RELIGIOUS FASTING, REFLECTIONS ON AL MAXEY

Religious Fasting, Al Maxey: REFLECTIONS on Al Maxey's Reflections Regarding Responsible Reformation by Al Maxey Issue #12 January 31, 2003. Fasts, Fasting, Fast versus Feasts

See also Al Maxey who claims that the Synagogue was IMPROVISED without authority, God didn't condemn them, therefore we can IMPROVISE musical worship without pushing God over the edge.

However, the synagogue under various terms was commanded in the wilderness. The Greek Version translates these words as EKKLESIA which we call--in error--the church.

The trumpets were to call assemblies or produce panic in warfare. However, Numbers 10:7 OUTLAWS the alarm when assembling. The alarm means to "blow instruments and make a joyful noise before the Lord." This was NEVER worship but the universal Warrior's Chant whomever your "gods."

It was prophesied that Judas would try this musical triumph in Psalm 41. The Dead Sea scrolls defines this as treating Jesus like Beliar or Beelzebub to be panicked by music.

Therefore, since MUSIC is never used of spiritual worship by any of the Jews in assembly and music is always connected with people saying "we will not listen to the words of God." Consistent with the Book of Enoch which promises that God will come with ten thousands of His saints to judge people, the sin was Lucifer or Satan teaching the youth how to SEDUCE people living in the presence of the LIVING WORD away from His presence and into perverted rituals which is the universal theme of musical "worship" among pagans.

We will see that Al assumes that the IMPROVISED fasts which replaced the yearly feasts were acceptable to God: they were not. As in all IMPROVISED WORSHIP the fasts provided some selfish joy but it violated the Word of God.

Case of the Four Fasts

Al Maxey: During the exile, the Jews had established four commemorative fasts for the people to observe before their God. These were:

1. The fast of the fourth month -- in remembrance of the day when the city walls were breached (2 Kings 25:3-4; Jeremiah 39:2).

2. The fast of the fifth month -- in remembrance of the destruction of the house of God by fire (2 Kings 25:8-10).

3. The fast of the seventh month -- in remembrance of the assassination of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam (2 Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 41:2).

4. The fast of the tenth month -- in remembrance of the day in which the king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1; Ezekiel 24:2).

It should be noted that these four religious fasts were seemingly not commanded by God, but were established by men for the purpose of helping the people to remember a traumatic time in their history. Now that the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem was almost complete, and people had been restored to their homeland, the question arose among some of the people as to whether the time had come to annul these fasts.

WE know that Zechariah and Isaiah say that the people ESTABLISHED religious fasting for their own glory and just oppressed the people. Perhaps this is like the LEGALISTIC TITHE being lustfully restored.

It VIOLATES no command or principle to CEASE EATING. However, when you make it into a ritual to gain favor from God then it IMPROVISES and violates God's spiritual principles.

God did condeming the tithing under consideration.

Al Maxey: A delegation was sent to the priests and prophets of God to determine if indeed these fasts should continue (Zechariah 7:1-3).

Whoa! This is the BLACK HOLE which Al Hopped, Skipped and Jumped Over! It is BAD THEOLOGY to use a QUESTION from chapter 7 and an answer from chapter 8!

Al Maxey: The answer of the Lord God is interesting. "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace'" (Zechariah 8:19).

IF GOD TURN RELIGIOUS FASTING INTO FEASTS THEN DON'T THE FASTS CEASE?

If we treat the Word honestly and continue on to FILL IN THE GAP we will see that Al poses the question from Zechariah 7:1-3 and skips over to Zechariah 8:19 to get his answer.

In between: beginning with Zechariah 7:14 which Al totally missed we will see that God utterly CONDEMNED this improvising of PRETENDING to worship God but they were just pleasing their carnal nature.

Al Maxey: A delegation was sent to the priests and prophets of God to determine if indeed these fasts should continue (Zechariah 7:1-3). The answer of the Lord God is interesting. "Thus says the Lord of host..

Al wants to PROVE that the Jews VIOLATED the law of God; God didn't curse them; therefore, WE can violate the LAW by adding musical instruments and GOD will say: that's ok with ME.

