Demonstration 3: On Fasting

Demonstration on Fasting Fasting is chosen, pure before God, and preserved like a treasure in heaven. It is a weapon against evil, and a barrier that receives the blows of the enemy. And this I have not said from my own reasoning, but from the holy scriptures, which have previously shown that at all times fasting is a help to those who truly fast. For fasting, my beloved, is not merely that of bread and water alone, but there are many kinds, many forms of fasting. For there is one who fasts from bread and water until hunger and thirst; and there is one who fasts so that he becomes a virgin, and though hungry he does not eat, and though thirsty he does not drink, and this fasting is better. And there is one who fasts in holiness, and that is fasting. And there is one who fasts from meat and wine and various foods; and there is one who fasts by placing a seal on his mouth so that he does not speak evil words; and there is one who fasts from anger and subdues his passion so that it does not prevail; and there is one who fasts from the desire that vainly gives himself to its service; and there is one who fasts from the vanities of the world, so that he may be vigilant in prayer; and there is one who fasts from the pleasures of this world, so that he is not defiled by the enemy; and there is one who fasts by mourning, so that he may please his Lord through affliction; and there is one who grieves for all of them, and makes them all one fast, as a man fasts from food until hunger. And when he has fasted from not eating and from not drinking, he is called a faster. But if he tastes or drinks even a little, he breaks his fast. So also with the head of one who fasts from all of these; and if he, by degrees, releases one of them, his fast is no longer considered, when he has released one of all of these, just as the fast of one who eats and drinks naturally is not considered. And when his hunger overtakes him and he breaks his fast, his sin is not great.

mind, but from the testimony of the scriptures. For when a man is restrained from all these things, and approaches to take up one by one, his sin is great and not small. Listen, my beloved, to the demonstration of pure fasting. For first, Abel showed pure fasting in his offering, and he pleased before his God. And Enoch, who preserved integrity in a corrupt generation. And Abraham, who excelled in his faith. And Isaac, because of Abraham's covenant. And Jacob, because of Isaac's oath, because he knew God. And Joseph, because of his compassion and his self-control. All these had purity as their complete fast before God. And if there is no purity of heart, fasting is not accepted. And remember and see, my beloved, that this matter is better: that a man purify his heart and guard his tongue, and restrain his hands from evil, like those I wrote to you above. For neither is it fitting for a man to mix evil with good. For if a man fasts from bread and water, he should not mix with his fasting curses and blasphemies. For there is one door to your house, which is the temple of God. And it is not fitting for you, O son of man, that through that door by which the king enters, there should go out from it filth and refuse. For when a man fasts from all kinds of foods, and takes the body and blood of the Messiah, he should be careful with his mouth, by which the son of the king enters. You have no authority, O son of man, that through your mouth you should bring forth foul words. Listen to what the Life-giver says: that what enters the son of man does not defile him, but what comes out of him through the mouth—that is what defiles him. For Moses also fasted a pure fast, when he went up the mountain, and brought the law to his people, and he grew strong in his fast of forty days, and received excellent glory, when the skin of his face shone, and he turned away the anger from his people and was not hindered. Also in the likeness of Moses' fast, Elijah, the mighty man, fasted, when he was persecuted by Jezebel.

