From Fasting to Feasting

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a diagnosis often given to those who experience a wide range of reactions after going through a tragedy, disaster, or terrifying event. Those who suffer from PTSD can spend years dealing with the consequences of a traumatic event and must often seek counseling.

No doubt, those who returned to Jerusalem from exile had trouble adjusting to their new circumstances. For seventy years they had grieved over the destruction of the temple. The first years for those who had come back continued to be difficult. However, things were about to change. In Zechariah 8:18–23 we finally come to the specific answer to the question that had been asked by the delegation from Bethel (see July 11). They had wanted to know if they should continue fasting. Today’s passage reveals the answer: yes. But instead of being an act of mourning, their fast would be transformed into a celebration (v. 19).

Isaiah 58:5 describes the tone of most fasting in biblical times. Fasting was often an expression of repentance. Those who practiced fasting sometimes wore sackcloth and ashes, typically associated with mourning. Zechariah predicted that fasts previously associated with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple would become “joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah.” The Lord promised that Jerusalem’s renewed growth was not over. Jerusalem would become a magnet for all those who sought the Lord (vv. 22–23). These promises will find their ultimate fulfillment when Jesus reigns as King in Jerusalem. But we don’t need to wait until that time to celebrate. Every time we observe the Lord’s Supper, we anticipate the coming of the kingdom.

Pray with Us

Please commit to prayer today the ministry of Dr. John Jelinek, vice president and dean of Moody Theological Seminary. We praise God for MTS—a great opportunity for students to use its various flexible formats to receive the graduate education.

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.