Part 2

Feast of Unleavened Bread

Leviticus 23:6 Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot)

“On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.

Seven days were ordered by the Lord God as a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.

The Jewish tradition of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is very colorful. Before the days of unleavened bread the Jewish mothers “spring clean” their homes. The sweep, scrub and search for even the smallest bit of leaven or leavened bread. Floors are swept, pots are boiled, cupboards are emptied, ant trace of leaven is removed. (Ex.12:15-20)

Leaven/yeast always represents sin. It is added to dough to make it rise. Sin in a person’s life puffs up the person and eventually takes over or permeates the whole person, just like yeast or leaven puffs up the bread.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Paul was chastising the church at Corinth for condoning and not disciplining a fellow believer for his sin in having a relationship of incest with his father’s wife. He called this the leaven of malice and wickedness.

Not an Ordinary Feast

Holy: separate [not to be mingled with common or servile meals or work]

Convocation: a rehearsal of a future event; or a memorial or a past event. Israel, in regards to the passages in Exodus 12, and Leviticus 23 it is a rehearsal for future events, i.e. the coming of Messiah. Today the first four feasts are for a memorial, remembering how the Lord God brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt under Moses.

Exodus 12:15-20 “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man shall eat, that may only be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever. In the first month on the fourteenth day of the month at even, shall ye eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations ye shall eat unleavened bread.”

The Feast of Unleavened Bread underscores the need to live our lives free from the bondage of the old sinful lifestyle we were delivered from, and to live as freemen under Christ, being transformed into His image. It was so serious to God that failure to do so was punished by being cut off from the people.

·         1Corinthians 11: 27-34 admonishes that to eat unworthily is to invite serious illness or even premature death to the violator.

·         Furthermore vs.34 emphasis that this is no ordinary feast or meal—for no hungry person is to eat of this meal as he is to eat at home before coming to the Passover meal.

In keeping with the Scriptures I suppose it to be proper that our cleansing begin at home at least seven days before we partake of communion, given that most churches have a set day for communion it ought to be easy, for some eat of the meal on the first Sunday of each month while others exact another time.

The Cleansing

2Chronicles 30:18 “For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephriam, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they did not eat the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “The Lord God pardon everyone.” (John 11:55; Acts 21:26)

Passover cleansing includes an intricately detailed process whereby even the minutest crumb of leaven or leavened bread was meticulously sought out and done away with. This begins on Monday before the Passover Meal.

F

or the Christian it means that we are to search our hearts meticulously for any trace of sin/leaven, be it unforgiveness, malice, wickedness or whatever, then to confess, and repent of it first to those whom we’ve offended, and last of all before God. He starts that before we bring our gift before the altar we are to be reconciled to our brother before we can receive God’s forgiveness. (Matthew 5:23-26; 6:14-15)

1Corinthians 11:24-32 “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink of it, in remembrance of it. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.                                                            [In 2Cron.30:18 we see that certain ones did not eat of the Passover because they had not cleansed themselves—moreover, today one must cleanse themselves through confession of sin, and repentance to be eligible to partake of communion/Passover]   But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [die prematurely]. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”

Author’s Note: There are those who don’t believe in sickness, disease, and premature death coming upon those who partake unworthily. Personally, I would rather err on the side of caution and obedience to God’s word than to be caught otherwise.

1Corinthians 11:27 Amplified Version “So then whoever eats of the bread or drinks of the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of (profaning and sinning against) the body and blood of the Lord.”

“The duty of those who would come to the Lord’s table (v,28). Such self examination is necessary to a right attendance at this holy ordinance. Those should have the wedding-garment on who would be welcome at this marriage feast—grace in habit, and grace in exercise, v.31. To be exact and severe on ourselves is the most proper way not to fall under the just severity of our heavenly Father. We must not judge others, lest we be judged (Matt.7:1); but we must judge ourselves, to prevent our being judged and condemned by God. A caution against the irregularities of which they were guilty (v.33-34). They were to eat for hunger and pleasure only at home. Our holy duties, through our own abuse, may prove matter of condemnation. Holy things are to be used in a holy manner, or else they are profaned.¹

Note also that for the believing Christian God’s judgment, in this case, does not constitute a loss of salvation rather it is an act of “delivering one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus”,   1Cor.5:1-5. It also serves as a deterrent from allowing the entire body of believers from being infected by the leaved of another. For centuries, the practice of excommunicating one from fellowship of family or church has been proven to be, perhaps, the most effective manner of discipline known to man. In the case of the man in 1Cor.5:1-8 he was later received back into fellowship, having demonstrated true repentance, 1Cor.2:1-11. Furthermore, if the passage in 1Cor.11 is referring to the loss of salvation, then it would be impossible to be reconciled to God and be saved once again, see Hebrews 6:4-6.

