The Week of Unleavened Bread
The week of unleavened bread is often referred to as the Passover Week. The first and last days of this week (15th and 21st Abib) are Sabbath days, on which all believers are commanded to rest from their labors and to assemble to worship the Almighty. (Leviticus 23:5–8) Leaven (yeast) is a symbol of sin, hypocrisy and false doctrine, a week represents eternity and a house represents the church of God.
Introduction
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is celebrated the day after Passover. It is a seven-day festival to the Lord (Leviticus 23:6–7; Exodus 12:7–8, 14–17). During these days the Jews were prohibited from having any leaven (yeast) in their homes.
Removal of leaven from the home
The Jews had to search their homes for leaven prior to the commencement of Passover in readiness for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In Jewish homes today ten pieces of leavened bread are hidden by the mother for the children to find along with the father. The search is made in the dark only with the aid of a candle. Once all the pieces are found they are swept onto a wooden spoon with a feather, wrapped in a linen cloth and cast out of the door. The next morning the leavened bread is burned at the local synagogue.
It is interesting that leaven in the Bible is symbolic of sin. Scripture tells us of the leaven of:
(a) Herod (Mark 8:14–15; 6:14–18; Matthew 2:7–12).
(b) The Pharisees (Mark 8:15; Matthew 16:5–12; 23:1–3; Luke 11:37–44; 12:1).
© The Sadducees (Matthew 16:6–12; Mark 12:18; Acts 23:6–8).
(d) The Corinthians (1 Corinthians 4:17–21; 5:1–13; 6:1–18; 8:1; 13:4; 2 Corinthians 12:20–21).
The twofold application of this event
[1] Spiritual Application: Believers are said to be the house of God (Hebrews 3:6; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 2:19). It is vital that we too rid our lives of sin (1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 6:19–20; 2 Corinthians 6:15–18). This happens as we follow the Holy Spirit’s leadership, represented by the feather. He reveals areas in our lives that are sinful. This usually happens while we read the word of God (Psalm 119:105), represented by the candle.
[2] Messianic Application: The wooden spoon represents the cross on which Jesus Christ died. Our sins were swept upon Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). He was wrapped in a linen cloth and buried in a tomb the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is to be noted that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (The House of Bread).
A High Sabbath
This feast is a High Sabbath in Judaism. This is why the Jews were so desperate to have Jesus dead and buried before the feast began (John 19:31). This was an extra Sabbath besides the weekly (Saturday) Sabbath.
