Define

νηστεύω

nēsteuō

• Abstain from food and/or drink entirely for a single day
• Abstain from typical nourishment for several days

Isaiah 58 tzom

Notes:

• Originally it was done during times when the heart was overwhelmed with an emotion which caused one to not want to eat or drink, such as times of sorrow or at times of great decision. Over time, it took on a spiritual purpose, expressing a sorrow over sin and guilt before God.
• Reformed Judaism has one God mandated fasting day which is the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23 ] :26-32; Leviticus 16 :29).
  • “Afflicting the soul” implied fasting a form of self denial (Isaiah 58 :3).
  • It is the only fast ordained in the Pentateuch.
  • In the NT Day of Atonement is referred as “The Fast” in Acts 27 :9
• Fasting is also observed in scripturs in times of personal failure or sorrow, important decisions, conviction of sin, war or battle, sickness, death, and broken-heartedness.
• Sounding of the shofar often performed in relation to fasting.
• Fasting, with prayer and alms became a ritual and was seen as a way to have sins forgiven.
  • Fasting publicly became a practice where people would stand in a public area and pray in the open, tear their cloths, wear sackcloth, and put ashes/earth on their heads. (1 Kings 21 ; Joel 2 ; Isaiah 58 ; 2 Chronicals 20; Psalms 35
  • Jesus addressed these in Matthew 6 . Giving of alms became closely related to prayer and fasting, as a habit, ritual to atone for and get rid of sin.
• Isaiah 58 :3
  • Unacceptable fasting to God:
    • seek your own pleasure
    • oppress your workers
    • quarrel, fight, and hit with fist
  • Acceptable fasting to God
    • a day for a person to be humble
    • bow down his head
    • spread sackcloth and ashes under him
    • loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the straps of the yoke
    • let the oppressed go free
    • share your bread with the hungry
    • bring homeless poor into your house
    • cover the naked
    • take away the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness
    • pour yourself out for the hungry
    • satisify the desire of the afflicted
    • turn back from doing your pleasure on my holy day, the Sabbath
    • call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable
    • Honor the Sabbath, not going your own ways, seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly