what does the word of god say?
For context, this is God speaking to Moses at the very first passover, before the tenth plague of the killing of the firstborn in Egypt. Exodus 12
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall 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 statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.” Exodus 12:14-20
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall 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 statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.” Exodus 12:14-20
- Notice that this is a statute forever. We are never meant to stop celebrating the Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread.
- Notice God's Word also says "sojourner or native of the land". Sojourner means foreigner, therefore this is literally for everyone who worships the God of Israel, native born or one who is grafted in.
- It is a memorial of God's mighty hand in Egypt. When we remember His works, we can be encouraged that He is capable of anything. We can trust Him to help us today when we face our own Red Seas.
- This is a memorial of Him delivering His people from slavery. We can apply this today as we are slaves to sin until He has set us free.
- Also notice, in the last verse we are commanded to eat UNLEAVENED bread. So we don't eat leavened bread, but we are to eat bread without any leavening in it. Think about Jesus when He was performing the Passover meal with His disciples just before his crucifixion. He took the unleavened bread and said, "This is my body broken for you". When leaven is a representation of sin, His body is without leaven. We continue to eat this unleavened bread for a week, remembering Yeshua's perfect sacrifice on the cross, and desiring to live a life without sin.
“‘...The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present a food offering to the Lord. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’” Leviticus 23:4
- The Lord's feasts are on the Hebrew calendar. They begin their days at sunset. On the fourteenth day of Nisan, this is basically the preparation day.
