Church of God, New World Ministries

The Spring Holy Days - Night To Be Observed and Unleavened Bread

In the previous lesson, we studied about how important it is to keep God’s Feast days and about the Passover. Now let’s learn about the Night to be Much Observed and the Days of Unleavened Bread. (New King James Version of the Bible used throughout.)

Exodus 12 verses 15 - 20: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.” Ex. 12: 16 - “On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat - that only may be prepared by you.” Ex 12: 17 - “So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.” Ex. 12: 18 - “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.” Ex 12: 19 - “For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land.” Ex. 12: 20 - “You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.”Also read in your bible Leviticus 23: 6 - 8 and Deuteronomy 16: 3 - 8.

THE FIRST HOLY DAY

During the Days of Unleavened Bread, there are two Holy days or annual Sabbaths. Now we come to the first Holy Day of God’s plan of salvation, the First Day of Unleavened Bread with the Night to Be Much Observed. This festival shows that after our past sins are forgiven, we must come out of sin and keep God’s commandments.

WHAT IS SIN ?

Because we are to come out of sin and obey God’s laws, let’s discover from your Bible what sin is. In John 3: 4, we find the definition of sin. “Whoever commits sin also transgress the Law, for sin is the transgression of the Law”

Also, in Romans 3: 23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Everyone here on earth has sinned. Only one person that walked this earth was perfect and sinless and that was Jesus Christ.

Why do we sin? Because it not natural for our carnal minds without God’s Holy Spirit to obey God’s laws. Read Romans 8: 7.

THE FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD AND THE NIGHT TO MUCH OBSERVED

We keep a seven day festival starting on the fifteenth day of Abib or Nisan as it is also called. God commanded the Israelites to observe the days of unleavened bread as a memorial of His delivering them out of Egypt.

The land of Egypt is sometimes referred to in the Bible as a symbol of sin. The Bible shows that leaven is also a symbol of sin (1 Corinthians 5:8). Leaven is an ingredient used in baking which makes bread, cakes, and baked goods rise up to be light and puffy. Yeast, baking powder, and baking soda are common types of leavening. When a small amount of leavening is put into bread dough, it spreads through the whole lump causing it to puff up and rise. In the same way, our sins, which often begin small, can be puffed up and rise making greater sins. This is why we need to put away sin. And this is why also; all leavening is to be out of our houses during this time. Because leaven is a symbol of being puffed up with pride and unleavened bread is a symbol of humility and wanting to obey God’s law.

It was on the beginning of this first day of Unleavened Bread after sunset that a “Night to be Much Observed” was celebrated by the Israelites. This celebration took place on the night they left Egypt and was to be observed every year forever (Exodus 12:42). The people in God’s church today gather together for a night of feasting and fellowship on the “Night to be Much Observed”. From that night on and for the next seven days we must eat unleavened bread every day as a reminder to put sin out of lives.

THE LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

After seven days we have another Holy Day called the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. This day represents ancient Israel coming all the way out of sinful Egypt. For God’s church today, it represents coming out of sin completely to be a child of God.

THE NEW TESTAMENT AND THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

Many people today feel there is no longer any need to keep God’s Holy days, but let’s read 1 Corinthians 5 : 6 - 8. As you have just read Paul told the Corinthian Church to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread. This letter to the Corinthian church was written approximately twenty-four years after Christ’s death. Paul would not have said this, if we were not to keep God’s Holy Days and they had been “done away with” after Christ’s death. Therefore, the Holy days were kept by the New Testament Christians and so God’s church must continue to keep these days and all the other Holy days as well!

 
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