and Elijah, until the time of the drought, in his fast of forty days. He remembered that he had spoken with Moses, and was revealed to him there, and commanded him and said to him: "Go, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi, and Hazael, who would wreak destruction among the houses of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat, who would fill your place." And he rejoiced in the revelation of his Lord in his complete fast, just as Moses rejoiced when he fasted forty days, twice forty days, and turned away the anger of his God from his people, and brought down the tablets of the covenant inscribed by the finger of God. And these two, their boast was in their fasts, and through it they were perfected. Again, I show you also the fast of the wicked and the shedding of blood that is not accepted: that of Jezebel, who plotted against her husband Ahab and against the kingdom of Israel. For she wrote a letter in the name of Ahab and sent it to the men of Jezreel, wicked men, the followers of the wicked Jezebel. And she wrote in the letter of wickedness and said thus: "Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people, and set before him two men, sons of wickedness, and let them testify against him and say that Naboth blasphemed God and the king, and let him be stoned with stones and die." And this, my beloved, that Jezebel wrote to them, that two men testified against Naboth, as if according to the holy law she had sent to them. For it is written in the law that when someone is condemned to death, he is not to be killed on the testimony of one witness, but on the testimony of two witnesses he dies. And thus it is written: "The hand of the witnesses shall be upon him first to stone him, and the hand of all the people afterwards." Again, she wrote to them that they should testify thus: "Naboth blasphemed God and the king." And this too, as if according to the holy law she wrote to them in the letter of wickedness, for it is written: "He who blasphemes the name of God shall be stoned with stones," concerning one who separates the holy name and blasphemes.

and Jezebel, for her part, did not act in the name of God in vain, for she was acting arrogantly. But because of the wickedness of Ahab, it was in vain that he went up to the vineyard of Naboth. And Ahab did not remember that it is written: "Do not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor." Or did Jezebel, because of the wickedness of Ahab, say: "Where now is the God who gave the vineyard? He who overturned my altar, or he who killed my prophets? Or where is the righteous king? He who abolished the law and wanted to seize the inheritance of the vineyard?" But as for Jezebel, I did not set up anything that is written at the beginning of the commandments of the law, which is written: "Do not worship another god." And Jezebel worshipped Baal. Again it is written: "Do not shed innocent blood in the land that the Lord your God has given you." And for you, O Jezebel, was it not enough that you remembered what is written: "The land where blood is shed will not be cleansed"? But rather, if blood is shed in it, the blood of the one who shed it is shed. And what fear did you have, O Jezebel, and then you performed the evil deed? That you gave the vineyard to God when you did not give it? Again it is written: "When the blood of a man is shed, his own blood is shed." And the wicked Jezebel shed the innocent blood of Naboth. Therefore, in that place where the innocent blood was shed in the evil fast that was decreed, the blood of Jezebel was shed, and dogs ate it. And Ahab, who listened to her counsel, the dogs also licked his blood. And if Jezebel chose and took from the law something that would help her in her wickedness, while she did not keep the law, then also the wicked men of the house of Jezreel, how did they receive the letter in which was written the evil fast, and in which was written the false testimony and the shedding of blood? In the days of Elijah, I heard that they fasted a fast and shed innocent blood. But why did you not reject the letter of evil and the testimony of falsehood? Therefore, Ahab and Jezebel received a just recompense.

by the innocent blood of Naboth which they shed, and the sons of Jezreel who listened to Jezebel, they also were punished through the cursed blood. For Hosea prophesied and said, "After a little while, the blood of Jezreel will be avenged upon the house of Jehu." And Jehu avenged the blood of Naboth at the hand of Jezebel and the house of Ahab. And the sons of Jezreel were destroyed by the sword in the house of Baal. And the blood of Naboth came upon them, as Jehu said on that day of vengeance, "In the evening I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, that vengeance would be taken for it." And the fast that the sons of Jezreel fasted was for condemnation. Again, the sons of Nineveh fasted a pure fast, when Jonah proclaimed against them. For thus it is written: when they heard the proclamation of Jonah, they decreed a severe fast, and a contrite repentance, as they sat on sackcloth and ashes. And they took off their splendid garments, and put on sackcloth instead. And they separated infants from their mothers' breasts, and cattle and flocks from their shepherds. For thus it is written: the word reached the king of Nineveh, and he rose from his throne, and took his crown with him, and sat on sackcloth and ashes, humbling himself. And he proclaimed in his city of Nineveh and said, "By the command of the king and his nobles, let men and beasts taste nothing, and let them not graze, nor even drink water, but let them cover themselves with sackcloth, men, women, and beasts, and cry out to God in repentance. And let the wrath and anger be turned away, and let us not perish." And thus it is written: God saw their deeds, that they turned from their evil ways, and he turned away the wrath from them, and he did not let them perish. And he did not say that he saw a fast of bread and water, and of sackcloth and ashes, but that they turned from their evil ways, and from the wickedness of their deeds. Because the king of Nineveh proclaimed thus and said, "Let a man turn from his evil way, and from the plunder that is in his hands.

