How does fasting on the Day of Atonement deepen our spiritual relationship with God? The appointed day: Leviticus 23:27 “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. You shall hold a sacred assembly, and you shall humble yourselves and present an offering made by fire to the LORD.” Fasting as “humbling ourselves” • “Humbling” (Hebrew ‘ânâ) includes afflicting or denying the body—fasting was the tangible act Israel practiced. • By withholding food, worshipers confessed that every breath, every bite, ultimately comes from God (Deuteronomy 8:3). • The physical emptiness paralleled the spiritual bankruptcy that sin creates (Psalm 51:17). What fasting on this day accomplishes in the heart • Heightens awareness of God’s holiness – Leviticus 16:2 reminds that the high priest entered the holy place “so that he would not die.” Fasting reinforced the gravity of approaching such holiness. • Draws out genuine repentance – Isaiah 58:6 links true fasting to loosing the bonds of wickedness; the absence of food exposed hidden sin that needed confession. • Deepens dependence on substitutionary atonement – Leviticus 16:30: “On this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you.” As stomachs ached, hearts clung to the shed blood of the sacrificial goat. • Fosters corporate unity – “Sacred assembly” meant the entire nation felt the same hunger, prayed the same prayers, received the same grace (Joel 2:15-16). • Anticipates restoration and joy – Psalm 35:13 links fasting to prayer that “returned to my own heart.” Emptied bodies made room for a fuller experience of God’s forgiveness. Foreshadowing the perfect atonement • Hebrews 9:11-12—Christ entered the greater, heavenly tabernacle “by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” • Hebrews 10:22—Because His sacrifice is final, we “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,” echoing the Day of Atonement pattern without repeating its animal sacrifices. • Our voluntary fasts now look back to a completed work while still cultivating the humble posture God has always desired (James 4:10). Practicing the principle today • Schedule regular fasts—whether one meal, one day, or longer—specifically to confess sin and meditate on Christ’s atonement. • Pair fasting with generous worship: time in the Word (Matthew 6:16-18), heartfelt praise, and tangible acts of mercy (Isaiah 58:7). • Use the hunger pangs as prompts to thank Jesus for bearing the far deeper pain of the cross (1 Peter 2:24). • If possible, fast with fellow believers to experience the same unity Israel tasted once a year (Acts 13:2-3). • End the fast with gratitude and renewed commitment to holy living, rejoicing that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9). By embracing the Day-of-Atonement pattern—emptying self, exalting the Substitute—fasting becomes a living reminder that true closeness to God is always through His appointed sacrifice and our humble, trusting response. |
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