Daniel Comforted by an Angelic VISION CONTINUES.
“I Daniel was mourning—i.e., afflicting myself by fasting from “pleasant bread, flesh, and wine” (v. 3), as a sign of sorrow, not for its own sake. Cf. Matt. 9:14, “fast,” answering to “mourn” (v. 15), and therefore implying that fasting was a recognized outward indication of inward mourning, and not practiced merely for its own sake, as if it were meritorious and sanctifying in itself. Cf. 1 Cor. 8:8, “Meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse:” 1 Tim. 4:3, “Commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving,” is given as a mark of the apostasy, which passages prove that “fasting” is not an indispensable Christian obligation; but merely an outward expression of sorrow, and separation from ordinary worldly enjoyments, in order to give one’s self to prayer (Acts 13:2, “They ministered to the Lord and fasted”). Daniel’s mourning was probably for his countrymen, who met with many obstructions to their building of the temple, from their adversaries in the Persian court.” Fausset A. R
- Absolute fasting. Act. 9:9-11. This is abstaining from food and drink Ezr. 10:6; 9:3, Est. 4:16, Deut. 9:9, 18, Ex. 34:28, 1Kg. 19:8. The body can go long periods without food and be physically benefited, but only for a very short time without water. We recommend not more than three days as above. The cases of Moses and Elijah were special cases.
- Fasting not approved by God. “… be not as the hypocrites…” Matt. 6:16, Is. 58:3-5. They appear to have adopted a system that will make them gain credit for fasting by their physical appearance. They have received their reward.
- It should be noted that the day of atonement Lev. 16:29-34 is the only legal day of general fasting in the Law. There is no season for fasting in the Church of Christ, since Christ has atoned for us. Local Churches can fast at will as in Act. 13:1-3; 14:23.
- “Good men cannot but mourn to see how slowly the work of God goes on in the world and what opposition it meets with, how weak its friends are and how active its enemies. During the days of Daniel’s mourning he ate no pleasant bread…he mortified himself in the quality as well as the quantity of what he ate, which may truly be reckoned fasting, and a token of humiliation and sorrow.” M Henry
- Fasting approved by God. Matt. 6:17-18, Is. 58:6-7
- Anoint your head. It is an established custom among the Jews. Your physical appearance should be presentable as if you are not fasting.
- You should fast unto God. Zech. 7:5, Act. 13:2. It gives time for prayers to have a divine connection. 1Cor. 7:5, 2sam. 12:16-23.
- It is a time to humble your soul –Ps. 35:13; 69:10, 1Kg. 21:20-29
- Do all you can to be heard on high. Ezr. 8:21-23, 31.
- “Meanwhile, like Daniel, we cannot but “mourn” at times for the trials and depressed state of the Church of Christ. Whilst fasting (vv. 2, 3) is not compulsory, nor necessary generally for Christians, yet doubtless, if it can be made to consist of that abstinence whereby the flesh is subdued to the spirit, it becomes a mean of devotion, humiliation, and spiritual-mindedness. In all cases the child of God should not suffer his spirit to be overpowered by the dainties of sense and the pleasures of the appetite.” Fausset A. R.
