the 21st century; if a preacher has been called by God to preach the Word of God, then we just do not make our lives, or build our lives around social activities, nor what the people may expect of us. The preacher is God’s preacher, not man’s smooth talking, easy listening, socially active, friend to everybody servant.
Rantings of a mad preacher? Maybe. My reading today was from Jeremiah 11 – 24, and I guess I noticed some things that got a fire burning. Jeremiah is one of my favorite Prophets of the Old Testament to read, study, and I have rarely preached from the book.
In my title I call it “The Unsocial Prophet” for a couple of reasons. Jeremiah was a man called by God from a family of priest to be a prophet to the nation of Judah; during the days when Josiah was king, then his son Jehoiakim, and finally the king Zedekiah when Jerusalem was carried away captive by Babylon.
Why I call him “The Unsocial Prophet”. One of the things God says to Jeremiah is “Do not pray for this people”.
“For thus saith the LORD, ‘Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away My peace from this people,’ saith the LORD, ‘even lovingkindness and mercies.'” Jeremiah 16:5 (KJV)
The people of Judah have refused to listen to the Word of the LORD through the prophets He has sent; they have violated the land in not giving them their sabbath rests every seven years, they have violated the weekly sabbaths by continuing to do business, conducting deals and selling as on the other six days, and they have brought idols into their worship, and continue to act in worship to Jehovah/YHWH.
The prophet is sad concerning the plight of his people (9:1), however, his sadness is because they have forsaken the LORD. He knows that God’s plan for them is the best plan for them. He is even attacked and hated by his own family, and people. Another reason I call him “The Unsocial Prophet” is;
“Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; ‘Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.'” 16:8
The prophet is to be an influence to the people; not letting the people influence him. He is to be led by the Spirit of God, His Word, and not the social activities of the day.
Let me give a clear Biblical definition of a “Prophet”. The prophet of God is a preacher, an expositor of God’s Word. He is first and foremost a student of Scripture; a man of prayer; an obedient servant of God. He proclaims what God declares to Him, and then proclaims it to the people. That in itself can make him an enemy to the people. Who is going to invite a guy like this to their parties, or even to preach their funerals, or invite him to mourn with them? In the last verse above we see that God tells Jeremiah that joy and gladness will cease.
Men and women are so deceived today. Even professing Christians live as though any belief is okay as long as you believe something; have faith in something; as though “faith” is all you need. There is only one way to approach God according to His Word, but the heart of men have devised alternative ways which lead to death and destruction. These are other gods, false gods, which lead to death.
God spoke to Jeremiah saying,
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” 17:9
You can continue believing as you believe, contrary to God and His Word, and you will receive the just judgment of God. “According to the fruit of his [your] doings” you will receive all that you have coming to you.
Many of the people of Anathoth hated Jeremiah because of his preaching. They plotted against him to do him harm, but God’s hand of protection was on him (1:19);
“Then said they, ‘Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.'” 18:18
Jeremiah even says that the problem of Judah is due to the smooth talking false prophets who had the hearts of the people;
“Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; ‘Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.'” 23:15
Pastors and preachers of today need to hear the Word of the Lord. Stand and preach the word, not the desires of the hearts of the people. It is not a popular opinion that matters to the preacher of God, but rather a saved, cleansed, pure live that will glorify God. God is the center of the preacher’s preaching. Are you afraid of being called “unsociable”? Would it not be better to be deemed “unsociable” by the masses than to be deemed an unholy, false preacher by God? And receive the judgment that comes from God for such activities?
Most of this post today seems somewhat negative, but I pray instructive, correcting, and guiding to many who read it. There is hope and encouragement within what I read today. Hear the encouragement of God’s Word –
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 23:5-6
“For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know Me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.” 24:6-7
The hope for Judah and Israel is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS; and that is none other than the Messiah who was to come, and give His life a ransom for many, and then return one day and establish His eternal kingdom. The people of Judah will return to the LORD with their whole heart. Because of Jesus their is hope for all have a “wicked heart”, and that is all of us. “There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10) “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). However Christ died for our sins. Trust Him, and believe.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Preacher in Power With God
The Man in the Wilderness
“And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” Matthew 11:7-19 (KJV)
Jesus makes a declaration about the prophet who showed the way to Himself. Jesus’s word is that John was a prophet who stood, and was not swayed by the tide of public, or popular opinion. The “Reed” spoken of by Jesus was native to the country, and was easily bent in every slight breeze. He would not bend to the winds of conformity of the flesh. He would not win any elections. He would not even allow his name to be submitted to any office.
