LCoG Articles - The days of unleavened bread

THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

WHAT DO THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD PICTURE?

IS THERE A DEEPER MEANING THAN WE FIRST THOUGHT?

WHY IS THE LAST HOLY DAY A SOLEMN ASSEMBLY?

For more understanding on these important questions, let’s look at the scriptures on the subject.

Let’s notice that the days of Unleavened Bread are to be kept joyfully.

There are other requirements for the keeping of the days also, each day we are to have gladness, praise God, sing (hymns), learn good knowledge of the Lord, confess our sins and eat Unleavened Bread.

2Ch 30:21 So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing to the LORD, accompanied by loud instruments.

2Ch 30:22 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.

The first and last days of Unleavened Bread should not be the only days on which we study and contemplate the meaning of the days. The whole seven days should be observed. If we cannot meet as a group for regular church services, we should have a Bible study at home on the following topics for each day.

1ST DAY: MEANING OF THE 1ST DAY REMEMBER ON THIS DAY GOD BROUGHT THE ISRAELITES OUT WITH A STRONG HAND. ALSO THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND REMINDER FOR WAVE SHEAF.

2ND DAY: TALK ABOUT WAVE SHEAF [WE ARE PUTTING THIS HERE, BUT EACH YEAR IT WILL BE ON A DIFFERENT DAY DURING THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD,] SO NOTE THE WAVE SHEAF WILL DIFFER FROM YEAR TO YEAR HOWEVER IT IS ALWAYS ON A SUNDAY.

ALSO THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN AND LEAVING IT BEHIND.

3RD DAY: THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION.

4TH DAY: JOY GLADNESS AND SINGING AND CHRIST RAISED FROM THE HEART OF THE EARTH.

5TH DAY: PRAISE GOD AND CHRIST AND THANKFUL FOR CHRIST’S SACRIFICE.

6TH DAY: PUT SPIRITUAL BEFORE PHYSICAL AND MAKING CONFESSIONS TO THE LORD.

7TH DAY: MEANING OF THE LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD AND GOD GIVES US THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME AND BE MORE SPIRITUAL.

FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD MORNING SERVICE

FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SECOND SERVICE

SECOND DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

THIRD DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

FOURTH DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

FIFTH DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

SIXTH DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD MORNING SERVICE

LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SECOND SERVICE

FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD MORNING SERVICE

The first day of Unleavened Bread pictures the coming out of Egypt and the resurrection of Christ.

Firstly we will look at the exodus from Egypt.

Exo 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.

Exo 13:4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib.

Exo 13:5 And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.

Lev 23:5 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover.

Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.

Lev 23:7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.

It is important that we eat unleavened bread during these days, and it is important that there be no leaven seen with us.

Exo 13:7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters.

It is a suggestion that we make some unleavened bread with bitter herbs and spices.

We eat a piece of this every day to remind us that it is the bread of affliction. The bitter taste is a good way to bring to mind the unpleasantness of the results of sin.

Notice that unleavened bread is the bread of affliction. The reason for this is because we need to realise the consequences of sin. To afflict means to be humble, to answer for something, to debase. We need to be humble and be accountable for our actions. Sin has caused the death of Jesus Christ. We must realise this.

We must contemplate the seriousness of our sins and the misery they cause.

Notice in Deuteronomy 16 v 3 which is listed below that we are to remember the day when the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt all the days of our life.

For us today we need to also remember our calling, when we were called. This was something we used to talk about frequently in the church, the circumstances up to and just after our calling, but today a large number in the church have either forgotten those circumstances or deny that there was such a thing as a calling from God.

DO NOT BE DECEIVED THERE IS A DEFINATE TIME WHEN GOD CALLS US.

Joh 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Christ Himself stated in the above verse that we simply cannot come to Him unless the Father draws or calls us. There is no other way.

Now with this firmly in our minds, God wants us to remember when we were called, and these days are just the time to reflect on this miracle in our lives.

During these days we need to think about the miracle from God that changed the way we thought about God, about the way we looked at life, and how, at a certain point in time, that all changed for us. Suddenly we could understand things in the Bible, each person has their own special story to tell and how interesting it is to listen to each person’s experience. What a joy this is to share this special event with people of like mind.

The days of Unleavened Bread is the time to think on this and to share our own experiences with others.

One of the greatest physical miracles was the opening of the Red Sea. This coincides with one of the greatest spiritual miracles which is the opening of our minds and then baptism, which makes the way to eternal life available to us.

Deu 16:3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

The bread of affliction is also a reminder that the Israelites endured affliction while they were in bondage in the land of Egypt.

Exo 3:17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

WE MUST REMEMBER

When Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy he repeated the Ten Commandments of Exodus, it is very interesting that the words regarding the departure from Egypt are mentioned, and that again we are told to REMEMBER.

Deu 5:15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

We were in slavery in Egypt but now we are free.

Deu 15:15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today.

The reason why we keep this Feast should be explained to our children.

Exo 13:8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.’

God did not want Israel to forget that He brought them up out of the land of Egypt. This feast day was a sign, a memorial, of that event.

Egypt pictured sin, when the Israelites left Egypt, that was a type of leaving sin behind, and we can only know what sin is by knowing what the law is, sin is transgression of God’s Law.

1Jn 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

Exo 13:9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.

So today we remember how God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, and how that pictures today, us leaving sin behind and filling our hearts and minds with God’s law, if we make God’s law an all consuming passion in our lives, if we treat it as hidden treasure, and search the scriptures daily with our whole heart and mind, then we will be on the road to leaving sin behind. Naturally we will never be perfect as Christ was, but we must try to be like He was.

Remember it is the intent of the heart that God looks for.

Also we need to remember the time that God called us out of this world, and into the understanding of His truth and the path that leads to eternal life.

Eph 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

It is important to God that we remember the day that Israel left Egypt. Keeping the right day in the right manner and on the right time is part of the restoration of knowledge.

BY STRENGTH OF HAND

God brought the Israelites out by strength of hand, this must also be remembered.

Exo 13:14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Exo 13:16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

Let’s look at how God brought the Israelites out of Egypt.

