The Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread
Are You Truly Unleavened?
For six days now we have been coming out of Egypt, and are observing the seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, in the process of crossing the Red Sea, on the way to Mt. Sinai and the Promised Land. We know that this wonderful feast pictures the coming out of sin, which is possible only through the spirit of God granted to us; otherwise we, on our own, have no power to counteract the forces of the devil and the perverted world around us, and the weaknesses of our own human nature.
This spirit, we know, is granted by our heavenly Father as a gift upon our calling, repentance, baptism, and the laying on of hands (Romans 6:23; John 6:44; Acts 2:38; Hebrews 6:1-2). We cannot receive it through our own works or efforts, but it does motivate us to accomplish the good works that are a consequence of this inward spirit … His very laws planted within our hearts that motivate us to love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23).
Hebrews 8:10. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people ….”
I John 5:3. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.“
James 2:14-18. “What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and has not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit? Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone. Yes, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
We Must Be Pure and White
These seven days of eating only unleavened bread — leavening being the symbol of sin, or breaking God’s laws (I John 3:4) — implies that we must be free of sin, a tall order for flesh and blood human beings whose proclivity is to be sinful from conception (Psalm 51:5). Yet, the message is clear.
1. Be perfect
Genesis 17:1. “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be you perfect.”
perfect (8549) = tamiym, (from 8552) “blameless, sincere, entire, whole, complete, full.”
Psalm 18:32. “It is God that gives me with strength, and makes my way perfect” [8549].
Psalm 101:2. “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect [8549] way. O when will you come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect [8537] heart.”
perfect [8537] = tom, “complete in fullness, innocence, simplicity, and integrity.”
Ezekiel 28:15. “You were perfect [8549] in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you.”
Matthew 5:48. “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”
perfect [5046] = teleios, “brought to its end, finished, of full age, mature, complete, has attained the moral end for which he was intended (to be Christ’s disciple).”
Colossians 1:28. “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect ]5046] in Christ Jesus ….”
Hebrews 12:23. “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect” [5048].
I Peter 5:10. “But the God of all grace, who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
perfect [2675] = katartizo, “to render fit or complete.”
I John 4:17-18. “Herein is our love made perfect [5048], that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect [5046] love casts out fear; because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.”
2. Be pure.
Psalm 24:3-4. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
pure [1249] = bar, “beloved, pure.”
Proverbs 21:8. “The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.”
pure [2134] = zak, “clear.”
Matthew 5:8. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
pure [2513] = katharos, “free from impure admixture, without blemish, spotless.”
I Timothy 5:22. “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep yourself pure.”
pure [53] = hagnos, “pure from every fault, immaculate, clear, pure from carnality.”
3. Be clean.
Psalm 24:4. “He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
clean [5355] = naqiy, “innocent.”
Psalm 51:10. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
clean [2889] = tahowr, “the absence of impurity, filthiness, defilement, or imperfection.”
Matthew 23:25-26. “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. You blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.”
clean [2513] = katharos, “free from impure admixture, without blemish, spotless.”
Revelation 19:8. “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean [2513] and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
James 4:7-8. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [2511] your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.”
4. Be righteous.
II Chronicles 6:23. “Then hear you from heaven, and do, and judge your servant, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.”
righteous [6662] = tsaddiyq, “righteous, just”
Psalm 92:12. “The righteous [6662] shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
Matthew 5:20. “For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
righteousness [1343] = dikaiosune, “the character or quality of being right or just.”
Matthew 25:37. “Then shall the righteous [1342] answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, and fed you? or thirsty, and gave you drink?”
5. Be holy
Throughout the Old Testament the world “holy” is usually used for God or sacred things, or for the saints after they have been made spirit.
Leviticus 11:44. “For I am the Lord your God: you shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” [See also Leviticus 19:2; 20:7.]
holy [6918] = qadowsh, “sacred or holy, describing something or someone.”
Romans 12:1. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
holy [40] = hagios, “separated (from sin), and therefore consecrated to God, sacred.”
I Peter 1:16. “Because it is written, be you holy [40]; for I am holy.”
I Peter 2:9. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy [40] nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
The Hope We Have in Christ
Not being able of our own accord to fully cast sin out of our lives, we as human beings, made in God’s image, have no choice but to throw ourselves on the mercy seat of God and claim the promises given to us that remove our sins. As David related in Psalm 103:10-14,
“He has not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”
Many centuries before Jesus actually walked the earth, was crucified, and then raised to the right hand of the Father, David knew well of the Father’s plan to send the Saviour, so was able to write these words in the above citation. We are washed clean, free of sin, in His blood by the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).
Revelation 1:5. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood ….”
