21.2 Jesus Feeds 5,000

(Matthew 14:13-21)

When Jesus heard the news about John, he left there in a boat and went to a lonely place by himself. The people heard about it, and so they left their towns and followed him by land. Jesus got out of the boat, and when he saw the large crowd, his heart was filled with pity for them, and he healed their sick.

That evening his disciples came to him and said, “It is already very late, and this is a lonely place. Send the people away and let them go to the villages to buy food for themselves.”

“They don’t have to leave,” answered Jesus. “You yourselves give them something to eat!”

“All we have here are five loaves and two fish,” they replied.

“Then bring them here to me,” Jesus said. He ordered the people to sit down on the grass, then he took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. Everyone ate and full of what was left over. The number of men who ate was about five thousand, not counting the women and children.

21.1 (Joseph In Egypt): Be Prepared For Time Of Shortages

(Genesis 41: 33-36)

“Now you should choose some man with wisdom and insight and put him in charge of the country. You must also appoint other officials and take a fifth of the crops during the seven years of plenty. Order them to collect all the food during the good years that are coming, and give them authority to store up grain in the cities and guard it. The food will be a reserve supply for the country during the seven years of famine which are going to come on Egypt. In this way the people will not starve.”

20.5 In Fasting I Pray For Help

(Psalm 35:13-23, 27-28)

But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning;
I deprived myself of food;
I prayed with my head bowed low,
as I would pray for a friend or a brother.
I went around bent over in mourning,
as one who mourns for his mother.

But when I was in trouble, they were all glad
and gathered around to make fun of me;
strangers beat me and kept striking me.
Like men who would mock a cripple,
they glared at me with hate.

How much longer, Lord, will you just look on?
Rescue me from their attacks;
save my life from these lions!
Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people;
I will praise you before them all.

Don’t let my enemies, those liars,
gloat over my defeat.
Don’t let those who hate me for no reason
smirk with delight over my sorrow.

They do not speak in a friendly way,
instead they invent all kinds of lies
about peace-loving people.
They accuse me, shouting, “We saw what you did!”
But you, O Lord, have seen this.
So don’t be silent, Lord;
don't keep yourself far away!
Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me;
rise up, my God, and plead my cause.

May those who want to see me acquitted
shout for joy and say again and again,
“How great is the Lord!
He is pleased with the success of his servant.”
Then I will proclaim your righteousness,
and I will praise you all day long.

20.4 When You Fast, Groom Your Hair

(Matthew 6:16-18)

And when you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their appearance so that everyone will see that they are fasting. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair, so that others cannot know that you are fasting- only your Father, who is unseen, will know. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.

20.3 Fasts Are Days Of Joyful Return To God

(Zechariah 8:15-19)

Now I am planning to bless the people of Jerusalem and Judah. So don’t be afraid. These are the things you should do: Speak the truth to one another. In the courts give real justice- the kind that brings peace. Do not plan ways of harming one another. Do not give false testimony under oath. I hate lying, injustice, and violence.

The Lord Almighty gave this message to Zechariah: “The fasts held in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become festivals of joy and gladness for the people of Judah. You must love truth and peace.”

20.2 Fast By Promoting Justice

(Zechariah 7:8-14)

The Lord gave this message to Zechariah: “Long ago I gave these commands to my people: ‘You must see that justice is done, and must show kindness and mercy to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners who live among you, or anyone else in need. And do not plan ways of harming one another.’

“But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds and made their hearts as hard as rock. Because they would not listen to the teaching which I sent through the prophets who lived long ago, I became very angry. Because they did not listen when I spoke, I did not answer when they prayed. Like a storm I swept them away to live in foreign countries. This good land was left a desolate place, with no one living in it.”

20.1 Fast And Prayer

(Ezra 8:21-23)

There by the Ahava Canal I gave orders for us all to fast and humble ourselves before our God and to ask him to lead us on journey and protect us and our children and all our possessions. I would have been ashamed to ask the emperor for a troop of cavalry to guard us from any enemies during our journey, because I had told him that our God blesses everyone who trusts him, but that he is displeased with and punishes anyone who turns away from him. So we fasted and prayed for God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.

19.4 Lament Over Corruption

(Psalm 14)

Fools say to themselves, “There is no God!”
They are all corrupt,
and they have done terrible things;
there is no one who does what is right.

The Lord looks down from heaven at mankind
to see if there are any who are wise,
any who worship him.
But they have all gone wrong;
they are all equally bad.
Not one of them does what is right, not a single one.

“Don’t they know?” ask the Lord.
“Are all these evildoers ignorant?
They live by robbing my people,
and they never pray to me.”

But then they will be terrified,
for God is with those who obey him.
Evildoers frustrate the plans of the humble man,
but the Lord is his protection.

How I pray that victory will come to Israel from Zion.
How happy the people of Israel will be
when the Lord makes them prosperous again!

19.3 Your Fast Be A Promotion Of Justice

(Isaiah 58: 1-12)

The Lord says, “Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins! They worship me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping me.”

The people ask, “Why should we fast if the Lord never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attention?”

The Lord says to them, “The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that?

“The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

“Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

“If you put and end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”

19.2 Fast By Returning To God

(Joel 2:11-17)

The Lord thunders commands to his army.
The troops that obey him are many and mighty.
How terrible is the day of the Lord!
Who will survive it?

“But even now,” says the Lord,
“repent sincerely and return to me
with fasting and weeping and mourning.
Let your broken heart show your sorrow;
tearing your clothes is not enough.”

Come back to the Lord your God.
He is kind and full of mercy;
he is patient and keeps his promise;
he is always ready to forgive and not punish.
Perhaps the Lord your God will change his mind
and bless you with abundant corps.
Then you can offer him grain and wine.
Blow the trumpet on Mount Zion;
give orders for a fast and call an assembly!
Gather the people together;
prepare them for a sacred meeting;
bring the old people;
gather the children and the babies too.
Even newly married couples must leave their homes
and come.
The priests, serving the Lord between the altar
and the entrance of the Temple,
must weep and pray:
“Have pity on your people, Lord.
Do not let other nations despise us and mock us
by saying, ‘Where is your God?’”

19.1 Proclaim A Fast

(Joel 1:13-20)

Put on sackcloth and weep,
you priests who serve at the altar!
Go into the Temple and mourn all night!
There is no grain or wine to offer your God.
Give orders for a fast; call an assembly!
Gather the leaders and all the people of Judah
into the Temple of the Lord your God
and cry out to him!
The day of the Lord is near,
the day when the Almighty brings destruction.
What terror that will bring!
We look on helpless as our crops are destroyed.
There is no joy in the Temple of our God.
The seeds die in the dry earth.
There is no grain to be stored,
and so the empty granaries are in ruins.
The cattle are bellowing in distress
because there is no pasture for them;
the flocks of sheep also suffer.
I cry out to you, Lord,
because the pastures and trees are dried up,
as though a fire had burned them.
Even the wild animals cry out to you
because the streams have become dry.