A group of well over a million travelling from Rameses to Pihahiroth, to cross the Red Sea. In 1967 an army marched almost the identical route and it took them 6 days.

The Israelites left after midnight on the beginning of the 1st day of Unleavened Bread {15th of Abib.} They stopped at Succoth, Etham and Pihahiroth and crossed the Red Sea all night of the 18th Abib.

This means the Israelites took 3 days to make this huge journey.

HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE?

Remember God brought them out with a strong hand.

Mat 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Their departure was organised in advance, they left in army formation and marched out.

Exo 12:51 And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.

The following verse gives further proof of how God made it possible for their speedy journey.

Exo 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

Our carnal minds would think that the people would not be able to travel at fast speeds for this distance without collapsing with fatigue. The older people and those who may not have had good health, would have ridden in carts. Do not leave God out of the picture. Notice this is how it was possible.

Isa 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

The following verses show that God led the people both day and night, so they possibly travelled a portion of the night, needing to camp to feed and water stock, have a meal themselves and possibly a bath and have a few hours sleep, when they camped at the few stops before reaching the Red Sea.

Exo 13:20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

When the pillar of cloud led them, this cloud could have blocked out the sun / heat. This means it would have been cool like an overcast day.

Exo 13:22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

The following verse shows when the Israelites kept the last day of Unleavened Bread. This was three days from the crossing of the Red Sea when they reached Marah.

Exo 8:27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.”

Exo 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

The Israelites crossed the Red Sea on the night {beginning the 18th Abib.} In the morning, still the 18th, they travelled from the Red Sea. They continued on for the 18th, 19th and 20th. These were the three days into the wilderness they had to travel before they sacrificed to the Lord. The 21st was the last day of Unleavened Bread.

Exo 8:27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.”

THE 21ST OF ABIB WAS THE LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, WHICH WAS WHEN THEY REACHED MARAH.

It was truly amazing how God brought the Israelites out of Egypt with a strong hand.

FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SECOND SERVICE

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

Here is amazing new knowledge for the church.

Was the resurrection of Christ the same time as when He was raised from the dead?

Let’s look at the scriptures and see the amazing new knowledge on this subject.

Let’s see that the resurrection and the time that Christ was raised from the dead are in fact two different times. Astounding and yet very true.

Firstly we will look at the days from Christ’s death until He was raised from the dead.

Christ died on Wednesday, 14th Abib at approximately 3 pm in the afternoon. On Passover day also called The preparation day.

The sixth hour is approximately 12:00 midday.

Joh 19:14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Mat 27:47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”

Mat 27:48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

Mat 27:49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

Mat 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Before Christ was put in the tomb there were several things that happened. Joseph of Arimathaea went and asked for the body of Christ.

Mar 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Joh 19:38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.

His body was then removed from the cross by both Joseph and Nicodemus this in itself would have been time consuming as the nails would have been removed in such a way as to not harm the body of Christ any more than it was already. I am sure this would have been done with great sorrow and with every care. Showing dignity and love for Christ.

Then His body was anointed with spices and wrapped according to Jewish custom.

Joh 19:39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.

Joh 19:40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.

Christ was put in the sepulchre before sunset, as the next day was the Holy Day, the First Day of Unleavened Bread.

Joh 19:31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Joh 19:32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.

Joh 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

Christ died around 3 pm Wednesday afternoon and was put in the sepulchre sometime between 3 pm and sundown. Before the Sabbath. The sun sets around 7pm in Jerusalem at that time of the year, according to information received at the time of writing.

Luk 23:53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.

Luk 23:54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

Time was getting on, the garden was near.

Joh 19:41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

Joh 19:42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

Notice that the sepulchre belonged to Joseph of Arimathea.

Mat 27:59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

Mat 27:60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

Most readers have probably not been to Jerusalem and seen first hand the sepulchre where it is supposed that Christ was placed. We have seen it and it is above the ground.

Today when we bury someone they are placed under the ground probably around 6 feet deep.

But in stark contrast the sepulchre of Christ is not under the ground but as the scriptures state, it is hewn out of rock. Christ was actually laid a few feet above ground level, not under the ground at all.

Mat 27:60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

The sepulchre is not under the earth. So this sepulchre was not what Christ was talking about when He said He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. What He was referring to was what would happen to Him after He was resurrected on Thursday morning.

Sometime Thursday morning, the first Day of Unleavened Bread, Christ was resurrected.

The sepulchre had a large stone placed at the opening, this was sealed some time Thursday the First Day of Unleavened Bread, and a watch of the guards placed there.

Mat 27:62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,

Mat 27:64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

Mat 27:65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”

Mat 27:66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

When Jesus was resurrected He folded His clothes and departed to Hell.

Joh 20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,

Joh 20:7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

It was some time Thursday morning the 15th the First Day of Unleavened bread that Christ was resurrected. He was to then go to Hell or Hades for three days and three nights. The three days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the three nights are Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night. He rose from the dead [the place called Hades or hell or the place of the dead] early Sunday morning.

NOTICE CAREFULLY, THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT CHRIST WOULD BE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH. NOT IN THE GRAVE.

In Bible times the custom was to bury someone in a sepulchre. The body was not placed in the ground, but lay on a stone slab above the ground. Further proof of this burial method is shown when Lazarus was resurrected the people said there would be a stench. This would not be possible if the body was under the ground.

Also the angels showed Mary where Jesus had lay, how would this be possible if He was under the ground?

Mat 28:6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Mat 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Act 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.

Rev 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

When Christ went to hell He was physical, because the above scripture states that He would not suffer corruption, the spiritual body is not subject to corruption, but the physical body is. Therefore Christ was physical when He went to hell.

Christ descended to Hell.

Eph 4:8 Therefore He says: “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

Eph 4:9 (Now this, “HE ASCENDED” what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

Eph 4:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

What did Christ do when He descended to hell? He spoke to the spirits in prison. These spirits are held there until judgement day.

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1Pe 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

1Pe 3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Let’s recap on the events so far, Christ died on Wednesday, He poured out His soul unto death.

Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

When He died He asked the Father to take His Spirit.

Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.

