White Fast & Introduction to Total Fast
he classification of this type of fast "White" is not mine but that of the indigenous Nigerian Churches.
When prescribed, they abstain from morning and afternoon meals and may eat only fruits or vegetable for dinner for as many days as the prescription lasts. Or they may have "gaari" soaked in water (pudding), drank without sugar for dinner. "Gaari" is a starchy substance in hard white grains, obtained from Cassava. They may also have plain white rice without soup, salt, nor oil and without meat for dinner for as long as the prescription lasts.
As can be observed, this is more difficult than the one I classified as "Fast II" where both the morning and afternoon meals are avoided but there is no restriction in the menu at the dinner for as long as the fast lasts.
Total Fast
Now, we look into the last type of fast, which I classify as 'TOTAL'.
I describe 'Total Fast' as abstinence from both food and water.
References of this type of fast are ahead as seen in the Scripture.
Total fast can be for one day or two or three. But, the thing that amazes me is that in all the examples of this type of fast "Total" (i.e. continuous abstinence from both food and water) as observed in the Bible, it never lasted for more than three continuous days and nights except in the two cases with Moses.
Another amazing thing is that this practice fits into the knowledge of science which man discovered much later.
From the knowledge of medical science, which was earlier pointed out, we have come to know that the average length of time which a man can survive without water is 3 days without causing any harm to the body.
If we assume that the knowledge of science was not available in the Bible days, then it should amaze anyone how those people fasted correctly. This points to only one thing, that God is the Master Scientist and He rules in the affairs of His people. He didn't and wouldn't allow His people to do anything that will be injurious to their health in the process of worshipping Him.
It had earlier been pointed out that our worship of God must be beneficial to us rather than harm us.
In fact, I believe that if we will dedicate ourselves to thorough study of the Bible, we shall have improvement to our knowledge of science, engineering, architecture etc.
For instance, when in the wilderness, God delivered the laws to Moses, forbidding man from eating blood (Lev 17:10-14), He explained the reason why He proclaimed the law. It is because "The life of the flesh is in the blood" (vs 11).
It was only in 1614 that a scientist by the name Harvey came to the conclusion that the life wire of man is in its blood.
If there was a pace of 1,400 (approx) years between the time when Moses was in the wilderness and the birth of our Lord, then we can confirm that the knowledge of this science was 3,014 (approx) years behind what had already been revealed by God to His prophet.
Some 'I too know' Christians want us to believe that the Bible has nothing to do with Science. In their ignorance they do not know that science has created nothing as such. All which science has been doing is mainly 'discovery', i.e. discovering only what God in His infinite wisdom has put in place.
If Science has created anything, what has been done at its best has been to assemble together, things that had already been put in place by God
For instance, when I was in the third year high school, I learnt about Dalton's Atomic theory. It was said that atom is the small indivisible constituent of the matter. We were made to believe that electrons revolve round the nucleus in fixed orbits. I learnt that the only fundamental particles (constituents) of the nucleus are protons and neutrons. But by the time I became an undergraduate Physics student in London, a lot of information about the atom has emerged and all these things which were a fore written do not hold any longer.
For instance someone proposed that if the law of electrostatic charges or electro-magnetism holds; which states that, 'like charges repel and unlike charges attract', then the positive charges of the nucleus (arising from protons), would attract the negative charges of electrons outside the nucleus and the atom should collapse. But, the atom never collapsed. It was then proposed that there must be some particles inside the nucleus, which hold the atom together.
So prepositions about other particles were made and named eg pions, mesons, muons, barons etc investigated and confirmed to be inside the nucleus as fundamental.
Today, we now know of more than a hundred particles inside the nucleus, which are fundamental (constituents). But in the days of Dalton, only three were known, namely, proton, neutron and electron.
Are all these other 100 particles only recently created by scientists? No, the particles have been there all along. God had put them there in the atom, except that man only recently discovered them.
Everything, which the scientists have done are based on information gathered from existing materials put in place by the Almighty. Scientists only build on those information and make whatever God allowed them. Man cannot go beyond what God allows him.
So, when in the Bible days, the people fasted, abstaining from both food and water, and it didn't last for more than three continuous days and nights, it was the Almighty who was at work. He made the human body and He maintains it and He will not do anything to injure it; so He directed and led them to fast appropriately.
We should note that all the records in the Bible are for our examples, instructions, teachings and admonitions, "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim 2:17).
References found in the Scripture about Total Fast will be pointed out in the future.
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