Prayer and Fasting Story of Judith.

 The figure of Judith- one of the heroines who saved her people- is not one with which we are very familiar; indeed, some churches no longer even print the book of Judith in their Bibles. But, the story was very popular around the time of Jesus, and part of the popularity was derived from the fact that it is a very good story. While the storyline is religious- how good Jews should behave- it tells the story with all the elements of a thriller movie with the women in the lead role. Looking at Judith in the story ( the plot is set in the sixth century BC., but the story was written sometime between 150 and 100 BC.), we see the ideal of religious behaviour regarding fasting and prayer. that would have been deep inside the religious culture of those who first followed Jesus. The story is set just after the exile and king Nebuchadnezzar- a proverbial bad-guy- has  sent his army led by "Holefernes-another bad guy- to destroy the people and carry away all that they have. Faced with all this calamity,the High Priest in Jerusalem orders prayer and fasting. Meanwhile in the enemy camp, Holofernes is told that, so long as Israel serves God, God will defend them- this is the basic covenant- and so if he marches against them, he will fail. (Judith 5. 20-21). But this does not scare him and he sets off with a massive army confident Israel will not be able to resist our mighty army. Holofernes  then decides that he will lay siege to the first of their towns, " Bethulia"  ( a fictional place chosen so that no town could claim Judith as one of its own, and hereby distract any attention from Jerusalem), and drive its inhabitants to surrender through hunger and thirst. Eventually, the people decide they have had enough. and say they want to give.: God has abandoned them and is punishing their sins. Uzziah their leader asks them to hold on for just five days more, because by that time the Lord our God will turn his mercy towards us again, for he will not forsake us utterly. Then enters Judith.
Judith was both rich and beautiful ( the story gives many details about her clothes and  ; all spoke well of her. and knew she 'feared' God with great devotion. Three years and four months earlier she had been widowed and from the death of her husband Manasseh she had dressed as a widow and  she spent the nights in prayer. and fasted all the days of her widowhood, except the day before the sabbath and the sabbath itself,  the day before the new moon., and the festivals and days of rejoicing of the house of Israel. When she heard what Uzziah had said she was furious: she saw it as putting God to the test with an ultimatum- save us in five days or we will give in.! She then gives out a key piece of teaching about prayer.
       " Do not try to bind the purposes of the Lord our God; For
         God is not like a human being, to be threatened
          Or like a mere mortal, to be won over by pleading
          Therefore, while we wait for his deliverance, let us call
          upon him to help us, and He will hear our voice, if it
          pleases him.                                                    (Judith 8:16-17 [nrsv]
She then tells the people that God would deliver Israel through her hand.: she will be the savior sent by God.  To prepare for the task she begins to pray at ' the very moment when the evening incense  was being offered in Jerusalem and pleads with God to hear her tears. Then she dresses up to entice men who might see her, leaves the city, an is apprehended by an enemy patrol. asked who she is she says that she is fleeing the Hebrews and wants to see Holofernes and give him information about his enemies . Amazed by her beauty the patrol brings her to his tent and she declares that she will tell him when the people have sinned and therefore the right time to attack. Holofernes decides to seduce her; she accepts his advances and drinks with him until he is drunk; then they go to bed and he sleeps. Then praying for strength, Judith decapitates him, places his head in a bag, and with her maid on the pretense of going out to pray- makes her getaway. You can guess the outcome; when the Israelites see Holofernes head on Bethulia's wall, his army is in despair, Israel is triumphant and Judith sings a great thanksgiving song in Jerusalem.