No, Al, the answer to Zechariah 7:1-3 is CLEARLY STATED in 7:4-14.

That ANSWER is a clear condemnation of their OWN RELIGIOUS FASTING.

They had IMPROVISED the ARTIFICIAL fast and feast as a non-commanded ACT OF WORSHIP. However, like the MUSICAL IMPROVISATIONS, they fasted as PRETEND worship to God.

Therefore, Al quits listening before God ceases to speak:

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 7:1

When they had sent unto the house of God Sherezer and Regem-melech, and their men, to pray before the Lord, Zechariah 7: 2

And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying,

Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Zechariah 7: 3

God's answer came in the following verses on their religious fasting:

You fasted FOR YOURSELF

You feasted FOR YOURSELF

Solution: Keep the Word and practice Social Justice

Al Maxey Notes that the primary religious fasting being considered was mourning for the lost temple which God had no need of:

Al Maxey: 2. The fast of the fifth month -- in remembrance of the destruction of the house of God by fire (2 Kings 25:8-10).

But, Al forgets that God permitted a NATIONAL STATE or TEMPLE STATE when the elders FIRED God and demanded "a king like the nations." God knew that this was so that they could worship like the nations.

You say, "We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone." But what you have in mind will never happen. Eze.20:32

God also gave the "house" as a CONCESSION to David but God had in mind a "family." The temple was identical to the LIKE THE NATION'S TEMPLE. Stephen notes that David abandoned the Tabernacle. This was because of David's sin he was too fearful to ever return to Gibeon. God turned the new NATIONAL SYSTEM over to a Jebusite High Place at Jerusalem where David's sacrifices were IN ADDITION TO the Law of Moses.

So, why would God be unhappy about the destruction of the temple which he permitted to be looted and polluted within 5 years of its builder's death?

Al Maxey: After all, some might reason, were these four fasts not "innovations" .... "unauthorized additions" of mere men?

Would not God condemn such as "false worship," and demand that these fasts be abolished altogether as "sinful" and unwanted and unwarranted?

Such is far too frequently the reasoning today of the ultra-conservative patternists among us.

Is it not interesting, however, that God did not condemn these fasts?! Rather, He indicated that in the future they would be transformed into occasions for joy and gladness. The obvious implication is that He approved of their continuance, or, at the very least, He did not disallow their continuance. His only point was that they would no longer be times of sadness, but of great joy.

But God did condemn THEIR religious fasting, Al is wrong, therefore the PATTERNISTS who remain faithful to the TOTALITY of Bible and historical evidence about music are CORRECT and Al, the improvizer, is WRONG.

Al skips ALL of God's holy PATTERN by dredging up an answer from the next chapter.

Al hasn't grasped that 7:4 comes after his prooftext of 1-3.

Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying, Zechariah 7: 4

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

The implied answere is NO.

No, Al, God says these are NOT legitimate FASTS which means that you GO WITHOUT FOOD while focused on God or serving others!

And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Zechariah 7: 6

The answer is "Yes" these fasts were PURELY SELFISH acts which had nothing to do with God. Like music, Al, they were DOING IT FOR THEIR OWN PLEASURE.

Instead of YOUR selfish feasts and fasts, God refers them to the Word. This means that they were not WORD FOCUSED but SELF FOCUSED:

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 7: 7

God did not say "should you not ALSO hear the words?" The message is that you should RATHER hear the words of the Lord than to fast FOR THEMSELVES and FEAST FOR THEMSELVES.

The Jews IMPROVIZED in Jerusalem--yes, even the instrumental attack upon animals they saw as a TYPE of Jesus Christ. As a result they are now in bondage. Their FASTS could have been avoided by following the Word of God rather than the words of the KINGS SET OVER THEM.

