Keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread with Joy

The Feast of Unleavened Bread for 2006 is now history.  For 168 hours, we were able to forsake leavened products and eat unleavened bread.  A basic question we can ask ourselves is, “How did I keep the Feast?”  Were we constantly bemoaning the lack of leavening?  Did our hearts (and mouths) go into mourning when we passed Burger King, Pizza Hut, and the Krispy Kreme Do-nut shop?  Did our eyes constantly see visions of fat bread?  Is there an attitude that we need to have during this time?  Is there a particular way we are to keep these seven days?

The book of Ezra records how those who had returned from the Babylonian captivity kept this festival.

Ezra 6:21-22
21 Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel.  22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy [Strong’s: 8057]; for the LORD made them joyful [Strong’s: 8055],

OT:8057 simchah (sim-khaw'); from OT:8056; blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival): KJV -  exceeding (-ly), gladness, joy (-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice (-ing).

OT:8055 samach (saw-makh'); a primitive root; probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome: KJV - cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy (-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, very. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

We see that these children of Israel returning from Babylon had much in common with the Israelites who came out of Egypt.  Both were coming out of captivity. Both had separated themselves from the unrighteous.  Both were seeking the LORD – Moses had told Pharaoh that the Israelites needed to leave Egypt to serve God.  Both were holding a feast to God (Exodus 10:9).  

Ezra records that the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi (Ezra 1:5) who returned from the Babylonian captivity kept the feast “…with joy; for the LORD made them joyful.”  The Hebrew words for “joy” and “joyful” indicate that they were blithesome – cheerful and merry (American Heritage Dictionary) - in keeping the feast.  They were filled with glee – “jubilant delight” (AHD).  Why were they that way?  The Eternal had made them joyful; He had “brightened them up.” This Feast of Unleavened Bread was no ho-hum celebration.  There was no complaining about having to put out leavening and having to eat unleavened bread. There was joy and gladness, mirth and pleasure, rejoicing and making merry.

Another example indicates that this was not just a one time occasion and a one time approach to keeping this Feast.

2 Chronicles 30:21-22
21 So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness [8057]; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing to the LORD, accompanied by loud instruments. 22 And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

These children of Israel also kept Unleavened Bread with “great gladness” – the same Hebrew word as in Ezra.  These two examples teach us a great truth: when we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we should keep it with joy and great gladness.

But why?  Why should we be joyful and filled with gladness at this season of the year?

Focus on What God has Done

The indication is that God made them joyful.  What has God done to make us joyful?

Exodus 13:3
And Moses said to the people: "Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

We can experience real joy when we have the right focus. When we focus on what God has done in our lives, we can have great gladness.  These seven days remind us every year that it was by the strength of God’s hand that we were removed from the bondage to this world and its ways.  This feast comes on the heel of Passover.  During this time, we can rejoice that Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. We can be cheered by knowing that He has borne our iniquities (Isaiah 53) and freed us from the penalty of sin. We can be filled with jubilant delight as we remember that through God’s effort, our sins are forgiven, and we are totally washed from our iniquities. We are clean.

Time of Year

God placed this feast at a wonderful time of year in the Northern Hemisphere.  Every year as we approach this celebration, we anticipate the physical world around us springing to life and all things being made new.  The creation bursts forth with tremendous beauty as the Master Painter takes His brush and paints a picture with every shade of green imaginable. The dogwoods lace the landscape with their white blossoms.  Brush strokes of reds and pinks, yellows and purples brighten our world as the azaleas and tulips emerge from dormancy.  How could we not be cheered when we see the butterflies dancing from blossom to blossom and the honey bees buzzing about drinking in sweet nectar!

Out of Bondage

This Feast pictures coming out of bondage.  The Israelites started their journey out of Egypt on the evening of the first day of the Feast; they crossed the Red Sea on the last day.  We can rejoice knowing that we no longer have to be in bondage to the ways of this world; we no longer have to be slaves to sin.  As we flee sin in this life, we no longer have to be burdened with the penalties sin brings.  This Feast tells us that the slavery, the bondage, is over.  Now, we are moving away from the harsh taskmasters, the slave drivers.  We are being taken from everything that causes hurt and pain, all that is cruel and oppressive.  The chains, the lashes, the hard labor we have endured by living the wrong way is coming to an end.  We can rejoice because Christ has given us a different yoke, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:29-30).

Real Freedom

This Feast portrays real freedom and liberty.

Galatians 5:1, 13
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage… 13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Eating Unleavened Bread

Partaking of unleavened bread is a wonderful tradition with tremendous meaning.  There is real joy from eating this thin piece of flat bread.  Eating unleavened bread reminds us that we can eat of the bread of life. We can have the living Jesus Christ living in us.  We do it for seven days symbolizing our becoming completely filled up with the righteousness of Christ. These days show us that we can be filled with the one who is the way, the truth, the life. As we are filled with truth, we become pure – sincere (I Corinthians 5:8). With the living Word in us, we know we can go on to perfection.  By partaking of the Bread of Life through His written Word, we can be renewed on a daily basis.

This Feast of Unleavened Bread has given us many reasons to celebrate and be filled with jubilant delight.  In years to come, we know we can be filled with joy each time we keep these days, because “the LORD has made us joyful.”