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From: Eddie Chumney
To:      heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Book: 7 Festivals of the Messiah: The Feast of Unleavened
Bread


NOTE FROM EDDIE ABOUT UNLEAVENED BREAD:

       It seems that every year during the Passover season, I get
e-mail from those who have a desire to observe the Biblical holidays
and keep the feast of unleavened bread. Therefore, I get questions
like 'should I remove such and such leavened product from my house?'.
While it is GOOD  that God has placed in your HEART to OBSERVE his
festivals which results in you asking questions regarding HOW you
should  observe them,  I find it interesting that I have NEVER received an
e-mail note from someone who has a HEART to OBSERVE the Biblical
season of Passover  and Unleaved bread asking: 'Is such and such a
SIN (leavened  bread)? HOW do I get this SIN (leavened bread) out of
my LIFE (house)  so that I am UNLEAVENED (and thus observe / keep the
festival) ?'

       While it is OK to remove physical leaven from your physical
houses during the season of Passover, in doing so, you should NOT
FORGET that the REAL REASON for doing this custom is to remove TRUE
LEAVEN (sin) from your TRUE SPIRITUAL HOUSE (your body and life)
through the help of the Holy Spirit who reveals what LEAVEN (sin) is
in your  life at the present time and has remained since the last
Passover  season.

      If you have removed ALL PHYSICAL LEAVEN and LEAVENED PRODUCTS
from your earthly home but have NOT removed any SIN from your life
during this season that you have NOT kept the festival in sincerity
and truth ( I Corinthians 5:7-8).

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                                From the Book
                The Seven Festivals of the Messiah

                                CHAPTER 4

                The Festival of Unleavened Bread
                           (Hag HaMatzah)

                                         by
                            Eddie Chumney

      http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2175/chap4.html
                 

       The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah) is the fifteenth
day of the month of Nisan, which is the day following Passover
(Pesach). It is a seven-day festival to the L-rd (Leviticus [Vayikra]
23:6-7; Exodus [Shemot] 12:7-8,14-17). On the fifteenth of Nisan and
for the next seven days, G-d forbade the people to have any leavened
bread in their houses.

      The festival of Unleavened Bread can be found in Exodus (Shemot)
      12:14-17, as it is written:

      Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate
it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to
celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. Seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from
your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day
until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. And
on the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy
assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them,
except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared
by you. You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on
this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore
you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent
ordinance (Exodus [Shemot] 12:14-17 NAS).

      The Book of Exodus (Shemot), chapter 12, describes the Egyptian
Passover. After the lamb was killed, the blood was to be put on the
doorposts. The lamb was to be roasted in fire and eaten with matzah
(unleavened bread) and bitter herbs (Exodus [Shemot] 12:7-8).


            Purging Leaven From the House (Bedikat HaMetz)

      G-d gave a ceremony of searching and removing leaven from the
house prior to the festival of Unleavened Bread in preparation for the
festival. In Hebrew, this ceremony is called Bedikat HaMetz, which
means "the search for leaven" The ceremony is as follows:

      The preparation for searching and removing the leaven (Bedikat
HaMetz) from the house actually begins before Passover (Pesach).
First, the wife thoroughly cleans the house to remove all leaven
(HaMetz) from it. In the Bible, leaven (HaMetz) is symbolic of sin.

      Spiritual Application (Halacha). Spiritually, the believers in
the Messiah Yeshua are the house of G-d (Hebrews 3:6; 1 Peter 2:5; 1
Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 2:19). Leaven (sin) is to be cleaned out of
our house, which is our body (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2
Corinthians 6:15-18).

      In cleaning the house, the wife is instructed to purposely leave
ten small pieces of leaven (bread) in the house. Then the father takes
the children, along with a candle, a wooden spoon, a feather, and a
piece of linen cloth, and searches through the house for the ten
pieces of leaven. By nightfall on the day before Passover (Pesach), a
final and comprehensive search is performed. At this time, the house
is completely dark except for the candles. Once the father finds the
leaven (bread), he sets the candle down by the leaven and lays the
wooden spoon beside the leaven. Then he uses the feather to sweep the
leaven onto the spoon. Without touching the leaven, he takes the
feather, spoon, and leaven, wraps them in a linen cloth, and casts
them out of the door of the house. The next morning (the fourteenth of
Nisan), he goes into the synagogue and puts the linen cloth and its
contents into a fire to be burned.

