In this Sabbath lesson from Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, Brother Obadiah teaches on prayer and fasting from the words of Jesus in St. Mark 2 and St. Matthew 9: the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away, and then shall they fast. The lesson shows why the people of God fast, what a true biblical fast is, how to fast without being seen of men, and how the servants of God fasted from month to month, from Ezra and Esther to Cornelius and Paul. Every passage is read in the King James Version.
Watch the full Sabbath lesson on YouTube.
1.The bridegroom is Jesus, and when he is taken away, then shall they fast
The lesson takes its title from the words of Jesus in St. Mark the second chapter, where the disciples of John and of the Pharisees ask why his disciples do not fast. In his own words: the bridegroom is Jesus. When Jesus was around, the disciples did not really fast like that, because they did not have to fast. Jesus took the burden for everybody. But Jesus was not going to be here forever.
St. Mark 2:18-20 KJV18And 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?
19And 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.
20But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
"See, when Jesus was around, the disciples didn't really fast like that around him, because they didn't have to fast. Jesus took the burden for everybody. But now Jesus wasn't going to be here forever. So he made this statement: but the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. This is where we get the title of the lesson from."
"You got to deny yourself, and you got to get close to the father, and you got to get close to the son. And while you fasting, you got to do it with some humility, and you got to become a new person."
2.The only affliction God tells you to do is go without food and water
Before teaching the examples, the lesson defines what a fast actually is. This class was built on fasting, on denying yourself of your worldly needs for one day a month in order to serve God, with twelve fasts a year and the twelfth being the day of atonement. A true biblical or prophetic fast is a full day, sun up to sun down, with no bread and no water.
"We built this class on fasting. We built this class on denying ourselves of our worldly needs for one day a month in order to serve God. We chose twelve fasts a year, with twelve being the day of atonement."
"The only affliction that God tells you to do is go without no food and water. If you're going to do a biblical fast, if you're going to do a prophetic fast, you got to go from sun up to sun down. It got to be a whole twenty-four-hour period with no bread and no water."
Jesus himself fasted, and so did Moses. Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights before he was tempted, and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights and neither ate bread nor drank water.
St. Matthew 4:1-4 KJV1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Deuteronomy 9:9 KJV9When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
3.Some demons come out by nothing but prayer and fasting
The lesson turns to St. Mark the ninth chapter, where the disciples could not cast out the dumb and deaf spirit from the man's son. When they asked privately why they could not cast him out, Jesus gave the reason.
St. Mark 9:28-29 KJV28And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
"Some demons, you got to pray and fast out. Even though the disciples was building themselves in faith, they weren't fasting like that. So some demons can only come out of you by prayer and fasting. You got to deny yourself, and that's the only way you going to get some of these demons that's been following us around since we were children."
4.When you fast, do it in secret, not to be seen of men
From St. Matthew the sixth chapter, the lesson teaches how to fast: not with a sad countenance to be seen of men, but anointing the head and washing the face, so the fast is seen only by the Father. A personal fast is one you keep to yourself, away from your job and away from pleasures, the same way as the day of atonement.
St. Matthew 6:16-18 KJV16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
"You might want to do an individual fast by yourself, and those are the ones you might want to keep to yourself. Don't be working on your job when you do it. When you fast, it's the same way like it's a day of atonement. You coming before the father, and you ain't got no time for no pleasures at all."
The lesson warns against the spirit of the Pharisee in St. Luke the eighteenth chapter, who fasted twice in the week but prayed with himself, trying to justify himself, and was not the one who went home justified.
St. Luke 18:10-14 KJV10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
"He said, I fast twice in the week. So what? God don't see it. He was praying with himself. He was trying to justify himself, trying to make himself more righteous than anybody else. But he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
5.The fast God has chosen is driven by humility, not by strife and show
The heart of the lesson is Isaiah the fifty-eighth chapter. Israel was fasting all the time, but God was not recognizing their fast, because in the day of their fast they found pleasure and exacted all their labors, and they fasted for strife and debate. A fast that pleases God is one driven by humility, repentance, and active compassion, rather than just a righteous show.
Isaiah 58:3-9 KJV3Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4Behold, 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.
5Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
6Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
9Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
"A fast that pleases God is one that's driven by humility, repentance, and active compassion, rather than just a righteous show. It's to loose the bands of wickedness in the world and also in you."
"And thy righteousness shall go before thee. That's the main reason why I fast. The health benefits, they just fall in line. We're doing it just to become more righteous people."
This same humility is what Jesus showed when he fasted for the people who came against him, and it is what the law and the proverbs call for: before honour is humility.
Psalms 35:13 KJV13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
Leviticus 26:40-42 KJV40If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;
41And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
42Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
Proverbs 15:33 KJV33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Proverbs 22:4 KJV4By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
6.The true people of God fasted all the time, from month to month
Though the Lord only requires the fast of the day of atonement, the lesson shows that the true servants of God fasted often. Ezra proclaimed a fast at the river of Ahava; Esther called the Jews to fast three days and three nights; the prophet Joel called the people to turn to the Lord with fasting and weeping; Cornelius was fasting when his prayer was heard; and Paul was in fastings often.
Ezra 8:21 KJV21Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
Esther 4:16 KJV16Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
Joel 2:12-13 KJV12Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Acts 10:30-31 KJV30And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
2 Corinthians 11:27 KJV27In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
"The Lord only requires us to fast one time a year, but we going to show you that the true people of God, they was fasting all the time. Paul was in fastings often. This is why we tell you that you got to fast often."
Zechariah the eighth chapter shows the fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth month, which is why this class keeps a monthly fast from the first month to the twelfth and then starts over again. And even in captivity, in the land of our enemies, the Lord promised to be a little sanctuary and to give his people a new heart and a new spirit.
Zechariah 8:19 KJV19Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
Ezekiel 11:19-20 KJV19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
20That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
7.Then shall they fast
The lesson ends the same way it started, returning to the words of Jesus, this time in St. Matthew the ninth chapter.
St. Matthew 9:14-15 KJV14Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15And 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.
Closing Word
"And then shall they fast. And I hope you got some understanding in Jesus. Thank you for your time."
Brother Obadiah closed by asking everyone to stay in the faith: keep learning, keep praying, keep fasting, and keep believing in Jesus.
More Lessons
Come Worship With Us
This lesson was taught at our Sabbath service at Israel Church of the Firstborn in Indianapolis, IN. Join us every Saturday at 12PM, or watch the Sabbath live online.