John was not a man who would attend the social events of the season (v. 8). He was not out to win any popularity contest. The people would not have gone to the wilderness to seek the finely dressed. He dressed in “camel’s hair” very similar to Elijah’s apparel. Not the garment of a popular individual, or one seeking popularity.
A prophet of great esteem, that esteem was from the Lord, not men. To be esteemed “the greatest” by the King Himself is certainly the highest of honors. The esteem of man is useless in eternal matters. Because John was the herald of a new covenant, a better way, those in the new are counted greater. John is counted only as a friend of the Bridegroom. Those in the new covenant are the Bride of the Bridegroom.
The people to whom John preached, and to whom Jesus preached were mostly a people who committed a Dereliction of duty. They heard the voice, but the words were of none effect. The nation neglected to heed the message of the prophet (v. 12). Their opinions were on equal ground with the Word of God. Their attitude was, “We will have the kingdom in our own way”. They hated the prophet and this eventually showed up in their hatred for the King. It seems that the message of all the prophets were despised by the nation (v. 13). John’s message is on equal footing with that of Elijah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah to Malachi. His persecution was on equal footing as well. Here are some similarities. 1) John was fearless before Herod – Elijah was fearless before Jezebel’s prophets; 2) John was locked in prison – Jeremiah was put in a pit; 3) John lost his head – Isaiah was probably sawn in two. John preached against the adultery of Herod; as pointed out earlier (14:1-12).
John would have been the one “In the spirit and power of Elijah” if he would have been received (vv. 14-15; Luke 1:16-17). His ministry would have been to turn the hearts of the people back to God. This was accomplished in a small way. There is yet to come another “In the spirit and power of Elijah” who will accomplish his task (Revelation 11:1-14). The message of the prophet is one people must hear and take heed.
This generation of people was likened to spoiled, uncooperative children (vv. 16-17). Likened to children playing wedding game, then others come into the picture, and declare they want to play the funeral game instead. They want to mourn at a time for rejoicing. They want to rejoice at the wrong time and weep at the time of rejoicing. John’s message was one that the Messiah has come, and the people refused to hear it, tearing their garments in grief. When it was declared to them the time for mourning, then they were rejoicing. There is a whole lot of that in the world of 2008.
It seems the religious leaders had no desire for hearing the truth of God’s message from His prophet John. When they did not want to hear they set out to find fault. The prophet because of his “self-control”, lack of fleshly desires, sometimes loud, and “rude” preaching is accused of being demon possessed. Jesus, because He sits and dines with “tax collectors and sinners” is accused of gluttony and drunkenness. By these accusations they are only endeavoring to cover their own sins that have been exposed for what they really are.
Truth always bears fruit. Lies also bear fruit, but none worth having. Truth reveals the good, and exposes the bad. The children of complainers and accusers continue complaining, accusing lives – to eternal condemnation. The children of wisdom are drawn to the Savior. If Jesus and John were the way of these accusations, then, why are lives changed by faith in Jesus. The resurrected, changed life is evidence that the claims of Jesus and John are true and not the claims of the complainants.
-by Tim A. Blankenship
Hunger For The King
Hunger for the King
“Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:14-17 (KJV).
The question of fasting comes from a source which is actually friendly with Jesus. It is possibly John the Baptist who sends his disciples to ask the question of Jesus. We see or hear nothing from Jesus concerning the matter of fasting.
Just what is meant by “Fasting”? We have doctors calling for patients to fast just before a medical test. I have known of some people who fast when they know they are going to have a big meal. They may miss a meal or two, in their own thinking, so they can eat more at the big one. If that is not the height of gluttony. There are the Biblical fasts. Many of the orthodox Jews looked upon the fasts as very important to spiritual life. Jesus and His disciples were not fasting. They were feasting.
Fasting is a Biblical practice. According to some it was only called for once per year within the Jewish orthodox system. It was called for by some of the prophets, such as Joel. Fasting is a time of sacrifice. It is the time of sacrificing a meal, or meals for a day or a number of days, for the purpose of seeking God and His will.
