The Passover pictures the DEATH of CHRIST for the remission (forgiveness) of sins that are past. Note that well. Sins that are past! Sins you committed before accepting the blood of Christ. The accepting of His blood does not forgive sins we shall commit. It does NOT give us license to continue in sin—therefore when we accept it, our sins are forgiven only up to that time—PAST SINS.
Shall we stop there with only past sins
forgiven? We are still flesh beings. We still
suffer temptations. Sin has held us in its
grasp! We have actually been slaves to sin—held in
its power. We are powerless to deliver ourselves
from it. We have been in bondage to Egypt! Egypt is
a type of sin. (Heb. 11:24-26). We were in bondage
to sin just like the Israelites were in bondage to
Egypt!
Now we begin to see the significance of the literal
fulfillment of the “Days of Unleavened Bread,” in
our lives. Sin is the transgression of the law (I
John 3:4). “The wages of sin is death;” (Rom. 6:23).
Paul asked, “What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid,
How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer
therein?” Paul is saying that we are dead to sin.
Our PAST sins have been forgiven. Shall we continue
in sin? Absolutely not! We must put sin out of our
lives.
The seven days of UNLEAVENED BREAD following
Passover, picture to us the complete putting away
of sin. The KEEPING of the Commandments
after our past sins are forgiven.
They picture the life and work of the RISEN CHRIST
who ascended to the throne of God where He is now
actively at work in our behalf as our HIGH PRIEST,
cleansing us of sin…delivering us completely form
its power.
Now turn to the Old Testament account in Leviticus
23 and read where God commands the keeping of
these days. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall
proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my
feasts. These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy
convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their
seasons. And on the fifteenth day of the same month
is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the
first day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall
do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an
offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in
the seventh day is an holy convocation; ye shall do
no servile work therein.” (Lev. 23:1-4, 6-8).
Leavening is a type of sin. “Your glorying is not
good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven,
(sins) that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is
sacrificed for us.” (I Cor. 5:6-7). Paul mentions
that Christ passed over our past sins. We have been
forgiven once we accept the blood of Christ. What
then must we do? “Therefore
let us keep the feast,
not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of
malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened
bread of sincerity and truth.” (I Cor. 5:8).
The early church kept the Days of Unleavened
Bread. Notice Acts 20:6—“We sailed away from
Philippi, AFTER THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD.”
Paul and his companions plainly had observed the
days of unleavened bread at Philippi. The Holy
Spirit inspired these words as all scripture is
given by the inspiration of God. Seven is God’s
number symbolizing COMPLETENESS; we are to follow
the Passover with seven days of unleavened bread
symbolizing the putting of sin out of our lives
COMPLETELY!
We are powerless to overcome sin on our own. And,
yet, God commands us to stop sinning and put on
Christ. The answer to that problem is found in the ]
next Holy Day—Pentecost. Read how God helps us put
sin out of our lives and actually put on Christ
by keeping His Commandments.