When He was resurrected He was resurrected to flesh, but His soul and Spirit were with Him.

The following verse shows that Christ’s soul was with Him in hell.

Act 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.

The following verse shows that Christ’s Spirit was with Him in hell. Notice it was by the Spirit He went and preached to the spirits in prison.

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1Pe 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

The Father then raised up Christ on Sunday morning.

Mat 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Act 2:24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

Act 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

Act 10:40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,

When Christ was raised from hell He was not dead. He was very much alive in this place, and also played a part in being raised from hell. The following scripture says in three days, this word for in {G 1722} can and does mean after three days.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in {after} three days I will raise it up.”

The following scriptures show clearly that Christ was raised on Sunday morning.

The stone was rolled away.

Mat 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Mat 28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Mat 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

The guards who were there were terrified and passed out.

Mat 28:4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

The women would also have been shocked at the sight of the angel so notice in the following verse how the angel calmed the ladies.

Mat 28:5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

Then Christ appeared to Mary first.

Mar 16:9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

The following event also happened very early on Sunday morning because Christ had not ascended to the Father.

Joh 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

A very short time afterward people were able to touch Him and so He had returned from the Father.

Mat 28:9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

Christ appeared in many different forms to the brethren during the 40 days He was with them. Mary thought He was the gardener. He walked to a town with two of them in another form and they did not know Him.

He also told them that He was flesh.

Luk 24:39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

Luk 24:40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

It is very clear in this article that the time of Christ’s resurrection occurred early Thursday morning on the first day of Unleavened Bread.

Then Christ spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth preaching to the spirits in prison.

Then early Sunday morning He was raised from the dead [the dead here refers to hell.]

This is very important new knowledge for the church. The scriptures clearly show that the resurrection of Christ and the time that He was raised from the dead are two different times.

He was resurrected on Thursday morning, He was raised on Sunday morning. Clearly in keeping with the scriptures of three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

SECOND DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN AND LEAVING IT BEHIND

Do we take our actions seriously? Our sins have caused the death of Christ.

Sin may seem pleasurable for a short moment, but the effects of that fleeting moment may be felt for a life time.

Heb 11:25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

We must not take our sins lightly, God does not. It is a very hard thing to find people who are trying to live a Godly life in the end time.

Rom 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS; THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD.

Rom 3:12 THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE; THEY HAVE TOGETHER BECOME UNPROFITABLE; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE.”

Unless we take control of our lives and make every effort to develop character and resist sin, then sin will win out.

Gen 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

1Jn 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Are we servants to sin or obedience? If the answer is sin then the death penalty hangs over us.

The following scriptures make it plain that sin is serious and has a price tag of death.

Let’s not take it lightly and fool around in dangerous ground. Let’s be serious regarding sin and put it out of our lives before it takes root and grows.

Rom 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Jas 1:15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christ died because of our sins.

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

Heb 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Make no mistake, sin will result in death.

Jas 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

Jas 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

Jas 1:15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

When the Israelites left Egypt it was a type of leaving sin behind. In order to leave our sins behind, we must realise the seriousness of them, and strive to replace them with good. We need to look honestly at ourselves and see ourselves as God sees us. We must be able to judge ourselves.

1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

If we look at ourselves honestly we are able to see the sins which we need to work on and rid from our lives. If we kid ourselves and think we aren’t too bad, we probably won’t see too much sin, and therefore instead of leaving it behind it becomes acceptable to us and we reason that it probably isn’t too bad.

BE CAREFUL SATAN IS THE MASTER OF DISGUISE

2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

2Co 11:14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

During the days of Unleavened Bread it would be a good idea to contemplate this physical life compared to our future spiritual life. It is very easy to become very involved with our physical lives and put the spiritual in the back of our minds, but this physical life is temporary. We must always remember that this is only a temporary life here on earth. What is important is the spiritual, we are trying to become spiritual in our thoughts and actions and the intent of our hearts. Let’s not allow the physical to take over our minds, let’s put God first in our thoughts and let’s try to make the spiritual the most important, and the physical life of less concern to us. These days would be a good time to think along these lines and see how we measure up in these areas.

Col 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Col 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Col 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Col 3:4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Col 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Col 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

Col 3:7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

Col 3:8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

Col 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

Col 3:11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Col 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

Col 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Col 3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Col 3:18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

Col 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Col 3:22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.

Col 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

Col 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Col 3:25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Let’s look at the Wave Sheaf which always falls on a Sunday during Unleavened Bread.

Each year it will be different what day of the 7 days the Wave Sheaf will fall on, so this needs to be noted by the reader. We are putting the Wave Sheaf in on the 2nd day here, as it falls on that day in the year of writing this article, it is always on Sunday during the days of Unleavened Bread. It may be the first or last day of Unleavened Bread also.

If the first day of Unleavened Bread is a Monday, then the first Sunday will in fact be the last day of Unleavened Bread, so this would be the day of the Wave Sheaf, Sunday the last day of Unleavened Bread.

WAVE SHEAF

Lev 23:10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

Lev 23:11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

Lev 23:12 And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the LORD.

Lev 23:13 Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin.

Lev 23:14 You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

This ceremony is to be kept forever just as the Passover is to be kept forever.

The Wave Sheaf pictures Jesus Christ offering Himself to the Father on behalf of God’s people.

NOTE THE SIMILARITIES

{A} Sheaf to be waved the morrow after the Sabbath.

Lev 23:11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

{A} Christ was first seen after He was raised on the first day of the week.

Joh 20:1 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

Joh 20:2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

Joh 20:3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.

Joh 20:4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.

Joh 20:5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.

Joh 20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,

Joh 20:7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

Joh 20:8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.

Joh 20:9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

Joh 20:10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

Joh 20:11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.

Joh 20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

Joh 20:13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

Joh 20:14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

Joh 20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Joh 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

{B} The Israelites were to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits.

{B} Christ is the firstfruit.

1Co 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

1Co 15:23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

{C} The sheaf is to be accepted by the Father for the Israelites.

Lev 23:11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

{C} Christ is accepted by the Father.

{D} No grain to be eaten till an offering is made to God.

{D} Christ not to be touched till He ascends to the Father.

