45 The First day of unleavened bread

The First Day of Unleavened Bread.

When we are immersed into Yahshua’s saving name accepting Him as our personal Passover sacrifice, we are only at the beginning of Elohim’s plan to bring us into His Family. At this point in time we need to start cleaning our lives and start obeying Elohim’s Torah which we broke in the past. Rav Shaul who many insist was anti-Torah confirms that we cannot continue practicing sin after immersion, saying in Roman 6: 1 ‘What shall we say then? Are we to continue to sin that grace might increase? ‘May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Rav Shaul continues saying in verses 15 - 18, ‘What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? May it never be! (16) Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? (17) But thanks be to Elohim that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, (18) and having been freed form sin, you became slaves to righteousness.’ What is righteousness? We read the answer from Psalm 119: 172, as follows: ‘Let my tongue sing of Thy word, for all Thy commandments are righteousness.’

Even though we are saved by grace through faith (as per Ephesians 2: 8), Rav Shaul continues asking in Romans 3: 31, saying: ‘Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.’ In fact, when someone asked Yahshua in Matthew 19: 16, saying: “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life? Yahshua answered in verses 17, saying: “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into (eternal) life, keep the commandments.” Elohim is at this time busy creating holy, righteous and perfect characters in those of us whom He has called out of the world into His congregation of believers. Man who is presently only a clay model, is in the process of being created in the character of the image of Elohim, as Rav Shaul confirmed in Romans 8: 29, saying: ‘For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.’

Since the Ten Commandments describe Elohim’s character and nature, keeping His Law is absolutely necessary to ensure spiritual growth. We are required to obey the Master Potter allowing Him to mold His perfect character in us, while we are still mortal flesh and blood. Yes, accepting Messiah’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of our past sins is only the first step on the road to salvation, and in order to help us understand the next step in Elohim’s Master Plan of salvation, YHVH instituted the second annual festival the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is by observing the Feast of Unleavened Bread that we get to understand that we must do our part to keep the sins that Yahshua covered by His shed blood, out of our lives. As witnessed in Exodus 13: 9, it is by keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread that we show our willingness to obey Elohim’s Torah, as follows: ‘And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and a reminder on your forehead (like tefillin), that the law of YHVH may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand YHVH brought you out of Egypt (symbolic of our personal sin).’

Rav Shaul explains in 1 Corinthians 5: 8 that leaven is also a symbol of sin, saying: ‘Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.’ Elohim commanded our ancient forefathers to put all leaven out of their homes and off their property, and to eat unleavened bread during this seven day long Festival. After we have repented and are immersed into Yahshua’s saving name, Elohim expects us to strive to obey Him and keep His commandments. He wants us to ‘spiritually de-leaven’ our lives, in the same way as we physically de-leaven our homes before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The point is: If we observe of Elohim’s Passover, and then fail to keep the Feast of Unleavened bread, it will be equal to accepting Messiah’s sacrifice and then saying that Elohim’s Law is done away with and have permission to continue in our sin, because we are now ‘under grace.’ Instead Rav Shaul continues to inform us in Galatians 2: 17 that we cannot continue in sin, using the same questioning technique, saying: ‘But if, while seeking to be justified in Messiah, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Messiah then a minister of sin? May it never be!’

One of the clearest Renewed Covenant commands to Elohim’s congregation of called out believers is to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as recorded in the last part of 1 Corinthians 5: 7 and 8, as follows: ‘For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. (8) Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.’ At this point we need to recall when Elohim’s second annual festival originated when He instituted it at the time of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. Recall how in the evening of the 14th of Aviv each family in Israel had to kill the lamb they selected on the 10th day of the same month, and how they put some of the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. This was what protected their firstborn from the plague of death as per Exodus 12: 6 – 13. These unblemished lambs were symbolic of Messiah, the Lamb of Elohim, and their blood pictured Messiah’s blood, which was shed many years later, to pay the penalty due for the sins of the world.

