During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, while keeping leaven out is important, our primary focus should be on eating unleavened bread. Scripture repeatedly commands us to eat unleavened bread for seven days, as seen in various passages such as Exodus 13:6-7, 23:15, 34:18, Leviticus 23:6, Numbers 28:17, Deuteronomy 16:8, and Ezekiel 45:21. Eating unleavened bread symbolizes becoming unleavened, purified, and perfected. It reminds us that we are to be fashioned into the likeness of Jesus Christ, transformed from our human nature into the divine nature of God, which is love. This focus on eating unleavened bread during the feast represents striving for perfection, as the number seven in Scripture symbolizes perfection. The ultimate goal is to be perfected in love, mirroring the nature of God, so that in the resurrection, we will be like Him, no longer able to sin because we will embody perfect love. This is the essence of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, emphasizing the symbolic act of eating unleavened bread as a representation of the perfect Unleavened Bread of Life from heaven, Jesus Christ.

In a few weeks, members of the church of God will be observing the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a springtime festival that memorializes the redemption and exodus of the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery. God commands in Exodus 13:3, 8-9 to keep this feast as a memorial of His deliverance of them from the Egyptians. The Bible's first mention of unleavened bread, matzah, appears in Genesis 19:3, where Lot in Sodom serves his angelic guests a meal including unleavened bread, associating it with his divine deliverance from corruption. In Exodus 12:17-18, God instructs the Israelites to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on that day He brought them out of Egypt, commanding them to eat unleavened bread from the fourteenth to the twenty-first day of the first month, with no leavening found in their houses for seven days. This observance ties unleavened bread to God's act of deliverance, as seen when He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt on that very day, as noted in Exodus 12:50-51.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is highly disruptive, not only due to the effort required in deleavening but also because it alters our diets, capturing our attention as God intends. This feast stands out among other days, prompting us to reflect on its purpose. God first mentions the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12:17, providing the fundamental reason for its observance: it serves as a memorial of His deliverance, commemorating the day He brought His people out of Egypt. This foundation underpins all other aspects of the feast, including the eating of unleavened bread and the avoidance of leavening, which are responses to His command to remember His deliverance. Although rejoicing is not explicitly stated in the instructions, the Feast of Unleavened Bread implies a celebratory nature as a feast, even if the food, often referred to as the bread of affliction, differs from typical festive fare. This bread reminds us of past oppression and slavery under a hostile ruler, recalling the hardship of Egypt. Each bite of unleavened bread serves as a reminder of the affliction endured before God's intervention. The feast is consistently called the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Scripture, emphasizing its celebratory purpose over merely the act of avoiding leaven. God's repeated instructions, as seen in Exodus 23:15 and Exodus 34:18, tie the observance of this feast to His deliverance, reinforcing that it is a feast to Him, focusing on what He has done rather than on human actions. The feast memorializes His act of bringing His people out of slavery, not their own efforts, though they must respond to His call. Egypt symbolizes the environment of godlessness and slavery to a despotic ruler, akin to the world under the sway of a spiritual adversary. God's deliverance freed His people from this oppressive realm, not from sin itself, as evidenced by Israel's continued idolatry even after leaving Egypt. The unleavened bread, as a token, reminds God's people yearly of His liberation, offering a new beginning. This disruption to normal food reinforces the memory of His works. The feast also serves as an opportunity to evaluate how free we remain, ensuring we do not become ensnared again by the world from which we were delivered. God's instructions emphasize eating unleavened bread each day for seven days and avoiding leavening in areas under our control, with a greater focus on the positive act of eating rather than the negative act of avoidance. Exodus 13:9 highlights that part of this feast involves having God's law in our mouths, suggesting both speaking of His teachings and taking in His word as spiritual food. This dual application encourages us to reflect on God's work and to feed on His word, ensuring that what we consume mentally and spiritually aligns with the feast's purpose. The feast challenges us to consider not only physical deleavening but also the content we allow into our minds, recognizing that mental and spiritual intake holds greater significance for our connection with God. Ultimately, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a memorial of God's deliverance, a feast to the LORD, celebrating His act of passing over sins to initiate a covenantal relationship. He is the Unleavened Bread, and by feasting on Him and His words, we remain free from the world and its influences. This feast centers on Him, emphasizing that our ability to avoid spiritual leavening depends on taking in His unleavened nature, allowing His life to become a reality within us.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread, a commanded holy day on God's sacred calendar, holds a central focus on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Observed as one of seven annual holy convocations, this feast follows Passover and emphasizes a deeper spiritual significance beyond mere prophetic timing. The primary instruction, repeated in Exodus 12, Exodus 23, and Leviticus 23, is to eat unleavened bread every day for seven days, highlighting its importance as a symbol of spiritual nourishment. The apostle Paul, in I Corinthians 5:8, connects this feast to Christ by instructing us to keep it with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Sincerity represents an inward quality of tested purity, implying flawless integrity and unalloyed virtue, while truth signifies the outward manifestation of genuine Christian character, reflecting God's righteousness in active right doing. Together, these qualities mirror the inward holiness and outward goodness exemplified by Christ, who is the model of sincerity and truth. In John 6, Christ declares Himself the true bread that came down from heaven, the bread of life that must be consumed for spiritual sustenance. This metaphor, delivered during the Passover season, underscores that eating unleavened bread during the feast symbolizes taking in His character, teachings, and examples. Just as physical food nourishes the body, ingesting Christ spiritually sustains, energizes, repairs, heals, and fosters growth in our Christian walk. Without Him, there is no spiritual life within us. This feast serves as an annual reminder to diligently feed on Christ daily, integrating His essence into ourselves through study and practice. Skipping this practice can lead to neglecting spiritual growth, so God provides a training mechanism through the feast to encourage both spiritual contemplation and physical application in good works, with Christ as the perfect Model. As I John 2:3-6 suggests, knowing Him involves not only internalizing His life but also walking as He walked, manifesting His righteousness outwardly. Furthermore, Exodus 13:4-10 reveals an additional layer of meaning, linking the feast to God's act of bringing Israel out of Egypt. This redemption, achieved through His strong hand, parallels His calling of us out of spiritual bondage to sin and its ruler. Just as He led Israel to the Promised Land, Christ leads us to holiness and righteousness, preparing us for the Kingdom of God. His agency, mercy, love, and providence make this transformation possible, positioning Him as the central focus of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, not merely our own efforts or sins.