      Spiritual Application (Halacha). Spiritually, we are to cleanse
the leaven (sin) from our houses (lives) by allowing the Holy Spirit
(Ruach HaKodesh) to reveal to us, through the knowledge of Yeshua and
the Scriptures, the sin that is in our lives. It is only through G-d's
Word that we are able to identify sin in our lives as it is written in
Psalm (Tehillim) 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path." So the spiritual understanding of the candle is
that it represents the Word of G-d. The feather represents the Holy
Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). Even though we have the Word of G-d, we need
the Spirit of G-d (Ruach HaKodesh) to illuminate the entire Bible to
us, including the Torah and the Tanach (1 Corinthians 2:11-14).

      Messianic Fulfillment. The spoon represents the tree that Yeshua
died upon (Deuteronomy [Devarim 21:22-23). The leaven (HaMetz) (sin)
was swept on the spoon (the tree) as part of the ceremony. Likewise,
our sin was swept or cast upon Yeshua (2 Corinthians 5:21) when Yeshua
died upon the tree. The leaven (Yeshua upon the tree) was then wrapped
in linen and Yeshua was cast out of His house (His body) and went to
hell, which is a place of burning (Luke 16:19-24). Thus He fulfilled
the part of the ceremony where the father takes the linen cloth and
its contents and casts it into the fire to be burned.


                The Fifteenth of Nisan -- Purging Out of Sin

      The fifteenth of Nisan (Hag HaMatzah) marks the beginning of a
seven-day feast period when Israel was to eat bread without leaven
(sin) in remembrance of their baking Unleavened bread in their haste
to escape Egypt. The primary theme of this feast is the purging out of
leaven (sin). Historically, there are two notable events that happened
on this day.

1.The Exodus journey beginning from Egypt (Exodus [Shemot] 12:41).
    In Deuteronomy (Devarim) 16:3, the bread is referred to as "the
    bread of affliction."

2.The burial of Yeshua after His crucifixion, who is the Bread of
    Life (John [Yochanan] 6:35). In fact, the place of Yeshua's birth,
    Bethlehem, comes from two Hebrew words, beit and lechem. Be it
    means "house" and lechem means "bread." So, Bethlehem means house
    of bread. Therefore, Yeshua, who is the Bread of G-d, was born at
    a place called the house of bread.

      The festivals are fixed appointments (mo'ed) of G-d specifying
what He will perform and the exact time He will perform it. The Jews
had to hurry to put Yeshua's body in the ground because the sabbath
was drawing near. This sabbath was a high sabbath and the first day of
Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15). This can be found in (John [Yochanan]
19:31). This would mean that Yeshua died on the fourteenth of Nisan,
the day of Passover. Yeshua was in the sepulcher the day following His
crucifixion, which was the fifteenth of Nisan, the first day of
Unleavened Bread.

                The Messianic Understanding of the Matzah
                           in the Passover Seder

      One of the 15 steps during the Passover Seder is a step called
Yachatz. Yachatz is when the middle of the three matzot is broken into
two. During the Passover Seder, there is a bag called the matzatosh
which contains three pieces of matzot. The middle piece of matzot is
removed, broken, wrapped in linen, and buried. This piece of matzah is
the afikomen. During this part of the service, the afikomen was
removed from sight (this represented Yeshua being buried) and it
remained hidden until later in the service. Yeshua is the bread that
was buried because He is the Bread of Life who came down from Heaven
(John [Yochanan] 6:35). Yeshua was removed from between the two
thieves who were crucified with Him (Matthew [Mattityahu] 27:38),
wrapped in linen, and buried in the earth (Matthew 27:59-60).

      Toward the end of the Passover Seder, the twelfth step to the
service is called Tzafun. During Tzafun, the afikomen that was
previously buried is redeemed and ransomed. At this point in the
service, the matzah, previously characterized as the bread of
affliction, is now transformed and redeemed. This is a perfect picture
of Yeshua, who fulfilled the role of the suffering Messiah known as
Messiah ben Yosef. He suffered affliction while dying on the tree, but
was later redeemed when He was resurrected by G-d the Father. In the
Passover Seder service, the afikomen is redeemed by the children. The
children who find the buried afikomen receives a gift. This gift is
known as "the promise of the father". Likewise, when G-d resurrected
Yeshua after He was buried in the earth, those who believed upon Him
by faith (emunah) are given gifts by G-d. When Yeshua ascended to
Heaven, He gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:7-8). These gifts included
righteousness (Romans 5:17-18), eternal life (Romans 6:23), grace
(Romans 5:12,14-15), faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and other spiritual
gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1,4). Some other gifts include wisdom,
knowledge, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the discerning
of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians
12:8-11), in addition to the gifts of helps and administration (l
Corinthians 12:28).


                The Feast of Unleavened Bread in the Bible

   1.The Feast of Unleavened Bread was so much a part of Passover
     (Pesach) that the names of Passover and Unleavened Bread were
     used interchangeably or almost synonymously (Luke 22:1).

