God long planned the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, fulfilling a prophecy to Abraham of 400 years of suffering before liberation. In approximately 1445 BC, Moses, at eighty, confronted Pharaoh Amenhotep II, who initially refused release, increasing the Hebrews' burdens. Through devastating plagues, culminating in the death of Egypt's firstborn, God forced Pharaoh to relent. The Israelites left triumphantly, taking Egypt's wealth, while Pharaoh's army drowned in the Red Sea. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, observed in Abib, commemorates this deliverance, reminding Israel of their hasty exit on the fifteenth day after Passover, led by God's pillar of cloud and fire, affirming His mighty intervention.

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The Real Prince of Egypt

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God had long prepared for the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, having prophesied to Abraham that His people would endure suffering under a foreign nation for 400 years before being released to enter their own land. This plan, set in motion centuries before, culminated in the Exodus, with Moses as the central human figure used powerfully by God to achieve this liberation. The timing of the Exodus, calculated as approximately 1445 BC based on biblical chronology from I Kings 6:1, places Moses in the era of Egypt's greatest empire, under the 18th Dynasty, confronting a mighty and warlike nation. Moses, born around 1525 BC during the reign of Thutmose I, emerged as a significant figure amidst Egypt's powerful rulers. At the age of eighty, after forty years in the wilderness of Midian following his flight from Egypt for killing an Egyptian, Moses returned to face Pharaoh Amenhotep II. This Pharaoh, known for his pride and sternness, initially refused to release the Israelites, scoffing at the command of the Lord and increasing the burdens of the Hebrew slaves by demanding they gather their own straw for brick-making without reducing their quota. Through a series of devastating plagues, God targeted the strongholds of Egypt's gods, turning the Nile to blood, bringing frogs, lice, and darkness, and ultimately striking down the firstborn of Egypt, including Pharaoh's own son. Only after this final plague did Amenhotep II relent, allowing the Israelites to leave. The Exodus saw Israel depart with a high hand, taking immense wealth from Egypt, while much of Pharaoh's army drowned in the Red Sea, leaving the empire devastated and unable to recover its former glory for more than a generation. God's meticulous oversight ensured every detail worked toward the deliverance of His people from Egypt, guiding them toward their promised land.

Why Do We Observe Unleavened Bread? (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Israel did come out of Egypt, but only because God brought them out. The wording of Exodus 23:15 and 34:18, which speaks of Israel coming out from Egypt, can obscure who was truly responsible, much as a child says "the milk got spilled" and lets the one who caused it slide into the background. The Israelites literally walked out, and they had to follow Moses' instructions and make the effort to walk, but they did not cause themselves to leave. God made their departure possible by decimating their captors, and then He Himself led them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21). Exodus 12:51 states plainly that on that very day the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. God ties the command to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread to this deliverance. The common explanation that these days picture our coming out of sin, as Israel came out of Egypt, is true but incomplete, because the emphasis must stay on God's activity. Deliverance is His work, and we should never forget by whose hand it was accomplished.

Deuteronomy 16, Passover, and the Night to be Much Observed

Sermonette by John W. Ritenbaugh

In the month of Abib, the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night, as a reminder of the haste in which you departed from the land of Egypt. You shall remember the day you came out of Egypt all the days of your life, for it was on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover, that the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. The bread of affliction, unleavened bread, is to be eaten for seven days, beginning on the fifteenth, to commemorate this departure from Egypt.

Fear and Faith (Part One)

CGG Weekly by Mike Ford

How many times has God delivered by a way we never expected? Moses was probably ignorant of how God would save Israel, but he had the faith that He would!

Grace, Unleavened Bread, and the Holy Spirit

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We eat unleavened bread because of what God has done, not what we have done. Eating unleavened bread symbolizes following God and displacing sin.

Gratitude for Deliverance and God's Word

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

Even though we have heard that the Feast of Unleavened Bread signifies coming out of sin, the principal focus is that we remember God as our Deliverer.

Head 'Em Up and Move 'Em Out!

Sermonette by

Can 2½ million people (with livestock and possessions) move out of a location (Ramses in Goshen) in five hours?