Christ has fulfilled both the Passover and the Wave Sheaf, but only the Passover ceremony is kept by the church. The reason is revealed in scripture, and is quite amazing.

Look back to Lev. 23 v 10 read these words:

When you come into the land which I give to you.

The ceremony was not to be kept till the Promised Land was reached.

Joshua kept the Wave Sheaf offering when he entered the Promised Land.

God’s people will not keep the Wave Sheaf ceremony until they have God’s Spirit, the spirit of power.{Eternal Life inherent.} The article Eternal Life shows that God gives His spirit when He is satisfied that we have the knowledge of the Father and a proper love of the brethren. And we obey God. {At baptism we receive the down payment of God’s Spirit, it is called the Earnest of the Spirit or pledge of the Spirit.} The Holy Spirit of power is given much later.

Eph 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Also see our other articles, God the Father revealed and Called Chosen and Faithfull.

If we reject these requirements we will also reject the Wave Sheaf ceremony.

As the day of Pentecost is counted from the day the Wave Sheaf is offered it would seem an appropriate offering would be:

1. To offer ourselves to God as one of the firstfruits.

2. An offering of thanks to Jesus Christ for His sacrifice.

3. An offering to God the Father for the knowledge of eternal life.

This offering should take the form of a prayer of thanksgiving as the following scripture indicates:

Psa 116:17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD.

THIRD DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

BREAD OF AFFLICTION

Unleavened bread is called the bread of affliction, why? This is the time that we are to ponder on our many sins and what these sins have caused, and the wedge our sins have put between us and God.

The word afflict means to humble, to answer for something, to debase, to depress.

Notice how in the following verses if we afflict ourselves the difference in our attitude. When we eat the bread of affliction, we will afflict ourselves. Because we will become humble. We are able to have a closer relationship with God.

2Ch 33:12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

2Ch 33:13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

Notice the following scripture, it is through affliction that God chooses us.

We need to go through affliction. Again we need to have the bread of affliction.

Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

So we see that to eat the bread of affliction is to realise the seriousness of our sins, to acknowledge our sins, to come to understand what our sins have caused. We must repent of our sins, be truly sorry for the way we are.

Make a list of our sins, take this list before God in prayer and ask God to help us to see our sins clearly, to have the strength and courage to overcome these sins.

No sin is easy to put out of our lives and overcome, it is the difficult ones that Satan will continue to use against us, he knows our weaknesses and uses them as tools. If they were not hard to get rid of, then Satan would not use them.

It takes a lifetime of struggle and we need to be led by God’s Spirit, to go in the right direction. If we resist the devil he will flee from us.

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Remember that our sins have caused the death of Christ.

Heb 7:27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Heb 7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

Heb 9:26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Our sins cause us to be separated from God.

Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

We need to be humble, notice the reasons why God led the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness.

Deu 8:2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

God will hear us if we will humble ourselves and turn from our sins.

2Ch 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Mat 18:4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Leaven puffs up so we need to put leaven out of our lives, we need to get rid of things like malice and wickedness, and replace them with sincerity and truth.

1Co 5:7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

MALICE

The following scriptures give us some good areas to study and examine ourselves to see if we have these things in our lives, if we do, we need to try very hard to rid them out of our lives. Let’s measure ourselves with the words of God and honestly see ourselves as God does. This is the season for this very action.

Col 3:8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

Tit 3:3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

1Pe 2:1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,

WICKEDNESS

Psa 55:15 Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

Psa 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God, And the LORD shall save me.

Jer 23:14 Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

DO WE HAVE SINCERITY AND TRUTH?

Now that we try to put out the old leaven of malice and wickedness, let’s keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Jos 24:14 “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!

2Co 1:12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

Tit 2:7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,

1Ki 2:4 that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

It is very important to remember the day that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. To keep this day in the correct manner and on the correct day is part of the restoration of all things.

Exo 13:7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters.

Exo 13:8 And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.’

Exo 13:9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.

Exo 13:10 You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.

The bread of affliction is a very important part of the days of Unleavened Bread. Let’s study to understand the new knowledge on this subject. To keep the season as God intended. Remember all things will be restored, the keeping of the Holy Days on the correct day and in the correct manner is part of this restoration.

FOURTH DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

JOY GLADNESS AND SINGING AND CHRIST RAISED FROM THE HEART OF THE EARTH

It is important to celebrate the Holy Days in the correct manner as well as on the correct days. God wants us to understand the meaning of these days, but the manner in which they are kept is also of great importance.

To be joyful is important, it is one of the fruits of the Spirit.

Let’s first look at joy.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Notice how the days of Unleavened Bread were kept in the days of Darius.

Ezr 6:22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

God wants us to be joyful, in His kingdom there are joys for ever more.

Psa 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

David showed joy on the Holy Days.

Psa 42:4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

God rejoices over us with joy.

Zep 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Php 1:25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,

GLADNESS

Again we need to learn the manner in which the days are to be kept. We need to be glad for many reasons, we know the meaning of the feast of Unleavened Bread, we have seen our sins and we are trying to put them out of our lives, the penalty for sin has been paid in full by Jesus Christ and His unselfish sacrifice. Knowing these things should bring joy to our hearts.

This next scripture is interesting, it suggests that the days of Unleavened Bread were kept like the Feast of Tabernacles, because the Levites and priests praised the Lord day by day. Notice the Feast was kept with great gladness.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was enjoyed so much that they decided to keep another seven days, with gladness.

2Ch 30:23 Then the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast another seven days, and they kept it another seven days with gladness.

When we are changed into spirit beings, we are given joy and gladness by God, therefore we can see it is a trait that we need to have in this life. Let’s be glad in our feast days.

Isa 51:11 So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

In this scripture we see an interesting point, the Levites made confession to the Lord God during the days of Unleavened Bread. Now these confessions were the sins of Israel and their own personal sins, we need to see our sins and confess them to God. It is vital that we confess the sins of Israel also.

Notice that Aaron confessed the sins of Israel to God on the Day of Atonement.

Lev 16:21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.

Notice that also Nehemiah prayed for the sins of Israel.

Neh 1:6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.