And there was a pure fast, and the fast of the men of Jezreel was accepted when they turned from their evil ways and from the plunder in their hands. And the pure fast that the men of Jezreel fasted became a matter of will, and their fast was not like the blood of Jezreel, by which innocent blood was shed. For at all times, my beloved, a fast from evil deeds, when a person fasts, is better than a fast from bread and water. And it is better than a person who afflicts himself and darkens his form like a charcoal-burner, and puts on sackcloth and ashes, as Isaiah said. For when a person fasts from bread and water and from all kinds of food, and puts on sackcloth and ashes, and mourns, it is pleasing, fitting, and beautiful. But especially this is beautiful: when a person humbles himself and loosens the knots of iniquity, and cuts the bonds of restraint, then his light shines forth like the sun, his righteousness goes before him, and he becomes like a garden of roses and like a spring of water whose streams are not cut off. And he is not like those who darken their faces and disfigure their features and make their fast known. For behold, even the disciples of the wicked Mani fast and remember their sins, but they have no reward. For who will give a reward to Marcion, who does not acknowledge the good of the Creator? And who will repay his fast to Valentinus, who proclaims that many are the creators and says that God the perfecter was not spoken of by the mouth, and thought did not follow him? But who will give recompense to the sons of darkness, the disciples of the wicked Mani, who dwell in darkness like serpents and practice Chaldean magic, the teaching of Babylon? Behold, all these fast, but their fast is not accepted. Again, hear, my beloved, the accepted fast of your brothers, which Mordecai and Esther fasted, and their fast was the price of salvation for all the sons of their people.

And they put an end to Haman's boasting, and his wickedness turned back upon his own head. His own plan turned against him. By the measure he sought to measure, he was measured. By the cup he sought to give drink, he was given to drink. As he thought to do, it was done to him. He was ensnared by the destruction of his own sins. He who boasted in his wealth did not profit from it, and his wisdom did not save him. He who was wise in evil, his pride was humbled. His honor departed from him. His beauty was destroyed. His manhood was humbled. By the blow he sought to strike, he was struck. By the killing he sought to kill, he was killed. For he desired to destroy all the Jews who were under the authority of King Ahasuerus. And the fast of Mordecai and Esther became a barrier. And Haman received his punishment. Haman was caught in his own wickedness, and his sword, which was a slayer, turned against his own heart. His bow, which was full, was broken for evil. As it is written concerning the wicked: "Their sword enters their own hearts, and their bows are broken." This came upon Haman. For when he set up a gallows for Mordecai and his people, Haman and his people were hanged upon it. He was caught in the pit he had dug. He was trapped in the snare he had hidden. His hunting net was spread over him. He fell into the snares of his own evil. And that was his end forever. And what more, my beloved, should I ask? Haman sought from the king that all the Jews be destroyed. But the root of his own people he sought to destroy, and he sought to blot out the name of the sons of Israel, as the memory of Amalek was blotted out from under heaven. And Haman remained a survivor of the Amalekites. For thus it is written: Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, was honored in the court of King Ahasuerus. Mordecai sat daily at the king's gate because of his upbringing of Esther, who was taken and pleased King Ahasuerus more than all the young women, her companions. And she entered, sat in the place of Vashti, and became queen. And Mordecai daily