Unleavened Bread and the Holy Spirit (2019)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Egypt is not directly a symbol of sin, but instead the world. The Days of Unleavened Bread symbolize what God did for us, not what we did by our own power.

Dynamic Living Stones!

Sermonette by Martin G. Collins

Our service and sacrifice should never be considered a burden, but a joy, declaring the excellency of God, witnessing what God in Christ has done for us.

The Reason for Unleavened Bread

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

The Feast of Unleavened Bread signifies far more than the avoidance of leavening. Our focus needs to be on God's management of the process of deliverance.

Deliverance and Unleavened Bread

CGG Weekly by John Reiss

Israel's exodus from Egypt is the pattern for God's deliverance of the elect from this evil world and the corruption of a life of sin, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread memorializes it (Exodus 13:3, 8-9). God redeemed Israel through the Passover lamb: the blood on the doorposts and lintel caused the Destroyer to pass over them, and on that very same day the LORD brought Israel out according to their armies. He then required them to eat unleavened bread for seven days, with no leaven found in their houses (Exodus 12:13, 17-18, 50-51). The same association of unleavened bread with deliverance appears earlier in Lot's rescue from Sodom, which Rashi places during the Passover season, and later in Peter's release from prison during Passover, with its echoes of the Passover instructions and of Egypt as the iron furnace (Deuteronomy 4:20). God delivers His people in all times and in many ways. In the New Testament, the exodus finds its fulfillment in Christ, our Passover Lamb, who has delivered us from the power of darkness into His kingdom and given redemption through His blood (Colossians 1:13-14; I Corinthians 5:7). Leaving Egypt therefore points to eternal life as the ultimate deliverance. Until then, God's people remember what Christ has done, put out the old yeast, live for righteousness, and let His character become their own.

Unleavened Bread and the Holy Spirit (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Our exodus from the bondage of sin begins and ends with God. He commanded Israel to mark their escape with unleavened bread because of what He did.

Unleavened Bread and the Holy Spirit (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God's command to eat unleavened bread teaches that He rescued His people from the bondage of sin, something they had no power to accomplish of themselves.

The Great Escape

CGG Weekly by Mike Ford

If the Israelites had kept Passover on the wrong day, they would have died! If we accept error without proving it, we set ourselves up to accept other errors.

Our Journey from Passover to Pentecost

Sermonette by

Even as we are to personally count the 50 days to Pentecost, we also must think continually of the lessons these days teach us about our spiritual journey.

Unleavened Bread Basics

Sermon by David C. Grabbe

The Feast of Unleavened Bread memorializes God's deliverance from the environment of sin rather than our coming out of sin. Christ embodies sincerity and truth.

Unleavened Bread and Pentecost

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Unleavened bread serves as a memorial of God's deliverance from the bondage of sin. We must realize that our part of the salvation process is to follow God.

Why We Observe Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We keep Unleavened Bread because of what God did to bring us out of sin (typified by Egypt). While God compels us to make choices, He is with us all the way.

The Truth Matters!

Commentary by Martin G. Collins

Secular scientists opt for political correctness, denying anything which would establish the historicity of the Bible, even the location of Joseph's tomb.

The First Day of Unleavened Bread (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Passover takes place at twilight as the 14th of Abib begins. Unleavened Bread begins 24 hours later on the 15th of Abib. The Passover is a preparation day.

Jesus in the Feasts (Part One): The Bread of Life

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Even though the prophetic significance of the Holy Days outlines the the plan of God, the work of Jesus Christ in each event is even more significant.

He Lives, We Live

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Redemption is useless to mortal beings without God's gift of eternal life (I Corinthians 15:19), which God made possible through Christ's resurrection.

The Night of God's Vigil

CGG Weekly by John W. Ritenbaugh

Israel was to keep the Night to Be Much Observed as a night of watching—of watchful vigil—to commemorate the reason they were able to leave Egypt so easily.

The Wilderness Trek and Judgment Begins

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

God's people must learn to trust Him for their survival, remembering that the eating of Unleavened Bread is a reminder that only God has the power to rescue.

Passover (Part Eight)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The temple Passover commanded by Hezekiah was a very unusual circumstance in which the king centralized worship to keep Baalism from defiling the Passover.