Our heavenly Father is able to see into the very thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12-13), discerning our attitudes and every good and vile thing within our minds. However, He does not say that He is concerned about those old habits and memories that died with us when we become a new creature; he instead is intensely concerned about our future desires and motives, for, as Paul said,
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Even if we err time after time and seem hopelessly entwined in some sin, God guarantees that He will always be there beside us, to lift us up and sustain us despite the calamities. We just cannot give up.
Galatians 6:9. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Psalm 37:23-24. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”
Proverbs 24:16. “For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”
When we sin we will not be doing so willingly, our selfish desires overpowering the spirit, as Paul so eloquently stated in Romans 7:14-25, but when we do sin we always have the forgiving blood of Jesus Christ waiting to cover those errors.
I John 2:1-2. “My little children, these things write unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
However, beware if you plan to sin, assuring that God will grant more abundant forgiveness if we sin more abundantly (Jude 4). We must be careful not to “fall away” (Strong 3895, parapipto, “to fall in one’s way from adherence to the realities and facts of the faith”), or be led into a position where we refuse to get up when we fall.
Those Hidden Sins
Perhaps more than anything we need to cast away the hidden leaven from our lives. We searched during the days preceding the Passover for the obvious leavening we could find, but what about that crumb of bread stuck in a corner, or perhaps a whole slice of bread forgotten in a cupboard. There it sits until we actively search and find it. It is these sins that David pointed to in Psalm 19:12, “…cleanse me from secret faults” (secret [Strong 5641] = cathar, “to conceal, hide, shelter”).
We can pray that God will reveal them according to His plan, so we will not be overwhelmed by shortcomings that have probably been lurking in us for decades … and we can be certain this revealing of our sins will not be more than we can bear (I Corinthians 10:13). How can we identify them?
1. Ask, in confidence, a trusted friend if he recognizes things in you that may be sinful.
2. Pray that God will reveal these secret sins to you so they may be cast away.
3. Carefully meditate on your own behavior and thoughts, and see if anything jumps out at you that needs correcting. The greater your knowledge of God’s word the easier it will be to discover these hidden sins.
Remaining Holy Throughout the Year
We cannot “work up” holiness or perfection from our own being. Any amount of works and commandment keeping will not gain us salvation, as Hebrews 7:19 states: “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.”
Furthermore, in Galatians 2:16 we read,
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
We know that the good works we perform are not to “gain” salvation — that is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9) — but are done to please the One who made us, for “… we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10; see also I Timothy 2:10; 5:10, 25; 6:18; II Timothy 3:17; Titus 2:7, 14; 3:8; Hebrews 10:24). Recall that the just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17), but faith without works is dead (James 2:26). We also know that the laws of God define sin (Strong 266, hamartia, “missing the target”), as stated in I John 3:4.
How then, do we stay free of sin this coming year? How do we avoid human anger, jealousy, pride, fear of men, overeating, lusting, love of money, and every other evil as we brush up against this society on the highways, in the places we work, and wherever we go and whatever we do? The answers are simple; the doing can be tough.
1. Pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17).
2. Meditate on Gods ways (Psalm 119:97).
3. Fast on occasion (Matthew 6:16-18).
4. Find fellowship and support from the brethren (Psalm 133:1).
5. Study God’s word daily (Acts 17:11).
We must follow the Israelite pathway beyond the shores of the Red Sea, where they left the drowned Egyptian forces, on to the Promised Land of Canaan.
When we slip and fall — and we will at times — be assured that the Eternal Living God is standing by to lift us up, as long as we are pressing forward with zeal towards the goal on ahead. We must accept a certain amount of suffering along this roadway we face, but be assured that without it we would be rejected by Him.
Romans 8:16-17. “The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.”
This small degree of suffering is not to be in any way compared to the glory that will be revealed in us after the resurrection.
Romans 8:18-23. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now, and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
Verse 21 of Romans 8 calls our state as spirits “liberty” … and indeed it will be a liberated state from our fleshly bodies. Even now we have liberty, since His spirit grants it (II Corinthians 3:17). Liberty is called a “perfect law” (James 1:25; 2:12), and perhaps it can be grouped alongside the “… weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith …” (Matthew 23:23). This call to liberty is based on the word eleutheria (Strong 1657), referring to a manumission from slavery, which among the Greeks was effected by a legal fiction whereby the manumitted slave was purchased by a god. The slave could not pay the money, so the master did and placed it into the temple treasury in the presence of the slave. At this time a document was drawn up containing the words “for freedom”, and no one could enslave him again, since he was the property of a god.
This liberty of the Greek slaves is a perfect parallel to us, who are the property of the One True God who made us and gave us His spirit. Let us move forward this coming year towards the Promised Land, looking ever forward, striving for the mastery over our own fickle human nature that can never be tamed (Romans 8:7). Let us rest solely upon our heavenly Father and His Son, and be filled with sincerity and truth throughout this coming year!