Zechariah 7 verses 4-6 (NIV) – The word of the LORD Almighty came to me: "Ask all the people of the land and the priests: 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?' "
Seventy years is a long, long time! For all this time the people have been holding these fasts in the belief they were doing it for God, but when they address God on the matter He informs them it was never about Him at all! One might think God would at least be touched by the persistence and sacrifice shown in these strictly held days of fasting, year after year. But no, God asks them who it was they were fasting for - was it not just for themselves?
They were being religious at the designated times, but the rest of the year they lived how they pleased. The fast was not about seeking the forgiveness and grace of God but rather a time to make them feel they had given God their dues, balancing the ledger so to speak. They were viewing it as a time of earning brownie points with God!
It makes me think of all the times I've gone to Church on a Sunday with the attitude that I'm doing 'my bit' for God, and that when the service is over I've now given myself license to do my own thing for a while. How silly! Christianity is not a weekly religious service; it is a constant way of life! This is shown clearly when God goes on to say what He really desired from the Jews:
Zechariah 7 verses 9-10 (NIV) – "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other."
What I see in this passage is a God who cares more about me reflecting His character in my daily life rather than keeping a religious observance. I can pray piously, fast religiously and deny myself pleasures; but if my religion fails to make an effect on the way I actually live it is useless. The way I live day by day sings a much louder song than the worship tunes I croon on a Sunday. Hours spent in superficial prayer and fasting will not put God in debt to me or sway his hand; it is righteousness that begs Gods ear to listen.
James 5 verse 16 (NIV) – The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
The flipside of this is that the prayers of the unrighteous, no matter how fervent, are not powerful. A lot of religious activity will never suffice to replace righteousness.
Thomas Devenish lives in Hobart, Tasmania. One of nine children, He works as a motion graphics editor and enjoys photography and the creative arts.
Thomas Devenish's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/thomas-devenish.html