Baptized in the Sea

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Israel experienced a type of baptism in passing through the Red Sea on the last day of Unleavened Bread. Baptism symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection.

Sanctification and Holiness (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

As God's priesthood, we must draw near to God, keep His commandments, and witness to the world that God is God. God is shaping and fashioning His new creation.

The Night to be Much Observed

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Night Much to be Observed is a memorial of the covenant with Abraham, and God's watchfulness in delivering ancient Israel as well as spiritual Israel.

Deuteronomy 16:1-8

Sermonette by John W. Ritenbaugh

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 refers to Unleavened Bread rather than Passover (a scribal error, perhaps referring to the season). Ten clues clear up this misconception.

The Lesson of the Night to be Much Observed

Sermonette by

The same God who exercised vigilance and care over our forebears does so over us. Israel's leaving Egypt signifies maintaining the relationship with God.

Go Forward

Sermon by Mark Schindler

Are we ready to sacrifice as was Moses, realizing that our precious calling is far more than the imaginary quest of Don Quixote?

The Four Cups of Wine

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

Jewish tradition calls for four cups of wine on Passover based on God's 'I will' statements in Exodus 6:6-7, which apply to the Israel of God today.

Repentance and Righteousness (Part 1)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Nothing happens in our lives (including repentance) until God initiates it. A change of heart, by God's Holy Spirit, results in a total change of direction.

The Purpose of the Sabbath

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

The Sabbath enables us to learn spiritual principles rather than a set of rules, and to exercise righteous judgment, aligning our actions with God's purpose.

Pioneers: Our Job Is the Journey

Sermon by Mark Schindler

Though we have been given gifts to edify the Body of Christ, these gifts are of ancillary purposes only as they move everyone forward on the spiritual journey.

Fear and Faith or Between a Rock

Sermonette by Mike Ford

God's people are pressured by this evil age. We must remember that God will fight for us; we need to wait silently and patiently for His promised intervention.

Escape From Box Canyon

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God forced Israel either to trust Him completely for deliverance or to return to their slavery. One of the greatest miracles in history has a lesson for us.

Sincerity and Truth (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We have been given the priceless gift of God's Word of sincerity and truth which has the power to sanctify. We must guard it as a life preserver.

Psalms: Book One (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Because Jesus is God's Son, we can avoid the rod of His anger by paying respect with worshipful awe. We must know both His instruction and Him personally.

God's Law in Our Mouths

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Protestant doctrine of grace is antinomian, thinking that justification is a synonym for sanctification and salvation, ruling out any need for works.

No One Else Matters (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

All God's shepherds are mortal men, guilty of sin, including Moses. Despite that, God backed them up because they faithfully followed His leadership.

Completing Sanctification

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

An emphasis on hyper-grace is wrong-headed, denying any need for repentance and overcoming, and totally at odds with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Passover (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The proponents of a 15th Passover discount clear scriptural details and instead speculate. One cannot build doctrines on implication, distortion, and traditions.

How God Deals With Conscience (Part Three)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We have to learn to rely on God to get us out of strait and difficult situations, realizing that God may want to help us to develop a backbone and mature.

How Does God Help Us? (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jesus explains that the truth is the only thing that will set us free. A major player in our lives or spiritual journey is the truth and how we use it.

The First Day of Unleavened Bread (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The term 'selfsame day' refers to the covenant God made with Abraham 430 years before the Exodus, which occurred on the day after the Passover.

The Wavesheaf and the Selfsame Day

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The wavesheaf offering is reckoned from the weekly Sabbath within the Days of Unleavened Bread. It had specific requirements that were not met in Joshua 5.

Who Are We and Where Do We Fit? (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

If we really considered or believed in our hearts that our calling was truly a treasure, we would take extraordinary steps to prevent any loss of it.

Stuff

Sermonette by Mike Ford

Everybody has the carnal habit of accumulating stuff, cluttering up both our physical surroundings, as well as the inner chambers of our minds.

Examine and Come Out

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Old Testament examples were given to show us what God had to do to pave the way for our calling, sanctification, and ultimate glorification.