Instead of focusing on your own belly, God defines the TRUE FAST and repudiates the SELF-IMPOSED fasts and feasts FOR THEIR OWN PLEASURE:

And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, Zechariah 7: 8

Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: Zechariah 7:9

And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. Zechariah 7: 10

The performed their FEASTS and FASTS; they should have read the word and practiced social justice. The WORD instructed them what they should RATHER do:

But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Zechariah 7: 11

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 7: 12

Nothing so hardens people against the Word of God than IMPROVIZED rituals such as music of ANY form which is UNIVERSALLY REPUDIATED throughout the Bible, and universally associated with perverted paganism in the world.

Musical rituals all borrowed from paganism was a way to KEEP FROM hearing the Word of God.

It needs no proving that when you sing TWILA PARIS and play upon instruments you INTEND with malice aforethought to ignore the PATTERN of Jesus and the direct command of Paul to "glorify God with one voice" by speaking "that which is written (Rom 15), the spirit (Eph 5) or the Words of Christ (Col 3).

Jesus accused the Pharisees of IMPROVISING specificially so that they would not have to listen to the Word of God. Jesus referred them to passages such as Ezekiel 33 where the MUSIC was like perverts looking to both God and Ezekiel as hopeful partners since MINISTRELS were universally male of female prostitutes.

First Example used by Jesus:

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Isaiah 29:13

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Isaiah 29:14

Second Example used by Jesus:

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. Isaiah 33:30

And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people,

and they hear thy words,

but they will not do them:

for with their mouth they shew much love,

but their heart goeth after their covetousness. Isaiah 33:31

And, lo, thou art unto them
as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice,

and can play well on an instrument:

for they hear thy words,

but they do them not. Isaiah 33:32

And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them. Isaiah 33:33

Zechariah continued to pronounce God's Judgement for their false fast which FACILITATED not hearing the Word of God:

Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts: Zechariah 7: 13

But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. Zechariah 7: 14

Al Maxey: The answer of the Lord God is interesting. "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace'" (Zechariah 8:19).

But, Zechariah 8 begins ANOTHER TOPIC ALTOGETHER:

AGAIN the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, Zechariah 8:1

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury Zechariah 8: 2

When God rescued Judah:

But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 8: 11

For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. Zechariah 8: 12

And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. Zechariah 8: 13

For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not: Zechariah 8:14

So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. Zechariah 8: 15

Al Maxey: Do we not have a glimpse here into the mind of our God with regard to such so-called "unauthorized innovations" of men?

It seems to me that God was basically suggesting that the fasts themselves were largely a matter of total indifference to Him, although He anticipated they would come to have a new emphasis in light of His restoration of His people to their homeland.

What God saw as being of much greater significance was the people's love of truth and peace!!

No, Al, God didn't say "keep on doing your selfish feasts and feasts" BUT begin to love the truth. The message of god is LOVE TRUTH rather than FASTING RITUALS. Body fasting has no value: Spiritual Fasting is serving others even if you have to go without food.

This is the same SERMONIZING view that the musical worship in Isaiah, which God and Stephen identify as being "TURNED OVER TO WORSHIP THE STARRY HOST" was proper worship but THEY JUST HAD A BAD MENTAL ATTITUDE.

Return to the Word and the practice a SPIRITUAL fast and feast: He did not say "Keep on holding FASTS which you began to practice FOR YOUR SELVES and not for ME."

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: Zechariah 8: 16

And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord. Zechariah 8: 17

Zechariah 8:19 does not AUTHORIZE the fasts and feasts of chapter seven which God UTTERLY CONDEMNED in chapter 7.

The UNAUTHORIZED AND EVIL fasts will be REPLACED with FEASTS when the people turn back to the WORD OF GOD:

And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me, saying, Zechariah 8: 18

Thus saith the Lord of hosts;

OLD FALSE FASTS: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth,

REPLACED WITH FEASTS: shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace Zechariah 8: 19

Al, the trumpet was not to play music with: it was to create panic in the enemy or to warn the COMMON people to be outside the gates when the "musical" Levites made a great, crashing NOISE while killing and burning the animals as a TYPE of Lord Jesus Christ. But, not among the Jews nor the VILEST PAGAN TEMPLE did the musicians ever get "past Christ" and into the Holy Place as a type of the church of Christ.

