There were many occasions when the enemy of the God's kingdom lifted up their weapons to battle against the kingdom of God.  In most of these, the children of God's kingdom did not have adequate natural resources to fight against their enemies.  They were, in most cases, an easy prey, a sitting duck, a seemingly defenseless target.  But they had an unseen advantage in that their god was the Lord. 

God did not love His children because they were righteous or had done anything so deserving of His acknowledgment.  As a matter of fact, they continually angered Him, provoking Him to wrath and the pronouncement of their doom or peril.  The prophets and righteous kings of old understood how to touch the heart of God in times like these.  They knew how to get God's attention during their times of duress and stress.  They would proclaim a solemn FAST. 

The FAST was a time of sacrifice from food and, in most cases, drink as well.  It was a time of repentance from sins and