We see from Exodus 12: 22 that after the Israelites partook of the first Passover and put the blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes, they had to remain indoors until the morning, in this way: ‘And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.’ We see the Israelites were instructed to burn whatever was left over of the Passover lamb with fire and not leave any of it until morning (Exodus 12: 10). During the day part of the 14th of Aviv, the Israelites despoiled the Egyptians, as YHVH told them, as recorded in verses 35 & 36 of Exodus 12, as follows: ‘Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; (36) and YHVH had given them favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.’ Then according to verses 41 & 42, that the children of Israel left Egypt in the night of the 15th of Aviv in the light of the full moon, in this way: ‘And it came about at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, that all the hosts of YHVH went out from the land of Egypt. (42) It is a night to be observed for YHVH for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for YHVH to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.’

A second witness comes from Numbers 33: 3, as follows: ‘And they journeyed from Ramses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month, on the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel started out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians.’ The fifteenth day of Aviv was also the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as further attested in Leviticus 23: 6, in this way: ‘Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to YHVH, for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.’ The Israelites were instructed to especially remember their deliverance from Egypt in Exodus 13: 3 & 4, where Moses said to them: “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand YHVH brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. (4) On this day in the month of Aviv, you are about to go forth.” Elohim commanded ancient Israel through Moses to commemorate their deliverance in verses 6 & 7 of Exodus 13, saying: “For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to YHVH. (7) Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days, and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders.” Moses told the people to put out all of their leaven according to Elohim’s instructions. In their escape from Egypt, their dough did not have enough time to ferment and rise naturally, as witnessed in Exodus 12: 33 & 34, as follows: ‘And the Egyptians urged the people to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We shall all be dead.” (34) So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.’ The eating of unleavened bread was therefore an appropriate yearly reminder of the haste in which they left Egypt, but also the haste in which we should leave our old sinful ways.

After camping at Succoth, the Israelites went on to Ethan on the edge of the wilderness (Exodus 13: 20). Then YHVH told Moses to tell the Israelites to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; in front of Baal-zephon opposite the sea. YHVH had one more thing to show them. We see from Exodus 14: 5 – 8, that the Egyptians chased and overtook the Israelites at this very spot. It was on the sixth day of Unleavened Bread that the Egyptians overtook the Israelites. The Red Sea, to the east was just about eight miles across at that point, and Pharaoh’s army stood behind the Israelites – they were trapped! However, knowing that Pharaoh would overtake them, YHVH told the Israelites to leave the road normally travelled, leading them into a trap, to prove to them, as well as to us, that He alone offers salvation – if we truly trust in Him! But, when the Israelites understood their predicament, they became very scared and cried out to Moses in Exodus 14: 11 & 12, saying: “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? (12) Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Their elation and joy turned to fear and anger when they realized that is was not humanly possible to escape from Pharaoh at that point.

But Elohim again provided a way to escape, as we read from Exodus 14: 13 – 16, in this way: ‘But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of YHVH which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. (14) YHVH will fight for you while you keep silent. (15) Then YHVH said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. (16) And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land.”’ Reading from verses 23 – 28, we see what happened to the Egyptian army and their chariots when they followed the Israelites through the sea-bed, as follows: ‘Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. (24) And it came about at the morning watch, that YHVH looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. (25) And He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for YHVH is fighting for them against the Egyptians.” (26) Then YHVH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” (27) So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at day break, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then YHVH overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. (28) And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained.’

According to tradition the miraculous opening of the Red sea and the completion of the Israelites escape from slavery, took place before dawn on the seventh and last day of the first Feast of Unleavened Bread. Then in the daylight part of the annual Sabbath, there was great rejoicing in celebrating their complete deliverance from Egyptian slavery, as recorded in Exodus 15: 1 – 21 in the song of Moses. After Elohim delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, they promised to obey Elohim. But, we know that they failed completely, except for times during which Elohim gave them a righteous ruler. They obeyed Elohim under the leadership of Joshua, who succeeded Moses, but after he died and the death of the elders of that generation, the next generation started doing their own thing. This cycle was repeated time and again under the rulership of the judges. Then during the reign of David the Israelites prospered, as they did under Solomon’s reign. But, all of the later kings of Israel and most of Judah disobeyed Elohim, leading the nations further into sin. They cursed themselves and were eventually taken captive; Israel first followed by Judah about 120 years later. We know that the house of Judah returned to the Promised Land 70 years later, whilst the house of Israel remained scattered throughout the nations of the world until today.