   2.The feast was to be kept seven days (Exodus [Shemot] 12:15-19).
      The number seven  is the biblical number for completion or
      fullness. The believer  who keeps this feast is to keep it fully
      unto the L-rd and set  himself aside completely to Him. The
      Feast of Unleavened Bread speaks of complete separation from all
      things that are leavened (sinful) and feeding upon Yeshua, who
      is the believer's bread (John [Yochanan] 6:32-36,38).

   3.The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah) is a high sabbath
      day. A high sabbath in Hebrew is called a shabbaton. During
      Passover, there is an extra sabbath besides the weekly sabbath.
      These sabbaths are called high sabbaths. The high sabbath of
      Unleavened Bread can be seen in John 19:31.

   4.Unleavened bread is used for consecration and separation. It is
      also anointed with oil. The believers in the Messiah Yeshua are
      to be consecrated and separated to do the work G-d has called us
      to do and to live a life that is holy to Him. If we do this, the
      anointing of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) of G-d will rest
      upon our lives.

     a) The bread represents consecration (Leviticus [Vayikra]
          8:1-2,26-27;Exodus [Shemot] 29:2-23).

     b) It was included in the sacred vow of separation of the
          Nazarites (Numbers [Bamidbar] 6:1-21).

    c) It was the food for the priests in the meal and peace
          offering  (Leviticus [Vayikra] 2:1,4,14-16; 6:14-18;
          7:11-12).

    d) It marked Israel's divine separation from Egypt's (the
          world's) life of slavery and bondage (Exodus [Shemot]
          12:17,30-34).

    e) All leaven was to be put away (Exodus [Shemot]
         12:15,19-20). When leaven or yeast is placed in an
         unleavened batch of dough, the leaven puffs up the dough.
         Likewise, when we allow sin into our lives, it will puff us
         up in pride and arrogance.


      In the Bible, G-d referred to the leaven of different groups of
      people. These are listed as follows:

   1.The leaven of Herod (Mark 8:14-15; 6:14-18; Matthew [Mattityahu]
   2:7-12).

   2.The leaven of the Pharisees (Mark 8:15; Matthew [Mattityahu]
   16:5-12; 23:1-3; Luke 11:37-44; 12:1.

   3.The leaven of the Sadducees (Matthew [Mattityahu] 16:6-12). The
   Sadducees did not believe in the supernatural. They denied the
   existence of the Spirit of G-d, angels, and the resurrection (Mark
   12:18; Acts 23:6-8).

   4.The leaven at Corinth. The leaven at Corinth was sensuality,
      chiefly fornication (1 Corinthians 4:17-21; 5:1-13;
      6:1,9-11,13,16-18; 8:1; 13:4; 2 Corinthians 12:20-21).


                          How to Keep the Feast

      Spiritual Application (Halacha). Spiritually, the feast is kept
in sincerity and truth. Sincerity involves purity and serving G-d with
a pure heart. It involves putting away the sin in our lives, and
separating ourselves from all evil that has a corrupting influence in
the life of the believer in Yeshua. Historically, Israel learned that
keeping the feast meant a complete separation from Egypt's religion,
bondage, food, and slavery, as well as its worldly glory, wisdom, and
splendor.

      The children of Israel took the dough before it was leavened
because they could not tarry in Egypt. There was no time to let the
leaven get in and work up the dough (Exodus [Shemot] 12:34,39). As
believers, we are to flee the world's ways and philosophies that are
contrary to the Word of G-d. Sincerity (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) involves
purity and sanctification, which means holiness and separation. The
Bible uses water and washing to instruct us concerning sanctification
and separation (Joshua [Yehoshua] 24:14; Ephesians 5:26; 6:24;
Philippians 1:10; 1 Peter [Kefa] 2:2). To sanctify means to make holy,
to purify, or to consecrate. The believers are sanctified by obeying
the entire Word of G-d, including the Torah and the Tanach (John
17:17,19; Acts 20:32; 2 Chronicles 30:15; 35:1,6; Exodus [Shemot]
19:10,14; 28:39-41; Leviticus [Vayikra] 8:30; 11:44; 20:7; Hebrews
10:10,14; 1 Corinthians 1:2).

      In First Corinthians 6:11, sanctification is connected to
washing (Acts 22:16). Historically, after Israel celebrated the
Passover, they were immersed (washed) in the water of the Red Sea (1
Corinthians 10:1-2). Likewise, after we accept the Messiah into our
lives, we must immerse ourselves in studying the Bible and, by so
doing, enable the knowledge of the Word of G-d to transform and change
our lives.

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