He used to sit at the king's gate, and Haman was third in the kingdom and honored throughout his entire realm. And every person who was at the king's gate, when he saw Haman, would fall down and prostrate before him. But Mordecai did not rise before him. For this reason he wanted, by this pretext, to take vengeance on the sons of his people and to exact from them the vengeance of the Amalekites. For Haman was from the race of the house of Agag, king of Amalek—he whom Saul spared, and whom Samuel hewed before the Lord. And Mordecai was from the lineage of the house of Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, from the sons of Kish. For Saul destroyed the Amalekites, and Haman wanted to exact the vengeance of the sons of his people from the hands of Israel. And the killing of Agag was by the hands of Mordecai. But he did not know that a decree had been passed against Amalek, that their memory would be blotted out from under heaven. For it is written in the holy Law that God said to Moses: "Say to Joshua son of Nun, and choose men for him, and make war with Amalek." And Joshua went and made war with Amalek, and Amalek was defeated by the evil of the cross. For Moses stretched out his hands, and when those who went out to war were destroyed, some survivors remained among their dwellings. Then the Lord said to Moses: "Write a book of remembrance, and place it before Joshua son of Nun, because I have decreed a decree that the memory of Amalek be blotted out from under heaven." And He made a covenant with them, a spirit with the Amalekites, that when they heard what was written in His holy book, that He had decreed a decree against the Amalekites, they would return to Him and mercy would be shown to them. For if they had repented, there would have been repentance, as there was repentance for the Ninevites when a change of heart ruled over them, and they showed repentance, and His wrath turned away from them. And as the oath was given to the Gibeonites.

and they did not perish with the Amalekites. And just as repentance was given to Rahab the harlot, so also repentance was given to the Amalekites, if they had repented. For he hired out to them a spirit of four hundred prophets. And after all this time, when he saw that they did not repent, his wrath prevailed against them, and he remembered what Moses had written in his holy book. For when Saul arose in the kingdom, God said to Samuel, he said to him, "Remember what Amalek did to you when you went out from Egypt, that they met you with the sword. Now go and destroy the sinful Amalek." And Saul went and destroyed the Amalekites. And because Saul showed mercy on Amalek, he was deposed from his kingdom, because he left a survivor among them. And that survivor was from the house of Agag, whom Saul left, and Mordecai was from the same lineage as the house of Saul, who destroyed the house of Agag. And there are people, my beloved, who bring a false accusation against Mordecai and say, "Why did he not stand before Haman? For he was honored by the whole kingdom. Why did he not bow down? If he had shown him honor, then they say, 'If Mordecai had stood before Haman, this evil would not have been plotted against Mordecai and his people.'" But these say, "He who does not know the power of the word." Mordecai, however, like a righteous man who keeps the law, did this: he did not stand before the wicked Haman, because he looked at Saul, his ancestor, that because he showed mercy on Agag, the ancestor of Haman, he was deposed from his kingdom, and wrath came upon him. And if Mordecai had shown honor to the wicked Haman, wrath would have come upon him, as it did upon Saul. And why, my beloved, more than all the nations, did Amalek go out to the way of Israel for battle? For thus Amalek thought, that he would go out and destroy the children of Jacob and nullify the blessings of Isaac.

he was afraid of the subjugation of the sons of Jacob. For thus Isaac said to Esau: "You shall serve your brother Jacob. And if you repent, your portion will pass from you." Because of this I knew that Amalek was the son of the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau. And he did not wish to be subjected to the sons of Jacob. And when my beloved says that Isaac said to Esau: "You shall serve your brother Jacob," the word is thus made known, because Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan, who were cursed by the spirit of his father. For thus the spirit said to him: "Do the works of your brothers." Because Abraham and Isaac knew that the Canaanites were cursed, they did not take wives for their sons from their daughters. For Abraham did not take for Isaac, nor Isaac for Jacob, so that the cursed seed of the Canaanites would not mix with the seed that was blessed by the spirit. Because of this, Amalek, the son of Eliphaz the son of Esau, wished to nullify the curses of the spirit and the blessings of Isaac, and to approach the sons of Jacob. And God also wrote bitterly against Amalek, that his memory would be blotted out by the sons of Rachel. First, Joshua son of Nun fought with him from the tribe of Joseph, and afterwards Saul with the sons of Benjamin, and their survivors Mordecai destroyed by his fast. For from all the sons of Esau, Amalek wished to fight with the sons of Jacob, and his own memory was blotted out. And he saw that by the fast of Mordecai and Esther, Haman with his multitude was overthrown, and the remnant of the Amalekites perished. And Mordecai received the honor of Haman, and became great in the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, and Esther was queen in place of Vashti. Again, Daniel fasted a fast, a receiving fast, three weeks of days, on behalf of his people, so that there would be no addition for them in Babylon beyond seventy years.

