More On Sexual Fasting

# 304 - Today we are continuing a look at sexual fasting and how it promotes intimacy with God and therefore intimacy with each other. So how does this work? What’s the connection between abstaining from physical intimacy and bringing God into the situation. Well, Scripture interprets Scripture. There are other examples of this kind of fasting in Scripture! In Exodus, God told Moses to prepare the people to DRAW NEAR to Him and we read in Ex. 19:15-17, “And he said to the people, be ready for the third day; DO NOT GO NEAR A WOMAN.” (God told Moses to call for a sexual fast among the people.) On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. (God was coming near) Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God.” This fast was part of a process to draw near to God and have them meet Him where they were at..   We see the same principle at work in the second chapter of Joel. God was calling the people to return to Him and one of the things He called on the people to do was engage in  sexual fasting.  (Joel 2:16) ”let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber” (In other words “put your intimacy on hold for a time!) This kind of fasting as with all other type of fasting invites the Lord into the situation, and in particular here in these passages and in 1 Corinthians 7, it is for the sake of increasing intimacy with the Lord, drawing near to Him  and consequently drawing nearer to each other. By the way chapter two of Joel speaks of a couple of other things that God promises to do when people return to Him.  (v25)”I will restore to you the years that the swarming locusts has eaten. (Intimacy that has been lost through selfish indifference, or a lack of understanding, or just plain familiarity with each other can be restored) This kind of fasting is designed to restore intimacy within the marriage. It’s a tool that God has given to His church because He longs to see intimacy modeled in His people because it reflects the intimacy He desires with all people. We talk much about having a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus, well this is one way of strengthening that bond. God is all for intimacy in families, but most of us have given up on it. Most of us have chosen to ignore this portion of Scripture because it’s too embarrassing to talk about it. But there it is. Right in the middle of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Say, isn’t that the letter with the famous “love chapter?” You know, “Love is patient, kind, not envious, arrogant, or rude. It doesn’t insist on it’s own way, isn’t irritable or resentful. Doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices in truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.” It certainly is, and maybe if we would put our text into practice, God would give us the supernatural help we need to love like this and overcome our problems with intimacy.  God loves marriages and so ought we. Let’s use every weapon at our disposal to commit to them, maintain them, and strengthen them in the church today. Including the weapon of sexual fasting.