The fourteenth day of the first month was to begin a lasting ordinance where according to Exodus 12:14 the Lord instructed, “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.” A clear distinction was being made between those who applied the blood of the lamb and those who did not. The blood was to be applied vertically as well as horizontally. To me this is an indication that the blood worked to do two things, one it reestablished our relationship to the Maker of heaven and Earth and secondly, it cleansed the relationship between those in the house. In a way, it covered us in all directions. From the North to the South and the East to the West. We were completely protected by this sacrifice which was only representative of greater One that was to come.
It’s interesting that they were commanded to eat it "prepared to leave quickly". This year, I believe we will see a clear crossing over and we must be prepared to not linger in an old season, but instead be ready to enter a new place in Him.
This was also the beginning of a seven-day command to remove leaven from our homes. Exodus 12:17-20 says, “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”
While this may be a good time to literally refrain from the eating of yeast for seven days. We know that in the New Testament leaven was likened to something else.
Jesus equated leaven to worldliness, false teaching and hypocrisy. He said:
Matthew 16:6 "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Mark8:15 "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."
Matthew16:11 How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Luke12:1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Will you join me tonight in remembrance of the fulfillment of that first Passover in the crucifixion of Christ? When he spread out his own arms to the east and the west and hung on the cross in order to restore us to the Heavenly Father from whom He came? Then, for the next seven days would you be willing to ask him to search you for leaven. Where have you fallen into worldliness? Is there anything in your home that is displeasing to Him, if so, remove it. Where have the teaching of men contradicted the Spirit of God, let me show you. This year, the Feast of Weeks intersects, this seven-day period. Stay tuned for Saturday at sundown when the Feast of Weeks begins a seven-week cycle of self-examination and an opportunity for you to take a 50 day journey to Pentecost where He will pour out more of Himself.
But before that, we must never forget the Feast of First Fruits!! More on that soon!!
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