Dear Brethren,
Today is the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. The Last Day of Unleavened Bread is the 21st of Abib, the first month of the year. Israel came completely out of Egypt—picturing sin—on this day. Leaven is often used in the Bible as a type of sin. God instructed the Israelites to put all leaven bread out of their homes during the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15-19; 13:7). Unleavened bread typifies sin-less-ness, and symbolizes our putting away sin.
God commands His people to eat unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15, 19-20; Leviticus 23:6). Unleavened Bread, more importantly, implies putting on Christ’s righteousness and obedience to God.
As Christians, we must endeavor to cease sinning. After repenting of our sins and being forgiven by God, we must strive to come out of sin completely, just as Israel came out of Egypt, a type of sin (Hebrews 11:25-29). True Christians continually strive to rid sin from their lives. Israel did not exit Egypt by their own strength—they were delivered by our Savior, Jesus Christ, because He heard their cry for help.
Psalm 18:6; 120:1 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before Him, even into his ears.
Unleavened Bread pictures Jesus Christ – who is the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Psalm 107:13, 19 They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.
Accepting Jesus’ sacrifice to pay for our sins is not the complete meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We need His help. We must plead with Him, and He rescues us.
Psalm 102:1 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and pours out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
2Samuel 22:7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and He did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
God knows that to overcome sin and obey Him we need His Spiritual help – therefore – He wants us to know that He is there for us in times of need. Whether or not we know it, we are in desolate and afflicted circumstances.
Psalm 118:5 I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.
The observance of this seven-day Feast teaches us that we must put on Christ’s righteousness and strive not to return to the sins Jesus paid for with His shed blood.
Jesus Christ gave the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the tribes of Israel before they reached Mt. Sinai, and He instructed them, and succeeding generations, to observe it forever (Exodus 12:17; 13:10; Leviticus 23:6). The first and seventh days are set apart as Holy Days of convocation – days of rest and worship of God.
In order for us to become Spirit-born members of God’s Family in the resurrection, we must prove that we will obey God here and now by striving to put the spiritual leaven of sin out of our lives and keep it out. Paul said that we are to lay aside every sin that so easily besets us – striving against sin (Hebrews 12:1, 4).
In the same way that God made Jesus to be Sin, He has made us to be Righteous. God in turn, substitutes the righteousness of Jesus to us! God the Father made Jesus Christ, who never sinned, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus took on our sin, so that we might put on His Righteousness.
2Corinthians 5:21 He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Let’s renew our resolve to live in harmony with God’s Law, and rededicate our lives to continual spiritual growth and overcoming.
2Samuel 22:4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Your brother in Christ,