Just as Zechariah 7 proves, the people FASTED and FEASTED for their own

CRY aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:1

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness,

and (as if you had not) forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Isaiah 58:2

Just like the singing and dancing, the CHILDREN hoped that God was watching and being entertained, the FAST was a religious ritual to try to PULL THE WOOL OVER THE EYES OF GOD:

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?

Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Isaiah 58:3

Al Maxey: What do you think, brethren? Is there a principle here applicable to the people of God today? It seems to me the answer is a resounding YES.

So true: Al. The principle and absolute DEMAND is that the FASTS were improvised by evil people FOR THEIR OWN PLEASURE just as MUSIC was introduced for their own pleasure. Both lacked a DRIP OF SPIRITUAL COMPREHENSION.

They were in captivity and in hunger BECAUSE they refused the commands of God. Making this into a ritual was phoney religion. Therefore, God did not COMMEND but CONDEMNED it as BODY WORSHIP.

As God in Zechariah 8 turns the FASTS into FEASTS, in Isaiah He clearly says that HE HAS NEVER CHOSEN ritual fasting:

Is it such a fast that I have chosen?

a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?

wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Isaiah 58:5

Al, the answer is NO, NO, NO!

> The FAST God chose was NOT the fast the lost Jews picked for their own selfish interests.

> The TRUE FAST in Isaiah is the same as God's True Fast in Zechariah.

> Therefore, God commanded HIS SPIRITUAL FAST and REPUDIATED the IMPROVIZED FASTS of those who had gone into captivity BECAUSE they improvized including on MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

> Al Maxey is wrong and God insists on GOD'S PATTERNISM which makes the "church" a synogogue or SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE with no options for musical rituals which speak TOTALLY of superstitious, ignorant paganism.

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness,

to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Isaiah 58:7

And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, Zechariah 7: 8

Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: Zechariah 7:9

And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. Zechariah 7: 10

If you do, as I have been part to, FAST Friday night and meet at Shoney's for breakfast then you can comprehend the FASTING which God condemned.

The TRUE FAST sees the SABBATH as a day of REST and not of worship as the pagans WORSHIPED on the Sabbath with music while the slaves kept on working. Al, that eliminates SERMONIZING or VERSIFYING the Holy Words of God:

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him,

not doing thine own ways,
nor finding thine own pleasure,
nor speaking thine own words: Isaiah 58:13

God ALWAYS utterly CONDEMNED improvising. Lucifer stood between the older people and God. However, Lucifer began to siphon off some of the worship due to God by SUBVERTING AND PERVERTING people with musical "rituals."

In ETERNITY PAST there was only ONE WILL: when Satan caused the curse through the serpent or NACHASH or musical enchanter there were TWO WILLS in the world. Time will end when there is ONLY ONE WILL in the world.

Al Maxey seeks through a false teaching such as the SYNAGOGUE to acclimate people to the idea that TWO WILLS are acceptable to God: it is not.

But that will about MUSICAL WORSHIP violates ever tidbit of Biblical and historical evidence. Whereas, the "music" word is NEVER used of congregational singing with instrumental accompaniment.

The fast was a FALSE FAST where the people SIPHONED OFF some of the worship due God and service due the poor: God utterly condemned the false FASTS and promised joyful FEASTS only when the SECOND WILL is silenced and people turn back to the WORD. God's promise is based on this absolute demand:

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 58:14

As with the Synagogue which we showed to be commanded WITHOUT instruments or "making a joyful noise before the Lord" (Numbers 10) began in the WILDERNESS with INSTRUCTION as its sole purpose, the FAST fails Al as a PROOF TEXT to prove that:

People violated the Will of God

God didn't condemn them

Therefore, WE can get by with the sin of adding instrumental music and calling it worship.

Spiritual people DO NOT TRY to sees what they can get by with.

The Synagogue: There was NO PRAISE SERVICE IN THE SYNAGOGUE.

Al Maxey's Defense of Instrumental Music.

The Synagogue: Al Maxey claims that it WAS NOT AUTHORIZED. THIS GIVES US THE RIGHT TO ADD UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Musical Worship Index: No evidence in favor:

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