During this feast of Unleavened Bread, we take the time to truly reflect on the depth and meaning that goes into why we observe it. We have a full week to reflect. A full week of not eating any leaven. Why? “You must not eat leavened bread with it. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of hardship — because you left the land of Egypt in a hurry — so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭16:3‬ ‭The Hebrew word for leaven is chametz. Leaven, or chametz, is symbolic of sin and bondage. The definition of matzah is “bread or cake without leaven”. Matzah is the Hebrew word for unleavened bread. Why did God instruct the Israelites to eat unleavened bread for seven days? He wanted them to be reminded of their deliverance from bondage when they were working under Pharoah. The matzah is a symbol of God’s deliverance and freedom from bondage. Matzah can also represent purity; in this story, it represents Yeshua’s body. Yeshua held up unleaded bread (matzah) at the Last Passover supper, representing His perfect purity, reminding the people that He was without sin and we are to follow after His example.

We are human beings, and unfortunately, we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But fortunately, He is WITHOUT sin and provides forgiveness and mercy to His people. During these seven days of not eating leaven, we are to dig deep into our souls and root out any “leaven” that exists. Over time, the leaven plants itself, and grows, puffing up into something that we wished hadn’t rooted. I read something that said, “yeast in the soul is essentially pride that manifests itself in idolatrous desires and lusts.” This is sadly the truth. And many times it happens without us even knowing. Praise God that He has set aside such a time each year for us to reflect and really get rid of the leaven (sin and selfish desires) in our lives. Just a little bit of leaven leavens the whole dough! (1 Cor. 5:7) Even if we have just a little sin in our life, it will spread and grow if you don’t dig it up! I think of it as a weed. Some weeds disguise themselves as beautiful little flowers. Perhaps you decide to leave them, thinking that they are harmless. Until a few weeks later your whole yard is overgrown by weeds disguised as flowers; except there are now other weeds that you can barely see beneath the flowers that you didn’t expect to grow alongside them. So as it can be with sin. There may be things, situations, or even people that are fogging your view to really see the sin. It may “appear” as if you are living your life purely. Let me encourage you to check again through a lens, or perhaps a magnifying glass, into your heart and do some soul searching.

Let us truly strive for that perfection through Yeshua Himself. It’s not easy going seven days without leaven. It’s not easy digging up those “sins”. It’s not easy crushing your pride to even admit that you have sin in your life. It’s even possible that it’s not your fault that a particular sin is in your life; maybe it was generational. But let me assure you that you HAVE the power and authority to BREAK those curses to free yourself! I encourage you to fall on your face! Get right with God and seek to follow His example and walk out your life with a pure and set apart heart, being completely humble in everything you say and do. There is power in your words and actions. Choose wisely what you let into your life. It can have a huge impact.

Jim Staley