In my reading lately I have come across some very rich material on fasting. This has led me to think about how we walk through life and the patterns established in the church both current and ancient. Before that Israel has patterns of feasting and fasting. This made me wonder how far back in history I could find evidence of these rhythms in the beginning of our story on earth.
It is important to now that the beginning of history is in Genesis, we own the true story of the beginning of man and woman on the earth, any other ideas about how we have evolved, devolved, or patterns we have kept all the while should be delivered from the true source. Any other history is a perversion or rejection of this truth. That being said this is not a historical, grammatical, evaluation of Genesis. This is not a systematic theology of first things either. This is simply looking at rhythms, patterns, and overarching narrative to clean a practical example that we can put into practice.
With the disclaimers and definitions out of the way consider this. In Genesis 1 I saw this pattern. Good hovers over the waters. We know that God, through the beautiful and ancient mystery of the Trinity, was in relationship with Himself. Nothing was lacking, there was fullness of joy, and yet God then choose to do something next. He spoke and began a work, for Him those were simultaneous. Next he creates something like Him but not the same, which was Adam, and He invites Adam into relationship with Him, a relationship through working the earth that God has just made with a blessing (Gen 1:28). He then invites Adam to relationship, that is subservient, as God takes the role of provider and gives every plant on the earth to Adam for food. He withholds nothing. (Gen 1:29). Then God rests from His creative work (Gen 2:1-3). In a list it would be: Relationship, Speak, Work, Invite an Image Bearer to Relationship, Rest. There are other prices to be sure but those are the big bricks in the pattern.
Genesis 2 is a deeper dive into the details of the creation of man. We see that before any tree has yet grown (Gen 2:5-7) That God made Adam from the dust (Gen 2:7), he then immediately plants Adam a garden (Gen 2:8) and the reason He expresses is to grow trees that are good to look at and good for food (Gen 2:9), it is event that God built man with an appetite, we are made to hunger, to not be self sufficient, to need provision. As an aside in Romans 1:18-20 we often connect the visible beauty or ordered physics of the world as the proof that is evident to man of God existence, connecting it to a verse like Psalm 19:1 but I wonder if rather it should connect to these first chapters on Genesis. We see in current times people who are aware of their needs are those that come humbly to God to allow Him to save them and be their Lord. Is not His creation of our appetite and our need of His provision a likely connection to make as the obviousness of God being seen and it's being without excuses that we do not see it… All that to say, God gives man an appetite and then folks his need. Then God gives man the first command with a limit. He has already blessed Adam to fill the whole earth, invited him to work with Him, and given him every plant on earth for food. Proclamations with no limitations. But now God does deliver a limitation and it is directly aimed at Adam's appetite. Adam shall not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen 2:16-17). That is the break in the pattern that God showed in Gen 1. But God picks the pattern back up with Adam. God brings all the animals to Adam for him to speak their names, Adam tells the truth about the animals, calling them what they are, in his subservient mimicry of God's pattern. And by this though not like God's simultaneous Speaking and Working Adam joints Good in His Creativity and Ordering of things. Then God creates for him a being like himself but not the same as he is (can I get an Amen from all the husbands and wives out brothers and sisters out there!) which is Woman (Gen 2:21-23). Adam invites her into a relationship with him by speaking a joyful blessing over her much like God says off His creation that "it is good." Then we would assume, since all of this creation of man and woman happens on the 6th day that Adam and Eve enjoyed the Sabbath with Good on the 7th day since they were at that time in perfect relationship with God. So I'm a list for Adam it would look like this: Relationship with God, Speaking over the already Created, Joining God in His Work, Invite Eve to Relationship, Rest with God. The only difference being the insertion God makes of the limiting command to curb his appetite, to not eat.
In my reading about fasting I found that it is listed as the first Spiritual Discipline by one of the first authors to tackle the subject (John Cassian). And he lists it first and says it is first on purpose. This first limiting command of God, to not eat, that was designed to keep man in relationship with God, is for the early church also the first means by which we curb or appetites stop as to enjoy a less hindered relationship with God. Cassian's take on fasting highlights the truth that fasting is not about severity to the body for the purpose of earning favor, espousing the scriptural warning in Colossians 2:23, that harsh treatment of our bodies does not stop our desires to indulge of flesh. In fact Cassian says that denying the body for altogether has it's place in the fasting is a believer but that it is easier to do than only eating what the body needs and no more. In this he makes allowance for older people, younger people, the sick and the weak. He says that a young strong person who can go without food for many days does not have the upper hand on a close relationship with God. But that it is the careful obedience, in my own words not Cassian's, to God's original limiting command. To eat of everything, that fulfills a God given need, and it's provided by God to fulfill that need and no more, that is the harder fast. And and person in any stage of life can do a fast like that.
Back in Genesis 3:6 we see that Adam and Eve were first tempered by the forbidden food by it's appeal as being good for food. It goes on to day that it was a delight to the eyes, and then profitable for experience of wisdom outside of wisdom they had our that God had provided at that point. For you making the connection it mirrors 1John 2:16, desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, and boastful (personal) pride (lack of reliance on God) of life. And it's you look before that in 1 John 2 you see that John is writing this so that we understand an old command (maybe the original one?) that is also a new command (1 John 2:7-8). Whether it is by definition sequential that we first curb or appetite (gluttony, excess, lack of reliance upon God's provision), then our eyes (lust, coveting, jealousy, also lack of reliance upon God's provision), and then the pride of life (taking work into our own hands, ordering our own steps, doing what is right in our own eyes, yet again not relying on God's provision) it is not, nor should it be, harmful to us to start with fighting our real physical appetite so that we might walk in a closer relationship with God. The side effects should be "0" if done in a healthy way. The benefits are that we begin the journey of re-joining God in His original design, to Speak with Him over His Creation and to Work with Him to Order Things and in the end… to Rest with Him forever.
If you have any questions about the connections I am making out on how to begin a healthy journey of fasting, reach out to me personally. I would be happy to get lunch with you…
Blessings,
Will
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