It is interesting to note the prayer of Nehemiah regarding the sins of Israel.

Neh 1:7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

Neh 1:8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations;

Neh 1:9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’

Neh 1:10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.

Neh 1:11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.

SINGING

God loves us to sing to Him. It is fitting to sing hymns during the days of Unleavened Bread, these hymns are uplifting and praise our God.

Psa 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.

The whole earth will one day sing to God.

Psa 66:4 All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah

David loved to sing praises to God, and he states here that he will do it till he dies.

Psa 104:33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

CHRIST RAISED FROM THE HEART OF THE EARTH

As we stated earlier in the Feast, Christ gave a sign that He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth.

Mat 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Mat 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Christ died on the 14th Abib which was Wednesday afternoon around 3 pm. He was buried before sunset.

When Christ was buried He was put in a tomb. His body was above the ground, He was not buried under the earth at all. This must have been common in those times, because when Lazarus died, the sister said there would be a stench when they took the stone away, if he was buried under the earth, there would be no stench.

Joh 11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

The following scripture also shows that Christ was not buried under the earth, the angel showed the women where He had lay.

Mat 28:6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Sometime early Thursday morning Christ was resurrected back to physical flesh.

He then descended into hell.

Eph 4:9 (Now this, “HE ASCENDED” what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

Eph 4:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

The reason Christ went down to the heart of the earth or hell as it is also called in the scriptures, was to preach to the disobedient spirits held in prison there.

1Pe 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

Christ stayed there Thursday Friday and Saturday which is the three days and Thursday Friday and Saturday nights, which were the three nights.

He was raised from this place, on Sunday morning. He was raised from the dead [because those in hell are spiritually dead.] In the following verse the word within [g 1223] can and does mean after. So the correct translation would be … and after three days…

Mar 14:58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”

Act 2:27 FOR YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HADES, NOR WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.

The following verse shows that Christ’s Spirit was with Him in hell, notice it was by the Spirit.

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1Pe 3:19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,

Notice the following scripture.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

The word for “in” in the above scripture can and does mean after three days, once Christ was killed on the cross it was after three days that His body was raised from the dead or hell. Christ died on Wednesday afternoon, in three days would be some time Saturday afternoon, and as we have shown by scripture Christ was raised Sunday morning. Therefore after three days is the correct translation.

The Father raised Christ on Sunday morning, Christ must have also played a part in His raising from hell as He stated in John 2 v 19.

Act 2:24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

Act 2:32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

Act 10:40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,

The following scripture shows clearly that Christ was raised on Sunday morning.

The stone was rolled away.

Mat 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

Mat 28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

When Christ was raised He was raised into the garden and not the tomb in which He was buried.

Notice the following scriptures, the stone was rolled away and Christ was not inside He had risen outside the tomb.

Mat 28:5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

Mat 28:6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Then Christ appeared to Mary first.

Mar 16:9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

Let us imagine for a while that we were alive in the time of Christ, and that we are a disciple of His. We spent some years listening to Him, adored Him, we were prepared to follow Him to death.

We learnt many things during this time. Then suddenly He was betrayed, tortured and murdered. We saw that He had died and we were distraught. We did not know what to do now. Christ was now dead.

Then three days and three nights after He had died, He was seen alive again. Imagine the joy, the love, the excitement of seeing Him again, the One you love with all your heart and mind. Can we imagine that feeling right now? It is almost too hard to put into words, the relief, joy and excitement that we would feel. We would hope that He would never go away again, and pray that He would stay with us forever.

Today we can still have that feeling. We have Christ living in us, we are led by the Holy Spirit, to talk to God is only a prayer away. We too can feel as if Christ is living with us, walking with us, talking with us, if we let Him in, and do not push Him away with our thoughts on the physical concerns of this life. Let’s have the happiness that we would have felt if we were back in the days of Christ. We can do that, all we have to do is put on the armour of God, the helmet of salvation, which helps us to direct our thoughts and bring every thought into captivity.

Let’s do this during these days of Unleavened Bread, make it our way of life, bring Christ into our lives, thoughts and actions. Let Christ live in us. Then we too can experience the joy and excitement that the disciples must have experienced when they saw the One they loved above all else, walk amongst them after He had been raised from the dead.

The following event also happened very early on Sunday morning because Christ had not ascended to the Father.

A very short time afterwards people were able to touch Him and so He had returned from the Father.

Mat 28:9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.

We need to understand clearly that there is a difference between the time of the resurrection of Christ and the time He was raised from the dead.

We have shown clearly that Christ was resurrected on the first day of Unleavened Bread early in the morning. Which in the time of Christ was Thursday morning.

We have also shown clearly that Christ was raised from the dead, or brought up from hell or Hades, which is a place of prison for the disobedient spirit beings, on the 4th day of Unleavened Bread. Which in the time of Christ was Sunday morning.

FIFTH DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

PRAISE GOD AND CHRIST AND THANKFUL FOR CHRIST’S SACRIFICE

PRAISE GOD

Again let’s make reference to how the Feast of Unleavened Bread should be kept.

Let’s look at praise to God: notice that day by day the Levites and the priests praised God. So each day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread we should praise God.

Here is an interesting scripture, we must be careful of how we speak, we must not join in with the world and use coarse language because if we guard our speech God says He will show us the salvation of God.

Psa 50:23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

God is merciful and is full of goodness, and does wonderful things for man, we need to be mindful of these things. Without His loving kindness we would not have a plan for salvation. We are mere mortals, and yet God cares what happens to us and is involved in our daily lives.

Psa 107:8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Those in the spiritual realm praise God, they know of His loving kindness and His great glory and the greatness of God. If the spiritual realm praises God, we should do this also.

Psa 148:2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!

GRATITUDE

Another very interesting scripture, showing that the saints will have the honour of executing the judgments which God has decided for certain people. This alone is a subject that would bring forth praise for God and His wisdom. God entrusts this task to the saints. God has made the judgments on nations and then the saints carry out the verdict.

Psa 149:9 To execute on them the written judgment This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD!