And through the fast of the tenth and the one day, he had acceptance before his God. And during those days, Gabriel stood to help him, for he was the one who received prayers at all times. And with Gabriel also Michael, their chief, helped, and they stood against the chief of Persia for the tenth and the one day. And he helped Daniel in his fast. Know, my beloved, that Gabriel is the one who receives prayers before God. For when Daniel prayed, Gabriel came to him with his host and said to him, "Your prayer has been heard before God, and I have come with your words." And he strengthened his heart and said to him, "Be strong, man of desires." Also in the prayer of his fast, he came to him again. Also the prayer of Zechariah, Gabriel presented before God when he gave him the good news about the son of John. For he said to him, "Your prayer has been heard before God." Also the prayer of Mary, he presented before God and gave her the good news about the son of the Messiah. For he said to her, "You have found grace before God." And how did Mary find grace except through her fast and her prayer? Because Gabriel was the one who received the prayers of the pure and presented them before God. And Michael was the chief of the sons of Israel. It was he who said to Moses, "Behold, my angel will go before you and destroy the inhabitants of the land before you." And it was he who appeared to the she-ass of Balaam when Balaam went to curse Israel. And he also appeared to Joshua son of Nun when he drew his sword and stood in the valley of Jericho. And Joshua, when he saw him, thought he was from the enemies and said to him, "Are you from my enemies?" Michael said to him, "I am the chief of the hosts of the Lord, and now I have come." And he cast down the walls of Jericho before Joshua son of Nun. And he also destroyed before him thirty-one kings. And he destroyed thousands of thousands of Hittites before Esau.

And again he destroyed in his camp the Assyrian, one hundred and eighty-five thousand. Also when they went to Babylon, the sons of Israel went, and he also went with them, and on their behalf he was contending. And as for Daniel, my beloved, he fasted for three weeks of days, and he prayed to God and entreated, and it is not written that he fasted before the sacrifice. For thus it is written: that when he completed the desolation of Jerusalem, seventy weeks, as the prophet Jeremiah said, that he offered his prayer and entreated before his God, that they should not add to the ruin, more than those seventy weeks, as it was less than the generation of the days of Noah, and as he added to the sons of Israel in Egypt, and as he diminished the sons of Ephraim. And it was considered that Daniel, because of the sins of the people, lest it be prolonged for him, more than those seventy weeks which Jeremiah said. And Gabriel helped him in his fast, and Michael their chief, and also for Michael himself there was a respite for him in that time, when you turned his land upside down. And Gabriel who helped him, that the fruits of their prayers might increase in the temple, and that the offerings which are offered daily before God might increase. And the ruler of the kingdom of Persia did not wish that the holy seed of Israel should be separated from the sinful kingdom of Persia, which was entrusted to him from God. For as many as there were righteous among them, he also was one of them, and he saw that the chosen fast of Daniel was increased, and he turned back the captivity of his people, to complete the seventy weeks. But our own leader of the camp is greater than Gabriel and better than Michael, and more holy than the ruler of Persia, for he is the life-giving Lord Jesus Christ, who came and put on humanity, and suffered and was healed in the body which he took from us, and is able to help those who are healed. For he fasted on their behalf.

And he overcame Ba‘al-dra‘, and commanded that they fast and keep vigil at all times, through the power of pure fasting. He attained his perfection. End of the Demonstration on Fasting.