Unleavened Living

Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, 

just as you are in fact unleavened. 

1 Corinthians 5:7

I recently marked the completion of my first Feast of Unleavened Bread.  For seven days, I had committed to refrain from eating anything that included yeast or leaven.  Now I am free once again, to eat bread!   Seriously though, I was very happy to make this "sacrifice", although I will say that I did get a little creative in order to make it through.  After all.....it is supposed to be a feast! 

I discovered in my studies, that the day prior to the Feast of Unleavened Bread was designated as both Preparation Day and Passover Day.  On this day the Israelites would have been busily preparing their homes for the high holy day ahead, by removing the last traces of leaven.  They would have been mindful of the story of the Great Exodus from Egypt, as they made preparations for roast lamb and the rest of their Passover dinner, which included bitter herbs and the bread of haste, matzah (unleavened bread).   To my surprise, I found that the Passover dinner would actually coincide with the first day of Unleavened Bread, which began at sundown.  

 

 " But he was pierced for our transgressions"  

 Isaiah 53:5

For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.  
Therefore let us celebrate the feast, 

not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, 

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:8

I was convicted to observe this celebration, because it was a practice of Jesus himself, who followed God's instruction, given to Moses: 

Leviticus 23:6.  "Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread", 

also in verse 14, "It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places."  

The biblical feasts days are typically thought of as Jewish feasts, because the Jews have been the main observers of these appointed days.  However, the feasts are actually called by God Himself, "my appointed feasts,  the appointed feasts of the LORD, and the LORD's appointed feasts. 

 Since the biblical feast days are clearly, very important to God, and since they were practiced by Rabbi Yeshua, who taught His disciples by His example, I decided that I would make a point to value and celebrate these special days.  I'm not Jewish, and this hasn't been part of my tradition in the past, but I do think that these holy days are not obsolete.  I have found far too much value in them.  I know that my observance of these appointed times is time well spent in loving and pleasing my King, who deserves to be 

loved in the way He wants to be loved.  It's my belief that it is time for the church to resurrect the practice of the holy days that were celebrated in the early congregations.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, 

and when he had given thanks, 

he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying,  

“Take and eat; this is my body.”  

Matthew 26:26

So, I take hold of biblical days and His appointed feasts, while at the same time weeding through the traditions and doctrines of men, and I proceed with caution in things that God has not ordained.  I believe that one Reformation was not enough.  Reformation in the church and in our individual lives, is something that should take place every time we are convicted of where we don't line up with the Word.   

The purging of pride, by examination of false thoughts, and unbiblical practices, is truly the heart of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  While pride puffs up like air-filled bread, and false teachings are invasive like leaven, humility and truth are like incorruptible, unleavened bread.  All of the symbolism of the week points to this concept of reformation.  

Yeshua, "the LORD's Salvation", was the incarnation of the pure, true Word of God.  He followed every jot and tittle of the Word.  He obeyed everything His Father directed.  He didn't add or subtract from truth in anything He did or said.  There was nothing of corruption in His thoughts or deeds.  His life was a true interpretation of the Word.  Born in Bethlehem, "The House of Bread", Yeshua was the perfect example of unleavened living.  May you and I gratefully accept the Savior's sacrificial offer of Himself to us:

"I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; 
if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. 
Furthermore, the bread that I will give is my own flesh; 
and I will give it for the life of the world.”  
John 6:51

*Pictures by Kevin Brown 2013