This scripture is referring to the getting of the Holy Spirit of power, which is eternal life inherent. There are two phases of the Spirit, firstly we receive the earnest of the Spirit, then later, the Spirit of power {or truth.} What could warrant praise to our God, more than His willingness to share with us eternal life and a position of rulership with Him for ever?

We should shout PRAISES TO GOD WITH ALL OUR BEING.

Eph 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

God should be on our thoughts all the time, we should be thinking words of praise and have a thankful attitude all the time. We need to bring our thoughts into captivity, and let’s not have our thoughts on the material all the time, we need to let our thoughts dwell on God, His greatness and the wonderful things He does for us.

Heb 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Heb 13:16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Look who is told to praise God. Those who fear Him. There is so many things that God does for us, it is not hard to ponder many of these things. The days of Unleavened Bread is a perfect time to do this, and is in keeping with how these days should be kept. This is not a time to simply eat only unleavened bread, observing only the first and last days. The whole seven days need to be full of spiritual subjects which need to be studied and pondered during this deeply important time.

Rev 19:5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”

We need to be thankful.

Psa 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

These people were not grateful.

Rom 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Again we are told to be thankful.

Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

God loves us to sing to Him with praise and thanksgiving.

Psa 95:2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

2Co 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Notice the following beautiful scriptures showing the love and unselfish act that was Christ, He died for us, He was innocent of any wrong doing, and because of His sacrifice we may live.

1Pe 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

1Pe 2:22 “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH”;

1Pe 2:23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

1Pe 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed.

1Pe 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

With new knowledge comes a greater understanding of the sacrifice of Christ.

We know that He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and also His brother Judas.

This came as a shock to Christ and He was not expecting this.

Notice the following scriptures. Judas Iscariot was already there when the brother of Christ {Judas} brought in a band of officers from the chief priests and Pharisees.

Mat 26:48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”

Mat 26:49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

Mat 26:50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

Notice Christ asked His brother why he was there, Christ knew Judas Iscariot was going to betray Him and He expected Iscariot to come, but when His very own brother also came with a band of officers it shocked Christ.

This would have been one of the reasons Christ told John to be a son to Mary, and told Mary that John was now her son.

Previously to this Jesus was not concerned with the welfare of Mary, because His brother Judas would have cared for her. Now that had all changed with the shock of his actions in betraying his own brother. Also remember that Judas, the brother of Christ hung himself.

Now Jesus was concerned for His mother and appointed a man He both loved and trusted to care for Mary for the rest of his life. It is quite possible that Joseph was dead at this time, and Mary may have been a widow at this time. This is probably another reason why Christ told John to care for His mother.

Christ knew when He was going to die. He put His house in order before His death, He would not have waited till this late hour to arrange for the care of Mary, if He had foreknowledge of His brothers’ actions. The betrayal by Judas His brother, was a shock and totally unexpected by Christ.

Psa 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

This knowledge adds to the way Christ acted towards mankind, and shows in greater detail how He suffered.

Let’s move forward now to the crucifixion, we have more knowledge on this subject to look at.

Christ was crucified twice. Initially He was crucified at the third hour {9 am} for mankind generally.

Mar 15:24 And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

Mar 15:25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

Then He was taken down from the cross and brought before Pilate again. Pilate was trying desperately to free Christ.

It was the 6th Hour {12.00} and Pilate said to the crowd behold your king. It is very clear by the scriptures below that at the 6th hour {12.00} Jesus was before Pilate and the people. He was not on the cross at this time.

Joh 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

Joh 19:14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

Joh 19:15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”

Joh 19:16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.

Sometime after the 6th hour Christ was taken back to the cross and crucified again, this second crucifixion was for those who reject the Holy Spirit of power and eternal life.

Notice that there was darkness over the earth from the 6th hour till the 9th hour {12.00-3.00.}

This is the time He was taken down from the cross, taken before Pilate again, and then taken back to the cross again and crucified the second time until the approximate time of His death.

As stated above the second crucifixion is for those who reject the Holy Spirit of power and therefore the darkness pictures these people without God. This indeed is a dark state to be in.

Heb 6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Jesus died at about the 9th hour {about 3.00pm.}

Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

Mat 27:47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”

Mat 27:48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

Mat 27:49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

Mat 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

1Jn 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Combined in with the darkness is the cross and its carriage.

In the first crucifixion we saw that Simon the Cyrene carried the cross, following after Christ.

Luk 23:26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

This is a type of those who obey God, and take up their own cross and follow God.

Mar 8:34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Then for the second crucifixion we see Christ carried the cross Himself.

This is because some people will reject the Holy Spirit of power and eternal life, and refuse to take up their own cross.

Joh 19:17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,

Mat 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Luk 14:27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

SIXTH DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

PUT SPIRITUAL BEFORE PHYSICAL OFFERING PEACE OFFERINGS AND MAKING CONFESSIONS TO THE LORD

Today we do not give peace offerings, however, we should strive to live a peaceful life.

The next part of this verse is interesting, we are required to confess to God our sins.

This is one way of showing God that we are serious about getting rid of sin. If we can admit and see our sins we are on the way to putting them out of our lives.

Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Today we live in a very physical world, with the emphasis on rushing everywhere and working long hours in order to have more than our friends and neighbours, or to have the latest objects in today’s technology. It is easy to get caught up in the ways of this world. It is easy to worry about our physical lives and push the spiritual into the background. Most families have two people working, in the rush of today’s world. There is little time for family talks, Bible studies and fun. It is all work and no Bible study. Let’s not let this situation take hold in our lives and become the norm. Let’s put God first in our lives always.

Let’s look at the example of Mary and Martha.

This is a hard example for women, as I am sure every woman would want to go out of her way if she knew Christ was coming for dinner. However the reality is that Christ would not have cared about what He ate, or how the house looked or what the table setting looked like. The meat He spoke was the important thing, these words are the way to eternal life. Mary chose the most important of the two options, physical or spiritual.

Martha’s problem was that she had chosen the physical over the spiritual, an easy thing to do, and also an easy thing to make excuses for, as she did in fact do, in this account, but we need to be aware of our spiritual state and make sure we put it first.

Luk 10:38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.