YHVH instituted His seven annual festivals including the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Leviticus 23: 1 & 2, saying to Moses: “Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘(YHVH)’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy (Set-apart) convocations— My appointed times are these.’” So we see that these are (YHVH)’s Set-apart Days to be kept by His people forever, as recorded in Exodus 12: 17, in this way: ‘You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance.’ YHVH our Elohim is the Supreme Lawgiver and made sure that the knowledge of His laws, including His Sabbath and set-apart Days would be preserved for us His latter day congregation of called out believers. We see that Yahshua kept both the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as witnessed in Luke 2: 41 – 43. Even in the year that Yahshua was crucified, His enemies expected Him to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as we read from Mark 14: 1 & 2, as follows: ‘Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread was two days off; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth, and kill Him; (2) for they were saying, “Not during the festival, lest there be a riot of the people.”’

More than 20 years after Yahshua had been crucified and resurrected there is a clear indication that His disciples kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as recorded in Acts 20: 6, in this way: ‘And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed for seven days.’ Rav Shaul and his companions observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread at Philippi. This Feast was still being kept by Elohim’s congregations, showing that it was not abolished at Yahshua’s death, As we’ve read from 1 Corinthians 5: 7 & 8, Rav Shaul told Elohim’s congregation in Corinth to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread and to put out spiritual leaven, just as they had already put out all physical leaven in preparation for this Festival. They were to keep the Feast not only with unleavened bread, but also with the spiritually unleavened attitude of righteousness, truth and sincerity. This is a direct command from Elohim’s apostle to His congregation of called out believers to continue to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The annual Feast Days of Elohim picture events of historic and future importance. The Sabbath as YHVH revealed to ancient Israel was a sign that they were His people and that He was their Elohim. However as we read from Exodus 31: 13, it was a sign between Elohim and His people throughout their generations, as follows: “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am YHVH who sanctifies you.” As modern day Israelites, whether bloodline Israelites or Israelites because of our faith in Messiah (as per Galatians 3: 26 – 29, Galatians 6: 16 and Romans 9: 6 & 7), we are once again Elohim’s people. In addition, we see from Hebrews 4: 9 that the Sabbath remains binding for the people of Elohim, in this way: ‘There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of Elohim.’

Israel’s departure from Egypt has great symbolic meaning. We learned that the Passover pictures the death of Yahshua Messiah; His shed blood for the forgiveness of our sins upon real repentance. The second festival pictures our coming out of our personal Egypt or sin, during the seven days of Unleavened Bread. Egypt is a symbol for sin. We see from Romans 6: 16 that sinners are slaves of sin, as follows: ‘Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?’ However, Elohim wants us to escape the slavery of sin by obeying Him, as witnessed in Romans 6: 17, 18 & 22, in this way: ‘But thanks be to Elohim that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, (18) and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (22) But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to Elohim, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.’

The ancient Israelites were slaves in pagan Egypt. They were not allowed to honor and obey Elohim. Therefore the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which commemorates their coming out of slavery in Egypt, also pictures their coming out of sin. Sin enslaves! Those who are not Elohim’s Spirit-begotten children do not realize they are slaves to sin. Sin tends to increase in the one who continues to practice it. It afflicts us with physical injury, sickness and disease. It produces frustration, anxiety and hopelessness; and ultimately leads to death. The Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures the fact that Elohim wants new believers to come completely out of the slavery of sin into obedience to Him! Similar to the way Israel walked out of Egypt, we must be willing of our own to come out of sin. But, it is Elohim’s goodness and mercy that leads us to repentance from sin, as we read from Romans 2: 4, as follows: ‘Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of Elohim leads you to repentance.’ Eternal life is clearly a gift of Elohim, as also confirmed in Romans 6: 23, in this way: ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of Elohim is eternal life in Messiah Yahshua our Master.’ Even so, it is clear that Elohim wants us to be willing and actually striving to obey Him. Think about it!