Soon we will face the common challenge of removing yeast, baking soda, baking powder, leavened products, and bread crumbs from our homes. But what utensils or tools do you use to deleaven your home? Do you use a knife, screwdriver and vacuum cleaner? Will you take a sponge to clean your walls? Some overzealous brethren have, in times past, gone to rather humorous extremes. What, specifically, will you use to clean the toaster? This repository “of all evil” sits prominently on our kitchen counters—defying the shakes, the slaps, and the strokes of a toothbrush. Yes, a toothbrush! Perhaps your toaster will have 30 percent fewer cavities this year. However, even the best of efforts leaves thousands of crumbs untouched inside this mechanical crumb scorcher. Have you tried a hose? I know of at least three brethren who use a garden hose! I am told it cleans very well. But, I know of three toasters (every year) that will not work normally again.
Perhaps all of us can share a laugh or two at the fanatical ways we, as new members, began keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread. Over time, these experiences have imparted wisdom and balance in God’s way. Because “a good understanding have all those who do His commandments” (Psalm 111:10). Though a thorough detailed cleaning is a show of zeal, we need not destroy our appliances, upholstery, or houses. But we do need to keep in mind God’s purpose for these days. The substance of these days is spiritual. This should be our focus, while not “leaving the others undone” (Matthew 23:23).
A Spiritual Feast
The Apostle Paul warned that in the end-time people would be self-absorbed and loving pleasures more than loving God. Paul continued, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy
3:1–5). Have these days become a physical drudgery—just a form and ritual of the Church? What is the real emphasis of the Days of Unleavened Bread? Jesus answers this question: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Fathers is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23–24). Therefore, God gave us His Feast to worship Him in spirit and in truth! The truth is God’s Feasts ARE SPIRITUAL. But, how are they spiritual?
First, they are divinely revealed. Moses, speaking of this fact, stated: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” Deuteronomy 29:29). Originally God gave His holy feast days to the ancient House of Israel (Exodus 12; Leviticus 23). Yet they never fully understood them. In addition to the exodus, the Bible records only three occasions where Israel kept the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread (2 Chronicles 30, 35; Ezra 6:19–22). As a whole, Israel was never able to understand the “deep things of God” contained in His Feasts. They never understood God’s plan of salvation, because the Spirit of God was not made available to them. Their observance focused on the physical—similar to the Pharisees of Christ’s day, who strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel (Matthew 23:24). Paul summarizes Israel’s understanding by stating: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God…” (Romans 10:3).
However, God’s spirit begotten sons do understand (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Days of Unleavened Bread teach us that ONLY God can form His righteousness—His character within us—if we truly hunger for it. We eat unleavened bread for seven days—picturing God’s righteousness that must come into us. Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). As God’s people, we should “feast” on Jesus Christ— the living bread, the Word that became flesh, and now is at the right hand of the Father. We must reaffirm our commitment to believe and obey all that Jesus Christ taught.
Focus on Putting in God’s Righteousness
Feasting on this bread would include profound study and meditation on the “weightier matters… justice, mercy, and faith” (Matthew 23:23). The purpose of which is to become Christ-like. Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice for sins. We are to become “living sacrifices” transformed by God’s Spirit to be God-willed versus self-willed. Jesus came in the form of a humble servant. We are to “let this mind” of humility and servant leadership come into us (Philippines 2:5). Christ has perfect judgment, limitless mercy, and powerful faith. We are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior” (2 Peter 3:18). “Sin” in the form of leavened products has been put out prior to the Days of Unleavened Bread. Though we may discover a piece of missed leavening during these days and remove it, the REAL emphasis is upon putting in God’s righteousness! God’s Feast is about doing God’s will! (James 1:22).
Yeast spores abundantly float around in the air. They are ubiquitous. As soon as you think that the home is deleavened, hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions—of them enter your home through the door or window. Circulating in the air, some of these spores land on the end of your nose. With yeast so pervasive, is it possible to get it all out? In most cases, it would take a miracle to attend to every nook and crack where leaven may be hiding. The knowledge of the nature of leavening reveals an important spiritual lesson regarding sin. Without God’s help, we cannot save or cleanse ourselves from sin.
Apart from God, it is impossible to spiritually deleaven our lives (Matthew 19:26). We need a powerful Savior and High Priest—Jesus Christ! The experience of preparing for the Days of Unleavened Bread teaches many such lessons. We desperately need God’s help AND His righteousness! Therefore, upon baptism, God gives us the supernatural help we need—His Holy Spirit, to daily lay aside those sins that “so easily ensnare” (Hebrews 12:1) It is possible to strive against sin and conquer it through God’s help! (v. 4).