Luk 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

Luk 10:40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

Luk 10:41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

Luk 10:42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Peter put the physical in front of the spiritual when it would seem he might be harmed for being a follower of Christ, he went so far as to deny that he even knew Christ to save his own neck.

Mat 26:69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

Mat 26:70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

Mat 26:71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Mat 26:72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

Mat 26:73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

Mat 26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.

Mat 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Notice the account of the Israelites, they had seen many signs and wonders coming from Egypt, and yet they only wanted physical things, and were only concerned with the physical. They took their mind off the spiritual totally and were only concerned with the physical.

Num 11:4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?

Num 11:5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;

Num 11:6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

Solomon was a man who amassed great possessions and wealth. These things he learned were not what brought happiness. He discovered that to fear God and do His commands was the important thing.

Ecc 2:4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.

Ecc 2:5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.

Ecc 2:6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.

Ecc 2:7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.

Ecc 2:8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.

Ecc 2:9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

Ecc 2:10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.

Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

This is what Solomon found to be important.

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.

Ecc 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

We all need to work in order to feed our families and have a home to live in, but let’s not get too carried away with physical possessions which will one day perish. Remember to pursue the spiritual which is forever.

Mat 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

Mat 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The possession of physical objects give us limited enjoyment, we need shelter and food but put them in the right perspective.

Mat 6:28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;

Mat 6:29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Mat 6:30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Mat 6:31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

Mat 6:32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Mat 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Let’s get things into perspective during these days of Unleavened Bread, let’s put the physical where it belongs in a temporary state of minor importance. Let’s look to God and the importance of eternal life with Him.

It is up to us what we chose, let’s make the right choice and put God first.

LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD MORNING SERVICE

This Holy Day is a solemn assembly; now let’s look at the scriptures and see what this Holy Day pictures.

After the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea, they journeyed three days into the wilderness, and came to Marah. This was on the last day of Unleavened Bread.

During Unleavened Bread bitter herbs were eaten, this bitterness pictures sin. It is also a reminder of the affliction which the Israelites endured while they were in Egypt.

Unleavened Bread is the bread of affliction.

The waters of Marah were bitter, what does this picture?

This bitterness of the waters of Marah pictures that the Israelites had forsaken God, and they had no fear of Him.

Jer 2:19 Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the LORD your God, And the fear of Me is not in you,” Says the Lord GOD of hosts.

During Unleavened Bread, we soon learn that we do not take very long before we fall into the ever-present snare of sin. It was the same for the ancient Israelites, they sinned very quickly after the Passover and continued to do so during Unleavened Bread.

We cannot live our lives, without sinning and so we need Christ’s sacrifice to cover that sin.

The tree, which was thrown into the water, pictures Christ. This tree turned the bitter waters to sweet. Just as Christ is able to intervene for us and has paid the penalty of our sins.

Exo 15:23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

Exo 15:24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

Exo 15:25 So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,

Exo 15:26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

At Marah, God gave the Israelites a statute and an ordinance and He proved them.

God allowed the Israelites to go without water, this was one of the ways He proved them.

Notice the following.

Exo 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

When the Israelites were thirsty, God offered them the fountain of living waters, that is He offered them the ability to know Him and receive the Spirit but they were too thirsty they were not interested in spiritual water they wanted physical water.

An interesting point to notice is that Moses stated quite early to Pharaoh that the Israelites would be going 3 days into the wilderness. He was referring to Marah that was where they sacrificed and kept the Last day of Unleavened Bread.

Exo 8:27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.”

Notice the following scriptures, the Israelites rejected God, in preference to false idols.

Jer 2:11 Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.

The Israelites rejected God, the Fountain of living waters, this living water is mentioned in John 4 v 10-15 this is a symbol of the Holy Spirit and also a symbol of the Father.

Jer 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.”

Notice also that God said to the Israelites at Marah, I am the God that heals you.

This is referring to a spiritual healing as well as a physical healing. Notice the verse in Jeremiah regarding this.

Jer 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.

Verse 13 is referring to the fact that the Israelites rejected God the Father the Fountain of living waters.

God offered the Israelites eternal life and they rejected it. They preferred the idols and handmade cisterns to God and the Holy Spirit.

The water that God was offering was the only one that mattered, it was the way to eternal life, the Israelites rejected that.

Let’s compare the two accounts of the Israelites in the wilderness and the Samaritan woman, who Christ meet and spoke to. They were both offered living waters, which lead to eternal life.

Joh 4:5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Joh 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

Joh 4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”

Jesus told the woman, that if she had known who He was, she would have asked for the gift of God which was living waters.

Joh 4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Christ shows how the water, which He has to give will spring up to everlasting life, the living waters pictures the Holy Spirit. Christ also shows the contrast between the usual drinking water and the living water. If she chose to reject the living water she would continue to thirst, but she wanted the living waters Christ had to offer her.

Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,

Joh 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

The woman wanted the living water.

Joh 4:15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

After Christ told the woman about the living waters, which He could give her, He then proved her to see if she told the truth.

Joh 4:16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

Christ tested her and she answered Him truthfully. This woman was honest and wanted the living waters, which would lead to eternal life.

Joh 4:17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’

Joh 4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

Joh 4:19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

Later in the account, if you read on a little you notice, she brought other Samaritans to Jesus and they listened to Him and believed Him.

Christ then tells her that the Father must be worshiped in Spirit and truth. She wanted the Spirit {living waters} and she was a truthful person, so she was well on her way to what was required.

Joh 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

The following verse is interesting, the woman no longer has any interest in the normal drinking water which she had originally came to draw. Once she heard of the living waters, which Christ was willing to offer her, she had no desire for the physical water, only the living water.

Joh 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,

Now let’s compare this account with the Exodus 15 account.

In John 4 v 7 the woman came to the well to draw water, she needed water.

In Exodus the Israelites found no water, they were thirsty they needed water.

Exo 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

In John 4 v 10 if the woman knew it was God who was speaking to her, she would have asked for living water.

The Israelites knew that God was with them, they had only just come through the Red Sea, they were at the waters of Marah, they were thirsty, so why didn’t they behave patiently and wait on God to see what He would say to them? They didn’t believe in God, they didn’t trust Him, they were only interested in the physical things. In their physical needs and desires. They complained to Moses.

