The Feast of Unleavened Bread
Galatians 5:1:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
This article will be about the next Feast listed in Leviticus 23, the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Leviticus 23:6-8:
"And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it."
This feast comes the day after the Passover. Many times the Bible refers to the entire feast as the Passover. The Passover is to be taken at twilight, the period just prior to the setting of the sun. The moment the sun sets a new day begins. This is the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
We first read of this feast in Exodus. Let us go back and review quickly what happened on the night the Israelites left Egypt.
Pharaoh had refused to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt, even though the Creator had stricken them with all manner of plagues. It was not until the Creator smote Egypt with the tenth plague, the killing of all the firstborn of Egypt that Pharaoh relented.
Exodus 12:29:
"And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock."
The only escape from this horrible event was for a person to place the blood of a lamb on their doorpost and lintel, and not leave their house until the morning.
Exodus 12:13-14:
"Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance."
This is the first Passover. The very next verse is the beginning of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Verse 15 and 16 speak of the regulations the Israelites were to follow in celebration of this feast. I shall not go into them at this moment. More important is the reason the Creator commanded this feast to be kept.
Exodus 12:17:
"So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance."
As we learned in the previous articles; the Passover symbolized the sacrifice of the first born of the Creator. The lamb represented the death of His son Yahoshua. It is through His blood that our sins are forgiven, and humanity is able to qualify for citizenship in the coming Kingdom. As the blood of the lamb protected the Israelites from death in Egypt, so the blood of the Lamb of the Creator protects his people from everlasting death.
It must be remembered the lamb was killed at twilight. When the sun had set and evening had come the days of Unleavened Bread began. On this day, the first day of the feast, the Israelites were to remove all leaven from their houses.
Exodus 12:15:
".....For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel."
I must stop here to explain the word leaven for those who may not know. Leaven is the ingredient placed in baked foods, in this case bread, which makes it rise. When leaven is not placed in the bread it is flat, almost like a cracker. Leaven was to be taken out of the houses, and was not to be eaten for seven days. A good example of leaven is yeast.
Let us continue. The plague began at midnight, and as the Creator had promised, all first born of man and beast, who did not have lambs blood on the door post or lintel was destroyed.
Exodus 12:30:
"So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead."
Pharaoh then went to Moses that very same night and relinquished, asking for him to take the Israelites and go.
Exodus 12:34:
"So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders."
It was time for them to leave Egypt.
Exodus 12:39:
"And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves."
The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt four hundred and thirty years.
Exodus 12:41-42:
".....on that very same day, it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt. It is a night of solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations."
The children of Israel were finally free of captivity. No longer in bondage; no longer slaves. They were to leave this place and follow Moses and Aaron, his brother, to a land flowing with milk and honey. A Kingdom that had been promised to them through their father Abraham, and for seven days they were to eat unleavened bread. Why?
Exodus 12:17:
"So you shall observe this Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance."
The people were to celebrate this Feast to remember the day they were finally free. Imagine four hundred and thirty years of slavery and then one day, just like that, you can leave. This is truly something that should be remembered. If this was the end of the story it would be enough, but as with all things the Creator commands His people to do, there is more.
As stated in previous articles, one of my goals is to show how the things one this earth are merely representations, or shadows of the more perfect things in heaven. The Feasts, or Holy Days, as they are sometimes called, are no different. The Sabbath rest represents the real Rest we will receive; when we enter the Kingdom. The Passover lamb represented the True Lamb of the Creator, our Savior, Yahoshua. The bread and water we are to partake during this ceremony are simply shadows of His body and blood. So this begs the question, what do the Days of Unleavened Bread represent.
Let us turn to I Corinthians. Before we continue we must put things in its proper context. Paul was the apostle to the Gentile churches. The people he was writing to in this Epistle were not Israelites, they were Gentiles, who had come to accept Yahoshua as their Savior, were baptized, and received the Holy Spirit. {for more information on this subject read the book of acts.}
He was writhing to the Gentile church in Corinth. He had received a report that there was behavior going on, that was not acceptable. In chapter five, of the epistle, he writes of a member who was sleeping with his father’s wife. Whether it was his birth mother or step mother is not known. He stated to them, that even among the Gentiles who had not accepted the faith, this behavior was wrong. His response to this can be found in 1Corinthians 5.
1Corinthians 5:2:
"And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from you."
He could not understand why the congregation was allowing this man to stay in the church.
1Corinthians 5:5:
"deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yahoshua."
Paul was explaining to the church, that the only way to save this man is to give him over to his passions so that he might see the error of his ways, but he was not to be among the brethren until he repented of his actions. He then goes on to explain why.
1Corinthians 5:6-8:
"Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Yahoshua, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
The Gentile church was celebrating the Feast of Unleavened bread. Paul was explaining to them that a member who would commit such acts would infect the entire church. Just as a little yeast in bread would make the entire loaf rise, this act of sexual immortality, if not done away with, would hurt the congregation as a whole. For a little more clarification turn to Galatians.
Galatians 5:7-9:
"You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven, leavens the whole lump."
Do you see what leaven represents. It is sin. That is why the during the feast the houses are to be purged of all leaven; just as sin is to be taken out of our lives, leaven is to be taken out of the homes, and none was to be eaten for seven days.
Matthew 16:5-7:
"And when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Yahoshua said to them, 'Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.' "
Matthew 16:11-12:
" 'How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Luke 12:1:
"......He began to say to His disciples first of all, 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."
The Passover Lamb was killed at twilight. The Feast of Unleavened began at sunset; only a matter of minutes after the sacrifice. When the Messiah was killed our sins were forgiven, but that is not the end. An examination of our lives must begin to take place;
we must look at ourselves and begin to remove the sin that might puff us up. Just as the Israelites were leaving bondage from Egypt during this feast, we are leaving the spiritual bondage of sin. This is only made possible by the sacrifice and blood of the True Lamb.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a time of true self- examination. It is a reminder of where we have come from; spiritual bondage. The journey of the Israelites through the wilderness is a type of our spiritual journey. They were to keep the feast as a reminder of their release from physical slavery. It is to remind us of our release from spiritual slavery. It was through the blood of the Passover lamb that the ancient Israelites were saved from the death which passed over them. It is the blood of our Lamb, the True Lamb of the Creator that we are saved from a spiritual death. The destination of the children of Israel was a physical kingdom; a land flowing with milk and honey. Our destination, as Spiritual Israelites, is The Kingdom of the Creator. It is a land where the pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeds from the throne of the Creator and the Lamb.{Revelations 22:1}
The original sin was done by The arch angel Lucifer. It was one of Vanity. He wanted to be the Most High, to over throw the Throne of the Creator.
Isaiah 14:12-14:
"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' "
Does not all sin begin with vanity? Just as leaven puffs up bread. Vanity inflates our egos. We begin to think we are The Most High. We begin to believe that we can do whatever comes to our minds.
Ecclesiastes 14:8;
" 'Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'all is vanity.' "
No one in this world is perfect. It is impossible for us to lead perfect lives. Only one man was able to do this, and it is through His sacrifice that we have this great opportunity. Yet it is the journey and how we proceed that is important. Even though we cannot be as the Messiah, we must try to follow his example.
Romans 7:24-25:
"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Yahoshua our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."
Well my friend that time has come again when I must say farewell. I will leave you with a scripture, once more from Paul.
2Timothy6-8:
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
I pray that this article has blessed you in some small way. Until next time, please take care.
Peace