Quite a mouthful and quite an admonition not to take for granted the Lord’s Supper unworthily. However, it’s also noteworthy that even as Hezekiah prayed for God’s pardon for those who had not yet cleansed themselves, the means for cleansing remains accessible to each of us. All of us sin from time to time, therefore at a given time we all are unworthy to partake of communion, however, if we take time to reflect on our selves, and take appropriate measures to cleanse ourselves through forgiveness, confession, and repentance we can indeed be eligible to partake. Paul’s admonishment to the church at Corinth, in 1Cor.5:1-8, describes the leaven of malice and wickedness, which elevates sin to more than a mere OOPs, rather suggests that the church was full of malice and wickedness, which co notates intention.

John 6:53-57 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even shall he live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and arte dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.”

Note: in the latter part of the passage Jesus switched from the Passover meal to the manna sent from heaven during the forty year adventure in the wilderness. Meaning that once we partake of Christ as our Passover, now we are to live by his daily provision for the rest of our earthly journey, until He takes us home, which is our promised land.

The Matza

Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Psalm 22:6 “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his onlt son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

John 19:31-,37 “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look upon whom they pierced.”

John 20:27 “Then he saith to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach thither thy hand, and thurst it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”

Revelation 1:7 “Behold ,he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

The matza or unleavened bread is perfectly described in the above passages.

·         Unleavened—Jesus was the sinless one who came to bear our sins on Calvary’s cross—He was and is our Passover lamb.

·         Bruised for our iniquities—the matza is scorched as best describing the beating Christ took for you and I.

·         The matza has holes similar to a pincushion, a picture of the soldier’s spear piercing his side and the nail prints in his hands and feet. Thomas was challenged to touch Him firsthand and witness the matza or bread of life in a way you and I will never have. We, on the other hand are to believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ, out Passover.

The Bread of Life

Deuteronomy 8:3 “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth the Lord doth man live.” (Matt.4:4; Luke 4:4)

Jesus makes known to man that He is that bread of life; that no matter what man does or says:

1.    It is ordained/ordered by God

2.    Though we like to suppose ourselves to be self-sufficient, in reality it is the Lord God who sustains us.

3.    We are to trust Him completely, without reservation, relying on His word to guide us in all life’s twists and turns.

4.    Man has a predisposition to believe that only that which is natural is what is necessary for life.

5.    John 6:47 “I am that bread of life.”

6.    Man, to this day, still believes he can survive all by himself. Some may sit back on their laurels and proclaim that since Jesus is our bread of life that they have no need to work or support themselves and their families in any way. However, the Scriptures declare that man does not live by bread alone thus overtly declaring that a man must work while depending on the word of the Lord.

The passage in Deuteronomy informs us that it was the Lord God who suffered [allowed] Israel to be humbled [in bondage], to experience hunger and to be supernaturally with manna from above, furthermore their forefathers had never encountered “manna” therefore had no knowledge of it. it was a first in human history.

B

ecause of our fallen nature God has to humble us, cause and allow us to hunger before he can feed us. That’s why people don’t readily come to Jesus at the first call; they simply have not been humbled by God, and been hungry for God’s word.

Because God’s calling humbling is rarely taught and rarely acknowledged as God’s initiative. Somehow, we still think, “I did it all by myself”!

Next the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a picture of you and I having no knowledge of God sustaining goodness through his word. It is also a picture of you and I experiencing spiritual hunger while in the captivity [bondage] of our sin, the humbling, hunger, and being fed with his word is from the Lord God calling us to himself out of our bondage.

John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up the last day.”

We can plainly see that even in salvation, no man can come to Him except by the Father’s initiative.

Faith Building Practice and Review

1.    Why seven days for the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

2.    Describe the Matza:

·         What do the small holes remind us of and what passage?

·         Why does the Matza appear scorched and what passage is it referring to?

·         What does leaven represent?

·         What do the stripes on the Matza refer to and what passage?

3.    How long ought we to be “examining” ourselves before partaking of the Passover meal?

4.    Why?

5.    Read 1John 3:20-21. What does that mean in regards to examining ourselves for communion?

6.    Why is the Passover meal to be sanctified or set apart from any other meal?

7.    What one word separates the feasts of God from all other meals?

8.    What verse/s designates the Passover meal to be separate from all other common meals?

9.    In what manner ought holy things be used?

10. If holy things are not used in a holy manner, what is the result?

11. If they are profaned, does God overlook such matter as trivial?

12. Who is our “bread of life”?

13. What does the “bread of life” mean to you, personally?

14. Did God humble you, and cause a hunger for his “manna” before you were saved?

15. If God went to such great lengths and to such great pains to save you, don’t you think He’s doing it in the lives of others?

¹ Matthew Henry’s Commentary 1Corinthians 11:27-34, pg.1818