Exo 15:24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

In John 4 v 13-14 Jesus explained to the woman that if she drank of the physical water she would thirst again, but the water He had to offer her would spring up to eternal life.

The Israelites were only concerned in the physical water, God gave them a statute and an ordinance and He proved them. They were offered the choice of the living water or the physical water, they chose the physical, they rejected God and the living water which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, God was offering them eternal life and they rejected it.

Notice the account in Jeremiah about this event.

Jer 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water.

John 4 v 15 states that the woman wanted the living waters.

Read again the account in Jeremiah, the Israelites did not want living water, they had forsaken God the fountain of living waters.

John 4 v 16 shows that Christ proved the woman.

Joh 4:16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

Exo 15:25…… and there He tested them,

John 4 v 17-19 shows that the woman past the test and answered Christ truthfully.

Even though God told the Israelites that He was the Lord that heals them and He wanted them to diligently listen to Him and obey Him, and He offered them living waters which would lead to eternal life. They rejected Him, they did not want living waters, they failed the test.

John 4 v 23 shows that the Father wants people to worship Him in Spirit and truth.

The woman was capable of that, she was truthful and she wanted the Spirit the living water.

The Israelites did not want the living water and did not believe that God was truth.

Therefore, they did not qualify to worship Him.

Notice in John 4 v 28 how when the woman learned about the gift of God, the living water, she no longer cared about the physical water, she only wanted the spiritual gift of God. She left her water pot.

The spiritual was far more important to her than the physical.

In stark contrast the Israelites cared nothing for the living water, they only wanted the physical water. The spiritual things did not matter to them, they could only see the physical.

Joh 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,

Jer 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Israel brought all their trouble on themselves because they rejected God.

Jer 2:17 Have you not brought this on yourself, In that you have forsaken the LORD your God When He led you in the way?

It was evil and bitter that the Israelites had forsaken the Lord, the fear of the Lord was not in them.

Let’s recap on what we have learned, the first day of Unleavened Bread is a reminder that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and that we must leave the old ways of this world behind us, we must try to live our lives without sin, we must try to be like Christ. It also pictures the resurrection of Christ.

The feast of Unleavened Bread is to be kept in a joyous mood, as we endeavour to rely on God and pull away from Satan, and sin.

The last day of Unleavened Bread is a solemn day, it pictures the fact that Israel were offered living waters which spring up to eternal life, God offered to heal them in return for obedience to His laws.

Israel rejected God, and eternal life choosing the physical over the spiritual. The bitter waters of Marah pictured the fact that Israel forsook God and had no fear of Him this is indeed a solemn day.

LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SECOND SERVICE

We have shown that when the Israelites reached Marah it was three days into the wilderness.

This was the last day of Unleavened Bread.

Let’s recap on their journey and confirm this.

Leave Rameses on 15th Nisan {for the purpose of this article we will assume the days were the same as when Christ died}.

Leave on Thursday morning before sunrise.

Exo 12:37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children.

Camp at Succoth Thursday night.

Num 33:5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.

Then set out for Etham.

Num 33:6 They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.

Camp at Etham Friday night.

Exo 13:20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.

Set out for Migdol.

Num 33:7 They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, which is east of Baal Zephon; and they camped near Migdol.

Saturday night they cross the Red Sea. This takes till Sunday morning the 18th.

God caused the sea to be parted all that night.

Exo 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

Exo 14:22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Then at the morning watch God caused the Egyptians trouble in the sea.

Exo 14:24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.

Exo 14:26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”

Notice it is the morning now, Sunday 18th.

Exo 14:27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

Sunday the 18th they continued on, the scriptures tell us they went three days into the wilderness. This means they travelled Sunday 18th, Monday 19th Tuesday 20th, reaching Marah on Tuesday evening, which is the start of the last day of Unleavened Bread.

Exo 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

When they reached Marah it was the last day of Unleavened Bread.

Exo 15:23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.

We have shown that the last day of Unleavened Bread was kept at Marah.

Now let’s look at why this day is solemn.

The following scriptures shows the reason, the Israelites rejected God, the Fountain of living waters, then the meaning of the rest of the verse is they chose gods and religions which had nothing to do with the truth or the true God, these religions could not hold water, remember God is the fountain of living water.

Jer 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water.

The following verse confirms the explanation.

Jer 2:11 Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.

The Israelites chose foreign gods, and foreign beliefs rather than the one true God.

The God portrayed in mainstream religion today, is nothing like the God of the Bible. Israel does not know the true God and Jesus Christ His Son.

Israel has forgotten God.

Jer 2:32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.

Deu 32:18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you.

What happened back then with ancient Israel, is the same as what is happening to modern day Israel now. Today God is being wiped from school, and society, we no longer call on God for anything. God’s name is blasphemed in conversation, on TV in books, on radio, and in most people’s conversation.

There is no fear of God amongst His people Israel.

Israel have made themselves gods, who they feel comfortable worshiping. They go to a church which suits them, whose teachings are easy to keep.

Notice how fear of God and knowledge go hand in hand.

Pro 2:1 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,

Pro 2:2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;

Pro 2:3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,

Pro 2:4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;

Pro 2:5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

THE TRUTH IS NOT IMPORTANT TO THEM.

THEY DO NOT KNOW THE ONE TRUE GOD AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.

Jer 5:4 Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.

It was made very clear to Israel that they had to obey God and not follow after other gods.

Deu 8:19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.

God did not want Israel getting involved with other gods for many reasons. There is only ONE TRUE GOD, He was responsible for their escape from Egypt. Following after false gods would turn the Israelites away from God. There is only One God who could heal them, no manmade object is ever going to heal anything.

Deu 29:18 so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood;

Today, we have whole heartedly turned our backs on the Holy One of Israel, we ignore the food laws, which are for our health, we keep pagan festivals instead of God’s commanded festivals. We work on the sabbath. The list goes on and on of how we, as a nation, have rejected God, and the lifestyle He has commanded us to live.

God was willing to give the nation of Israel the Holy Spirit, but they rejected Him and chose other gods.

We can easily see why this is such a solemn day.