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We have had a week full of focussed learning and spiritual growth throughout the seven days comprising the festival of Unleavened Bread that immediately and seamlessly follows the Passover. God thinks of everything and blessed us here with mild weather in an assortment of sunny days and some very welcome rainfall. In the lead up there were no scorchingly hot days that could have made the deleavening activity physically uncomfortable. However this year was more difficult with the passage of time and the ageing process making it more challenging to get everything done in just a few days. Next year we will need to have an earlier start with the identification of leavened items and cleaning within the home in order to complete it all to the best standard we can possibly manage without feeling overwhelmed. God willing, the plan will be for one month prior to the Passover in 2023 to commence the flurry of activity that satisfies our conscience. We know that it is almost impossible to remove every bit of leavening from our premises as there are yeast spores floating about in the air we breathe, however this physical preparation is still incredibly important and takes considered effort. The spiritual preparation has been our major focus for quite some time prior to the Passover as we have intently examined ourselves under the magnifying glass of God's Word.
This year we did not go out to eat at any restaurant because last year leavening found itself in our car and home via a family member. Instead we stayed home and politely advised that just for this week we are not eating bread and puffy things like cakes and biscuits — this information was accepted and understood, so it was a big relief when family went home again after enjoying their company, and we subsequently avoided any problems. It is good to learn from our past mistakes. We start out with good intentions but how can we expect non-believers to take what we say as seriously as what we do? They just don't pay close attention and find it very easy to justify their actions. The outcome of progress and satisfaction are proof that we can handle these awkward situations when we need to with God's help as He loves a willing participant. The emphasis this time was having food prepared by our own hands as there can be no doubt as to whether there is leavening involved. No wonder God tells us in scripture from Exodus 12:16 to prepare the food with our own hands. God always has perfect reasons for all His instructions — we just need to pay very close attention and that comes with healthy fear/awe and respect as Deuteronomy 6, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Psalm 34:7-9 explains.
How was your experience this year? Did you stumble upon some leavening tucked away in an unlikely place, or worse yet, staring at you plain as day right in front of your eyes while you stood there scratching your head in puzzlement and incredulity? Been there before. All these things should make us stop and examine the why of what has just happened. Learning curves can be steep but best to go through it now while we are on our journey to God's Kingdom. Examination for improvement along with sincere repentance are key, and so we ask ourselves what are we learning? This past seven days have been very different to the rest of the year with a strong focus on consuming unleavened bread as we replace the usual leavened breads we like. This represents filling up on Christ and as we are told in Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23 we keep God's festivals exactly as He prescribes for us in a faithfully obedient and humble mindset, always very grateful for these blessings God gives to us.
The week went by very quickly even though all seven days were ours without the interference of paid full time work or external issues. It was nice to have some quiet days at home in between the whole of this festival beginning with the commencement of the Passover, Night To Be Much Observed/Remembered, the First Day of Unleavened Bread and then the completion of it with the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, capped off by the weekly Sabbath for which our joy is then complete. One thing is noticeable to me and there must be a reason for this but as yet it eludes me — there is an extra day of unleavened bread some years as the Sabbath immediately joins onto the Last Day of Unleavened Bread when celebrated on a Friday. We do not shop or eat out in restaurants on any Sabbaths therefore we do not buy items with leavening until after sunset on the Saturday which means an extra day. Usually we wait until Sunday when we go out to get something we may have missed — Subway is one thing we usually partake of as it is preferred by family, and Sundays throughout the year are our family day. Noticeably, this year I have not missed anything at all as regular bread is not a good choice for diabetics due to the spikes in blood glucose levels which wreak havoc with blood vessels. Bread is limited in my life now and there are times, few and far between, that I really desire hot toast with melted butter and topped with Vegemite, or with cheese and tomato sprinkled lightly with salt, or a nice chicken and salad sandwich, but that is about it.
Thankfully, we come out of this festival a lot healthier than going in as yeast has been eliminated in our diets because of the absence of consuming any products containing it which are classified under the fungus family, and are symbolic of sin at this time of year. It is good to give our digestive systems a solid rest from yeast and the fermentation process it causes but would we do this off our own initiative? God knows we wouldn't just like we would not rest each week every Saturday, therefore when we listen to God we gain great benefits from doing what God says is really good for us by keeping His feasts. Not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, and especially spiritually too, we reap benefits and blessings. So an extra day without yeast, due to the way the Sabbath comes immediately after the last day of Unleavened Bread is like a head start on the rest of the year.
Most of us know what the apostle Paul brings to our attention from the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 which highlights and stipulates "Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 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". Keeping these festival days brings so many wonderful blessings. Did we get our fill of Christ each day symbolized by the Unleavened Bread? It was important to me each morning to have this first before anything else. Did God bless you with another layer to certain scripture that amazed you as it opened your eyes to further learning? These are the things which stir my heart in joy. One such part of the Bible in John 21 which always left me wondering has now been explained to me during these days via a sermon on the members site of the United Church of God concerning the number of fish caught by Simon Peter along with other disciples — why 153? Now I know. Another sermon listened to from which there is much to glean about partaking of the Unleavened Bread in sincerity and truth is available via this link: https://www.ucg.org/sermons/cleansed