The True Purpose of Fasting: A Call to the Heart
"Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?" - Zechariah 7:5
In Zechariah 7:5, we find a powerful question posed by the Lord through His prophet: "Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?"
This verse invites us to deeply examine the very nature and purpose of fasting in our spiritual lives. The people of Israel had been engaging in ritualistic fasting for decades, a practice meant to express sorrow for their sin and longing for God’s mercy. However, the walk of faith is not merely an outward display of rites or rituals. There is a profound truth that God is trying to reveal to His people here: the necessity of aligning our hearts with our actions.
For seventy years during their Babylonian exile, the Israelites engaged in these fasts, not merely as a response to their circumstances but as a tradition that they adhered to out of cultural and historical significance. They mourned the destruction of their beloved city, Jerusalem, and the temple that stood as a representation of God’s presence among them. Yet amidst this longstanding practice, God’s question pierces their ritualistic facade.
"Did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?" God seeks a heart-to-heart connection, a genuine relationship, not just a series of motions performed out of obligation. The Israelites, although fasting outwardly, may have become complacent, neglecting the core purpose of their fasts—communing and seeking God earnestly. In essence, they were performing a spiritual duty, yet their hearts wandered far from the One they claimed to seek.
As followers of Christ today, we must reflect on the state of our own spiritual practices. How often do we engage in prayer, fasting, or worship without our hearts truly being engaged? Is it possible that we perform acts of devotion not for God's glory, but out of habit or societal expectations? God desires sincerity over sacrifice. He longs for our hearts to be wholly given to Him, a true fast of the heart, as explained in Isaiah 58:6-7, where God reveals the kind of fast He has chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and set the oppressed free.
Fasting, at its core, should instill a hunger for God and an awareness of His presence in our lives. It should not only be about mourning our past sins but about allowing God to fill us with a fresh perspective and a transformed heart. Jesus taught that "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). When we fast, we should approach it with a posture of humility, inviting God to search our hearts, reveal hidden sin, and restore the sacred connection that we long for.
Thus, let us not become like the Israelites of Zechariah’s day, bound by traditions without understanding their significance. Instead, let our fasting be directed to the Lord with intention and fervor. When we choose to fast, let it be an honest cry to God—not merely for what He can do for us, but to draw nearer to Him, to know His heart, and to be transformed by the love and grace flowing from His throne.
As we reflect on Zechariah 7:5, we are encouraged to ask ourselves: "What is the motive behind my fasting? Is it aimed at drawing closer to God, or is it simply another ritual on my spiritual checklist?"
In conclusion, let this verse be a reminder that fasting is more than abstaining from food; it is a spiritual discipline designed to immerse ourselves in God’s presence, seeking His face, His will, and His glory. Let us strive for an authentic relationship, where our fasts are an outpouring of desire to see Him move in our lives and in the world around us.
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Zechariah 7:5 - "Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?"
"Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?" - Zechariah 7:5
Zechariah 5:7 - "And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah."
1 Chronicles 5:7 - "And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,"
Zechariah 5:7 (Brenton) 7 And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
Zechariah 5:7 (Brenton) 7 And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
Zechariah 7:8 - "¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying,"
"And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah." - Zechariah 5:7
Zechariah 13:7
"¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying," - Zechariah 7:8
"And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah," - 1 Chronicles 5:7
Zechariah 7:1 - "And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu;"
Zechariah 1:5 - "Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?"
Zechariah 7:4 - "¶ Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying,"
Zechariah 2:7 - "Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon."
Zechariah 1:7 - "¶ Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,"
Zechariah 8:5 - "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof."
Zechariah 5:10 - "Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?"
Zechariah 5:5 - "¶ Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth."
Zechariah 7:11 - "But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear."
Zechariah 5:1 - "Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll."
Zechariah 7:8-10 - "And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’"
Zechariah 2:5 - "For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her."
Zechariah 12:5 - "And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God."
Zechariah 7:2 - "When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the LORD,"
Zechariah 5:8 - "And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof."
Zechariah 4:5 - "Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord."
Zechariah 7:6 - "And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?"
Zechariah 7:7 - "Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?"
Zechariah 5:6 - "And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth."