The Feast of Unleavened Bread was inseparably associated with the Passover, the connection between the two being so close that they are sometimes spoken of as if they were the same (Lk. 22:1).
The paschal lamb was slain on the fourteenth day of the month, toward the end of that day, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread commenced immediately the fifteenth day began, so really no time elapsed between the death of the lamb, the sprinkling of the blood, and the keeping of this feast.
Five out of the seven were one-day feasts: Passover, Firstfruits, Weeks, Trumpets, and Atonement; the other two, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, being seven-day feasts. The one-day feasts speak of certain acts of God completed once and for all. The seven-day feasts speak of the blessed results of those acts, both to God and man.
Thus, while the Passover is a type of Christ’s death, the Feast of Unleavened Bread points to the whole course and character of the believer’s life, from the day of conversion onwards. It speaks of communion with God, based on holiness and truth. The death of Christ is the foundation of all fellowship with God. Feeding on the Person of Christ, the roasted Lamb, is the means by which that fellowship can be maintained. Holiness, putting away leaven, is the necessary condition of enjoying fellowship with God.
Here is the Spirit’s commentary on this feast: “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:7-8). The Israelite put away leaven as soon as he got under the blood. So the Christian’s responsibility for holiness begins at conversion.
The subject of holiness has been so obscured with error, loose thinking, exaggerated language, and extravagant claims to sinless perfection that many sensitive souls, knowing something of their own imperfections, have shrunk from it, forgetting that, however abused, it is a scriptural doctrine. The standard should not be lowered because the truth has been so sadly abused.
Deliverance from judgment is not the only purpose of redemption. Holiness of character and godliness of life is part of that purpose (1 Pet. 1:15-l8). Such is the divine purpose: we have been redeemed from an empty to a full life, from a useless to a useful life, from an unholy to a holy life. Christ died to make us happy hereafter, but also to make us holy here. An African Christian once said, “The cross of Christ condemns me to be a saint.”
The Israelite was to keep this feast for seven days. Seven is the number of perfection and suggests a complete period of time. This seven days might refer to the whole period of the believer’s life. Zacharias stated this truth when he asked the Lord to grant “that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life” (Lk. 1:74-75).
Alas, many begin well, but fall out by the way. The road of life is strewn with the wreckage of the lives of those who once professed faith in the Lord Jesus, but, for some reason went back into the world. Speculation as to whether they were really saved or not is valueless. We leave the matter with the Lord who knows them that are His. But we can say, “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).
Leaven in Scripture is always a type of that which is sinful and corrupt, the parable of the leaven in Matthew 13 being no exception. It is a permeating evil, corrupting everything it touches. “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6). There must be no allowance made for evil where communion with God is sought. There will always be sin in the nature, but that should never be made an excuse for sin in practice. There is no fellowship with God if sin is condoned. Notice now the kinds of leaven spoken of in Scripture:
The old leaven (1 Cor. 5:7-8) probably refers to old habits indulged in before conversion that are apt to reassert themselves in moments of unwatchfulness. The lesson of breaking off old habits and discontinuing old associations is enforced in Leviticus 18:3, “After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do.” Things that are looked on with favor in Egypt have no part in the life of the Christian.
The leaven of malice and wickedness (1 Cor. 5:8): the frequency with which these two things are referred to in the New Testament is startling (see Eph. 4:31; 1 Pet. 2:1). If one did not know any better, one would scarcely believe that such words were addressed to Christians. But we know from experience that there is often envy, pride, jealousy, boasting, and spiritual conceit among the people of God. This must be dealt with ruthlessly in our own hearts.
The leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees: “Beware…of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Lk. 12:1). The Pharisees made their religion a cloak to cover up their real character. They were outwardly the most religious people of their day, but inwardly they were full of corruption. Everything they did–almsgiving, prayer, etc.–was done in the spirit of ostentation, to be seen of men. This is a common form of leaven nowadays. When we examine our so-called Christian activities, we are disagreeably surprised to find that there is a good deal of the leaven of the Pharisees in those things.
The leaven of the Herodians (Mk. 8:15) was worldliness. Can we find that leaven in our lives? I am afraid we can. In the old days we had to go out into the world to get worldly things; nowadays we don’t need to move out of our chairs; just press a button. The leaven of worldliness is found in our lives if we are more concerned about the things of this life than we are about the things that pertain to life and godliness. Do we spend more time and expend more energy in the pursuit of material progress and prosperity than in endeavors for spirituality?
The leaven of evil conduct (1 Cor. 5), so conspicuous in the Corinthian assembly, is, happily, still quite rare among the people of God. Wherever it is found it should be dealt with firmly and tenderly, in the spirit of love and with the sincere desire for the restoration of the offender to fellowship with God and His people.
The leaven of false doctrine (Gal. 5:9) that infected the Galatian assemblies had nothing to do with what we would call the fundamentals of the faith, but it was nonetheless serious. It was an attempt to mix works with faith, found in the preaching of those who affirm that salvation is in keeping the commandments, observing ordinances of the church, and generally doing the best we can.
The Israelite was not to allow any leaven in his house (Ex. 12:15). He was not only forbidden to eat that which was leavened himself, but he was to make certain that there was no leaven in his house. Both personal and collective holiness is incumbent on us today. Our individual lives must be clean and our associations must be pure.
This raises the important question of what to allow, not only in our own lives, but in our domestic circles. As individuals, we are responsible to keep leaven out of our own lives, as parents we should see that there is no leaven in our homes. Many who are very zealous about keeping leaven out of the church are not so particular about leaven in the home. All parents who are discerning realize how difficult it is to keep growing children within reasonable bounds. The age in which we are living is a difficult and dangerous one for our young people and we have every sympathy with them in their struggles. Yet the parents, not the children, should govern the home. The father and mother should have the final say as to what is to be allowed in the home and the parent who lets go the helm of the home is heading for a domestic disaster.
We cannot walk in darkness and have fellowship with Him who is the light, in whom is no darkness at all. There must be an unclouded sky between the soul and God, if communion with Him is to be a reality. Is it time for some searching through the house and the heart for leavening influences? Only then can we keep the feast with delight, finding our satisfaction in the enjoyment of Christ.
Reprinted from Harvest Festivals, published by Loizeaux, being reprinted by GFP.