The Lord knew how quickly the Israelites would forget what He had done for them, and so He told them to celebrate the feast of the Passover every year. He knew how quickly we would forget about Christ’s suffering and death for us, so He has given us this precious remembrance feast — the Lord’s supper. The children of Israel gave great importance to the feast itself but quickly forgot its meaning. Sadly, many today partake of the Lord’s supper and think rarely if they think at all, of what it cost the Lord Jesus to bear our sins in His own body on the tree.
Removing the “Leaven”
The feast of unleavened bread was also to be observed. The Passover had to be eaten with unleavened bread, and then they were not to eat anything with leaven in it for six days more — seven days in all. Leaven is a type of evil (1 Corinthians 5:88Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8)), and so we can see that there was to be complete separation from evil following the eating of the Passover. As we think of what it cost Christ our Passover to bear our sins, surely we too will want to be in separation from this present evil world and its ways. How can we unite with this Christ-rejecting world and look for our pleasure here? Not only were the Israelites told not to eat leaven, but they were to put it out of their homes entirely. Let us ask ourselves the question, “What about our homes — and our rooms, too?” What kind of pictures are on the walls? What kind of books or magazines are lying around? What are we talking about or listening to? If the Lord Jesus were to walk into our homes unexpectedly, would we wish we could hide a few things? Do we forget that He sees them all the time? May the Lord give us each the needed exercise before Him, that we may put away the “leaven” out of our houses. Remember, the leaven was not even to be found in their homes. It was to be put outside for seven days — for the whole week! If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, why not start today? Look over your room and put out all that is not pleasing Him, and then with His help keep it clear of leaven. Perhaps someone may say, “But we are not under law!” Yes, that is true, and God does not say to us, “Thou shalt not” as in the law; but don’t we delight to please the Lord, who gave up all for us?
A Good Example for Us
Many, many years ago some men and women who lived in Ephesus had used “curious arts” before they were saved. They had many expensive books about these things. When they had found the Lord Jesus as their Saviour they had no further use for their books. One day they all came together and made a great bonfire, destroying every one (Acts 19:1919Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:19)). They could have sold them for fifty thousand pieces of silver, but they did not wish to sell them. They were bad books and they did not want anyone else to use them, so they forfeited the money here — though they gained above! No one had told them that they must destroy their books, but they loved the blessed Saviour who had died for them, and they decided, like the Israelites of old, to put away the “leaven” out of their houses. There are still some “curious arts” today, and may we imitate the faith of these dear Ephesian believers and put them away!
Further Meditation
1. What does “leaven” represent?
2. What additional teaching do we have in Leviticus about leaven and the offerings?
3. More on the serious subject of leaven can be found in the booklet A Little Leaven: Truth That Is Fast Being Let Go and Which Is Quite Unknown to Many.