Fasting during the sabbath

31gH9N.9.

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I have read some sources that say fasting shouldn't be done on the sabbath ( some even seem to prohibit it), but no one ever gives any scripture to back it up. I have recently been trying to observe the Sabbath, and just want to know how it should be done. I actually get convicted that I should fast, but then I read that it's not right to afflict yourself during the Sabbath.
 

31gH9N.9.

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The great Sabbath of Sabbaths is Yom Kippur and you are instructed to fast. I have not heard of fasting on the Sabbath, unless there is some spiritual battle that needs to be dealt with.

Which is definitely something I am undergoing at the moment.
 
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tampasteve

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31gH9N.9.

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Yeah that was one source I had read that we shouldn't fast. I did not see anything from God's word that backed it up though. I'm careful about what I hear from those of the circumcision who do not believe that the messiah has already come.
There seems to be a bunch of extrabiblical teaching coming from that camp, something I can't prescribe to, at least doctrinally.
 
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tampasteve

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Yeah that was one source I had read that we shouldn't fast. I did not see anything from God's word that backed it up though. I'm careful about what I hear from those of the circumcision who do not believe that the messiah has already come.
There seems to be a bunch of extrabiblical teaching coming from that camp, something I can't prescribe to, at least doctrinally.
Are you a Jewish Messianic believer or Gentile Messianic believer? If you are not Jewish by birth or conversion you wouldn't be required to abide by that mitzvah anyways.
 
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tampasteve

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That said, Shabbat is supposed to be a weekly holiday, a weekly celebration. I'm not sure it's in that spirit to fast during Shabbat. Perhaps break the fast for a small meal or start the fast another day?
 
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tampasteve

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I am a Gentile believer that has strong convictions to observing the law when possible. besides that I don't know whether or not I am anything else.
Got it, I think I'm in a similar mindset at this point. In that case, no I don't think that you will find anything in the written Torah, but the Oral Torah is where the sages say they came to the conclusion of fasting on Shabbat. However, as a Gentile you are not beholden to the Law, but should practice it if it brings you closer to G-D. If fasting brings you closer, then don't worry about what the sages say in regards to Jewish people. But, if you are looking for direction on what Jewish sages would say to a Jewish audience, then they say to not fast.
 
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W2L

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Lot of fasting going on in this scripture.


Isaiah 58:3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’

“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And exploit all your laborers.
4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate,
And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
To make your voice heard on high.
5 Is it a fast that I have chosen,
A day for a man to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast,
And an acceptable day to the Lord?

6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.

“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
 
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Jeremiah 7:23

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Are you a Jewish Messianic believer or Gentile Messianic believer? If you are not Jewish by birth or conversion you wouldn't be required to abide by that mitzvah anyways.

What part of the Law are Gentiles supposed to follow?
 
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Dave-W

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What part of the Law are Gentiles supposed to follow?
Acts 15.13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

16 ‘After these things I will return,
And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen,
And I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will restore it,
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’
18 Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.

19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, 23 and they sent this letter by them,

“The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

24 “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, 25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”
 
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Yeshua HaDerekh

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In the eastern Church, we do not normally fast on the Sabbath. Holy Saturday before Pascha would be the exception. Here is an interesting article regarding the subject:

https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/168563

In his work Adversus Calumnis Graecorum (Against the Calumnies of the Greek) Cardinal Humbert wrote:
Therefore, in such observance of the Sabbath, where and in what way do we [Latins] have anything in common with the Jews? For they are idle and keep a holiday on the Sabbath, neither ploughing nor reaping, and by reason of custom do not work, but they hold a festivity and a dinner, and their menservants, maidservants, cattle, and beasts of burden rest. But we [Latins] observe none of these things, but we do every (sort of ) work, as (we do) on the preceding five days, and we fast as we (are wont to) fast on the sixth day [Friday] next to it.
However, you [Greeks], if you do not judaize, tell (us) why do you have something in common with the Jews with the similar observance of the Sabbath? They certainly observe the Sabbath, and you observe (it); they dine, and always break the fast, on the Sabbath. In their forty-day period they break the fast every Sabbath except one, and you [Greeks] in your forty day period break the fast every Sabbath except one. They [the Jews] have a twofold reason for
observing the Sabbath, obviously by reason of the precept of Moses, and because the disciples were saddened and heavy (of heart) on this (Sabbath) day on account of the death of the Lord, whom they do not believe to be about to be resurrected. Wherefore, because you observe Sabbath with the Jews and with us Sunday, Lord’s day, you appear by such observance to imitate the sect of the Nazarenes, who in this manner accept the Christianity that they might not give
up Judaism.
 
