Abstaining from God's Good Gifts

Exodus 19 is a monumental moment in the life of Israel. God has rescued His people from slavery in Egypt in order that they may worship Him in the wilderness,[1] and now they have come to God’s Mountain, Mount Sinai, where God will give them His law. In chapter 19, God calls the people to prepare themselves for two days through consecration. We are not given an exhaustive list of what the consecration entails, but we are made aware that a ritual washing of clothing was to be performed before the third day when God would meet with His people. Israel is also forewarned of the standing rules and boundaries in approaching the mountain. Though foreign to our ears, in the flow of the narrative, these preparations seem normal: a washing reflecting the uncleanness and unworthiness of the people, as well as a need for a healthy fear of God. Yet, in verse 15, there is an abrupt final preparation when God tells the people through Moses, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”[2]

It is this comment that is puzzling. What is it about the conjugal rights of married couples, that God would tell the people to abstain before the great meeting? Commentator Douglas Stuart asks and answers the same question: “Does this verse imply that getting dirty is evil or that having sex is evil? Not at all. Rather, it asserts that there are special occasions of prayerful preparation and worshipful activity that call for avoidance of the usual, non-sinful personal indulgences and demand special, focused, self-denying attention to God.”[3] Israel’s mountain meeting with God is so important, that they are called to abstain temporarily from a gift that God gives to married couples.

This temporary abstinence is not only for Israel and this monumental meeting, but also a practice given to all of God’s people, even today. The Apostle Paul gives a similar counsel to the Corinthian church when he writes, “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”[4] Essentially, Paul calls the Christians to a conjugal fast for the sake of consecration – to use Exodus language.

Both Exodus and 1 Corinthians point us to the practice of fasting. Food is another good gift that God has given to His people. It is He who provides food both for our nourishment and for our feasting, yet it is also our Lord who gives instructions concerning fasting seeing it as a normal – though not specifically mandated – practice for God’s people.[5] Though not always prominent in Reformed churches, the Westminster Confession of Faith includes fasting as a normal element of public and private worship, on special occasions.[6] May we be instructed through the example of Exodus 19, and the writings of Scripture and our confession, to abstain even from the good gifts God has given us for the sake of seeking our Lord in concerted times of prayer; with the added benefit of knowing we abstain undergirded by the continual ministry of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

[1] Exodus 7:16

[2] Exodus 19:15

[3] Douglas K. Stuart, The New American Commentary: Exodus, Vol. 2 (B & H Publishing Group, 2006), 426.

[4] 1 Corinthians 7:5

[5] Matthew 6:16f

[6] WCF 21.5