Help from God’s Spirit
God’s Holy Spirit “convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). It helps us root out “evil thoughts” that corrupt and befoul the mind. Because it is what comes out of the heart, Jesus said, that defiles us, not what goes into the stomach (Matthew 15:17-19). The leavening that God is more interested in is that which breaks the spirit and intent of His Spiritual Law. For example, members whose mates are non-members face an interesting predicament. Their mates may desire toast, doughnuts or other such leavened products in the home. They may even demand them or bring them into the house.
Are these members somehow less spiritual than the rest of us, who had the opportunity and cooperation to do a thorough spring-cleaning? Of course, not! These members can still observe the spiritual intent of these days—fully keeping God’s Feast! Why? It is because God looks at our heart and intent. He sees the zeal and sincerity of the member to trying to do the best he or she can. Therefore, by a submissive and obedient attitude and intent—a willingness to obey—a member enters these days unleavened not having to worry about the contrary conduct of a nonmember mate.
By His power, the true righteousness of God is being formed within us. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Jesus Christ imparts the living faith to love God and love our neighbors. It is this divine love that fulfills the righteous requirement of all of God’s commandments and Feasts (Romans 13:8–10)! What good would it do, if we perfectly cleaned our houses of physical leavening, yet enter the Holy Days harboring lust, resentment or bitterness? Would we not be quenching the power of God’s Spirit and His mercy—denying the power? Certainly! Our worship would indeed be in vain.
Therefore, God’s Holy Days, which are spiritually revealed, teach us to worship our Father and His Son by the living faith of Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20). Living faith is backed up by action, because faith without works is dead (James 2:14–22). The Holy Days encourage us to think not only about love toward God, but also about love toward our neighbors. The focus is away from self.
The New Testament Example
How did the Apostolic Church keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? The Apostle Paul’s experience with the Corinthian Church reveals the insightful answer. Gross immorality and factions permeated this congregation. Some were disgusted by the open display of adultery—while other members condoned the conduct. Such a situation, if allowed to continue, would have divided, corrupted, and destroyed the entire congregation. Therefore, Paul addressed these “puffed up” attitudes: “Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep 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 5:7–8).
From the context, the Passover had been recently observed (v. 7). Perhaps by this time all of their homes were deleavened. Yet Paul corrected them—showing the need to put sin out of their lives and out of God’s House. Therefore, notice another vital lesson. Not only should we remove physical leavening from our homes, but also the emphasis is on the spiritual meaning. We are commanded NOT to bring or allow spiritual sins into the House of God, which is the Church!
In addition, Paul describes spiritual unleavened bread as “sincerity and truth”. What does this mean? Paul explains this also: “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (v. 7).
True Christians are described as a “new lump” of unleavened bread. Jesus Christ, the Living Bread, is living within us by God’s Spirit. Therefore, we should walk in “newness of life”, with a spiritually unleavened attitude of righteousness, sincerity, and truth as the unleavened children of God. The Days of Unleavened Bread focuses on this aspect of our Christian walk.
Beware of This Leavening
Finally, Jesus Christ warned the disciples to avoid a specific leavening agent, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6–12).
The disciples, whose hearts were focused on physical things, concluded that Jesus was speaking of their failure to take bread on their trip across the Sea of Galilee (v. 7). However, Jesus was referring to the leavening of evil influence—the teachings and practices of the Pharisees and Sadducees (v. 12). Speaking of them, Jesus quoted the Prophet Isaiah: “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6–7).
The Pharisees and Sadducees solely viewed religion within the context of form and tradition. Jesus continued: “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do… All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (vv. 8–9). Jesus adamantly instructed His disciples, “…do not do according to their works,” which served only to clean the outside of a person and not the spiritual intent of the heart (Matthew 23:1–4, 25–28).
The Pharisees had the form, but denied the very Son of God. Shocking as it may sound, some of them denied the power of God’s Spirit working through Jesus Christ. Is it possible that we could wash feet, take the Passover symbols, remove leavening from our homes, and still be leavened inside our hearts and minds? Yes, it is!
Therefore, brethren, let us prepare now to keep God’s Feast by emphasizing the real spiritual intent and purpose of these days. You are the “unleavened bread”—picturing the keeping of these days in sincerity and truth—hungering and thirsting after God’s righteousness. It is well understood by God’s Church that seven is symbolic of perfection and completeness. Will not God complete and perfect what is lacking in us? Absolutely! Are there not two Holy Days, the First and the Seventh day? Does this relate to the fact that Jesus Christ is the “author AND finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2)? Most certainly! Throughout our lives in God’s Church, we are promised His help—“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).