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Dave-W

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Shabbat would not be a delight if you fast on it.
Correct. Fasting is a way of afflicting the soul - as is commanded on Yom Kippur. That is entirely antithetical to the purpose of Shabbat.
 
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visionary

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Acts 15.13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

16 ‘After these things I will return,
And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen,
And I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will restore it,
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’
18 Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.

19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, 23 and they sent this letter by them,

“The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

24 “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, 25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”
They can't even do that... love the blood.. they do
 
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small beginnings

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I am a Gentile believer that has strong convictions to observing the law when possible. besides that I don't know whether or not I am anything else.

I honor your desire to keep Torah as best as possible.
Well, as for whether you are a Gentile or Hebrew Messianic; I don't think it much matters, really. I don't think G-d has a first and coach class when it comes to Torah keeping, excepting those things explicitly written to Israel.

Once you were “not a people,”
but now you are “God’s people.”
You were shown “no mercy,”
but now you have been shown “mercy.” - 1 Peter 2:10 TLV

As for whether we feast or fast on Shabbat— well, it's complicated.

There are several things to consider.

1. Moses' seat (Matthew 23:1-7)

While groups I respect like First Fruits of Zion use this to justify tradition
(see Is the Jewish Calendar Wrong?), here is an indictment about doing just this sort of thing (adding impediments). Yes we should whenever possible consider tradition when it is good, reputable, edifying (Phillipians 4:8) we must not let minhag interfere with that to which G-d calls us individually or, especially, greater Torah observance. (Mk. 7:13)

No, there is no biblical proscription against fasting on Shabbat. In fact,
some early sources suggest that it might have been the norm at one time:
https://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Shokel/021031_SabbathFast.html

Y-shuah fasted for 40 days and 40 nights; so did Moses —AFTER he had been given the Torah! (no mention was made about taking 5 breaks in-between)

However, later Rabbis declared it to be inappropriate to fast on a day that is to be welcomed as a delight, "The Bride." (And yet Isaiah 58 seems to be talking about Yom Kippur, which we are to call a "delight") So there you have it. And it brings us to the next point.

2. Messianic Unity, or the "Hinei Ma Tov" principle.
(Romans 14)

If your community celebrates Shabbat in joy, then explicitly fasting on Shabbat because in the 1st century "it may have been the norm" is just being oppositional. I don't think that you are doing this, but consider this:

Jewish custom prohibits mourning on Shabbat, but if a brother or sister is mourning a loss and needs encouragement, fast with them! (Romans 12:15) Better is showing compassion on a member of Messiah's body than keeping the traditions of men!

We are also not to cause others to stumble and should always act in consideration of others (previous verses listed. see also 1 Cor. 19:19-23; 1 Cor. 8; 1 Cor. 12:25-26)

3. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. - 2 Corinthians 3:17 WEB

I would encourage you to read 2 Corinthians 3 and Colossians 2 again.

First what Paul is NOT saying: he doesn't say to NOT keep the feasts. But where there is no law against such things, there is freedom. Freedom to what end? To follow G-d!

If you are struggling with sin, and G-d calls you to fast, what better way to find intimacy than during his appointed time to meet with Him?

Some sins are particularly difficult to talk to others about. (The wolf would like nothing more than to get a sheep off on its own.) I sincerely hope that you are able to find someone of such righteous character to be able to "confess your sins to" (James 5:16) that you may be healed. And if they are willing to "mourn with those who mourn", they should be able to fast and pray with you, even on Shabbat.

(P.S.: Unless you have a word from the L-rd, you may want to wait until 2nd October 2018, because it really is a mitzvah to rejoice for all the days in this holiday. [Leviticus 23:40] )
 
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