It, however, becomes a sad state of business when the religious begin using “fasting” as a means of glorifying self righteous behaviors, and for the attention of their people. It loses its whole purpose and meaning. That was the practice of the Pharisees of Jesus’s day. They would even put on a sad countenance to make it appear they were fasting, probably if they were not, and also when they actually were, at least attempting it. The law only required one fast per year, but the Pharisses commanded twice per week.
The fasting of John and his disciples was for the purpose of telling the message of the Messiah, and calling people to repentance. It was and still is a way of getting a contrite heart and a broken spirit in order to be holy and right with the Creator. The fasting of John and his followers showed a true broken and contrite heart for the fallen human race.
Jesus makes mention that the reason that He and His disciples did not fast due to the fact that He was with them. His reference to the Bridegroom is His own personal reference to His return for His Bride following His death, burial and resurrection. While He was with the disciples, there would be no mourning. The term “Taken from them” implies a great violence was going to take place. It was in deed the violence of the trial, the beating, and the crucifixion; in fact the event of the cross; the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The disciples might fast for awhile – while He is away, but that would only be for a short duration. Jesus would rise from the dead.
Following the resurrection and evidence of it is a time of rejoicing in any and all towns which have been blessed by His appearances. In Jesus Christ we have the greatest reason for joy. Sin has been cleansed and forgiven; death has been defeated along with the powers of evil and satan; Jesus is alove at the right hand of God the Father, seated in heaven. Although we rejoice in His presence and glory His presence is not powerful when sin is in our way. There is still need for fasting inconspicuously; to get things right between self and God; to seek in prayer the health and spiritual well being of self and others. There will be rejoicing eternally when we see the King face to face.
In the face of the Law; the resurrection fulfills the demands of it. For sin the Law demanded death. The Old Testament law bears out quite clearly that all have sinned. That, there is none righteous, not one. The Promise foretold by the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jeremiah31:31-34; Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26) of the people receiving a new heart of flesh, to replace the heart of stone is fulfilled by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the power being applied to each individual’s life. The “old wineskins” of the law; as interpreted by the legalistic Pharisees cannot hold the New wine of the New covenant of Jesus Christ.
If you attempt to patch an old garment with a new piece of material; at the time of the first washing the new piece will shrink, and the tear will be made worse. If you put New Wine into old wineskins, the activity of the New will cause the Old brittle skins to burst.
The self standards and “loopholes” which are given and provided to, for and by the Religious elite; is insufficient for salvation. Those self-standards are the direction of death and hell. To mix legalism and grace is to pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also to give license to sin is a perversion of the Gospel.
New skin is needed for the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the expansion of the Gospel of Jesus. Just as the fermentation of the New Wine takes place and grows in that winekin with change; so too, does the life of the new believer, and all believers change Jesus writes the Law into the hearts of those He changes and His Spirit reigns in power and grows the changed one into the image of Jesus Christ.
There is a place for mouning in the heart and life of the believer who has a tender heart for glorifying Jesus Christ. We will mourn when we realize we have sinned and brought shame to the name of Jesus. We will mourn seeking repentance when we realize our sin. We will mourn when we sin permeating the society in which we live. We will mourn when we see a brother and/or sister in Christ sin, and does not repent. Mourning when we are separated from the Father by our sin will come without hypocrisy. There would be nothing wrong with followers of Jesus declaring a fast to mourn, seek God’s face, declare a call to repentance, declare a call to revival. It is much needed.
The old material of the flesh will tear away from that which is new. When Jesus comes into the individual heart He changes you into a person who loves God; who desires to do His will; who desires to get to know God better. As a matter of fact will do what ever it takes to get all the information possible to grow to become more like Jesus. Those old wineskins are tossed away, and good for nothing. The New Wine of the salvation of Jesus Christ is so powerful that if left to an old fleshy thought process it would burst and be absolutely good for nothing. That is why the heart is changed at the moment of rebirth. When your heart and mind is hungry and thirsty for more of God in Christ Jesus, you can know that things are going right in your life. It is only the changed life that will desire to be more like Jesus. I am in “Hunger for the King“.
The Fire and Hammer 