Aug 3, 2022
The fast of Tisha B' Av was a time of mourning over the consequences of Israel’s actions in not following the voice of God. The Lord spoke to Zechariah about this fast: “You did not listen when I called to you. For that reason, I have not listened when you called to Me” (see Zechariah 7:13). This should be a warning to us today. If the Lord is not hearing our prayers, or if we are in devastating circumstances, we should make this Tisha B’ Av a time to repent of our own lack of response to God’s voice. Only then can we activate the promise that He will turn the fast into a feast of rejoicing.
Show Notes:
The fast of the fifth month, known as Tisha B’Av, is considered the saddest day of the Hebrew year because it observes several disastrous events that happened in Jewish history, starting with the destruction of Solomon’s Temple by the Babylonians in 423 BCE. The book of Zechariah records that this fast was observed during the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple after the Babylonian captivity. When Zechariah inquired of the Lord about this fast, the Lord made it clear that Israel and Judah would continue to live with the consequences of their rebellion if they observed this fast for themselves and refused to listen to His voice.
As Christians we cannot look on this fast as something for Jews only. Many of us today have seen what we built being torn down just like the Temple was. We seem to be losing the battles that we are fighting and are living with disastrous circumstances in our lives. Maybe these are outward signs and consequences that God is using to get our attention to lead us into fasting and prayer.
In Tisha B’Av we have an opportunity to look at the times of shaking and shattering in our lives and ask God to bring His grace and forgiveness and restore our relationship with Him. The Lord is always in a process of making all things work together for our good and bringing us into the fulfillment of all that He has for us in our lives. So we enter into the fasting and mourning of Tisha B’Av by faith, knowing that the promise of God is that the Lord will hear us if we turn our hearts to Him—and He will turn our fasting and mourning into days of joy, gladness, and cheerful feasting.
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Resource:
Learn more about the Fast of Tisha B’Av at chabad.org.
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Takeaways:
3.Do what the Lord said to do: He wants us to humble ourselves; He wants us to pray; and He wants us to seek His face and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Prayer:
Father, by faith we cry to You in the name of Yeshua. Cleanse us of our sin and help us to turn from the wickedness that has brought us into the destructive circumstances that are consuming our lives. Make all aspects of our lives work together for good and pour out Your abundant grace that we might experience a future filled with Your presence and Your glory. Amen.