1st Day - Feast of Unleavened Bread - The Crucifixion

For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel. Exodus12:15

Today is the first full day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. During this seven day festival, all leaven, which is yeast, must be removed from every Hebrew home, and no work is permitted on the first day (today) or on the seventh day. The festival is a remembrance of how the Israelites scurried out of Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to prepare the dough for their bread. The night before, they had eaten the Passover meal of lamb and bi er herbs, sprinkling the blood of the lamb on their doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over their homes and not strike down their firstborn. They ate the Passover meal dressed and ready for travel as an act of faith, trusting that God would be faithful to deliver them out of Egypt and from their slavery. In the early morning hours of this day all those years ago, the Israelites were forcibly ordered out of Egypt by Pharaoh. The whole nation of Israel, which totaled about 600,000 men, plus women and children and a few non-Israelites who believed in the Hebrew God, headed from Ramses to Succoth in the wilderness.

Fast forward to the times when Jesus walked on the earth. This is the same day, the last day of His life on earth, on which He was tried and crucified, completing the work of redemption for us through the shedding of His blood. The night before, He had celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples, knowing that He would be handed over to be killed. He had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and in an act of faith submitted Himself to God’s will over His own, trusting that God would be faithful to deliver Him from death and the grave. In the early morning hours of this day, the leading priests and elders of the people acted upon their plans to put Jesus to death. They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate. In the series of events that followed, the religious leaders demanded His crucifixion. They murdered the one and only Son of the God that they claimed to serve and the very Messiah that they so eagerly awaited in the most supreme act of hypocrisy of all time.

During His life, Jesus warned of the yeast of the Pharisees as a metaphor for their hypocrisy. The Pharisees were the strictest religious sect in Israel, placing heavy legalistic requirements of righteousness on the people without demonstrating any of God’s merciful or compassionate character. The Pharisees, and other religious leaders, placed more emphasis on the rules, regulations, and false doctrines which they had created – their works – than the true teachings of God’s Word. Therefore, when God Himself showed up in the flesh teaching the Word of God with superior understanding to theirs and with the authority which comes from authorship, they didn’t even recognize Him. As a matter of fact, He just made them frustrated, confused, and angry. They demanded a sign from Jesus, but He refused by saying that they would not believe even if God raised Him from the dead. (How true!)

Unfortunately, today we have modern-day “Pharisees” within the Church, who have created their own man-made doctrines, rules, and regulations, placing more importance on them than the Word of God. They do not fully understand the sufficiency of God’s grace or that salvation is a free gift, not based on works, so that no one can boast in themselves. These wolves in sheep’s clothing, just like their spiritual predecessors the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, can be described as boastful, proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to authority, ungrateful, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, lacking self-control, reckless, and puffed-up. They love money and pleasure more than God, and they consider nothing sacred. They act religious, but they lack the power of the Holy Spirit. We must very careful not to be led astray by people like this because if Jesus returned today, He would expose them as religious counterfeits, and I guarantee that they would not recognize Him.

Today, let us observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread in our hearts as we walk in the obedience of faith. Let us do a self-inspection for the yeast of hypocrisy in our lives and if we find it, let us hurry to remove it from our homes and our hearts. Do the words describing modern-day Pharisees describe you and your faith? Are you trusting in your works more than you trust in the work Jesus completed on the cross? Do you seek money or personal pleasure more than godliness and true holiness? Most importantly if Jesus returned today, would you recognize Him?

Today, let us turn ourselves over to God afresh, seeking His will for our lives over our own with readiness to go wherever He may lead us as we diligently follow Him. Let us strive to enter into His rest through faith in Christ’s work and trusting in His words from the cross on this day, “It is finished.”

Scripture References: Exodus 12, Luke 12:1-12, Matthew 16:1-12, 2 Timothy 3:1-13, Ephesians 2:-9

The Crucifixion: Matthew 27:45-66, Mark 15:24-57, Luke 23:47, John 19:18-42

Note: This is the day commemorated as Good Friday in some churches around the world.

Originally published as: "Unleavened Faith" - Reprinted from The Obedience of Faith Blog - Copyright © 2013 Wendy Bowen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE

2nd Day - Confusion in the Cavern

Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses: “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon.Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharoah and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told. (Exodus 14:1-4)

On this day in history on the Biblical calendar, the Israelites were heading out of Egypt, following God’s instructions, and making their way to Pi-hahiroth. This was certainly not the most direct route for them to take for the purpose of worshiping God in the wilderness, but this was all part of God’s design. God had already sent plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, hail, locusts, and darkness as signs and wonders to confirm Moses as God’s servant, conveying God’s own demands on Pharaoh and Egypt to release His chosen people so that they could worship Him freely. When those signs were not enough, God struck down all first-born Egyptian sons, after which the Egyptians begged the Hebrews to leave, and Pharaoh ordered their release.

In spite of all this, God’s sovereign power had not quite been sufficiently demonstrated, and He had not quite fully revealed His glory for all to see. So instead of causing things to get better for the Hebrews, God purposefully led them into a position even worse than the weak one that they were already in. God instructed them to go to Pi-hahiroth, a place whose name means the mouth of caverns, which was completely barren and uncultivated. Moreover, Pi-hahiroth is in the north while the wilderness they were headed to is to the east, so according to human logic, they were moving in the wrong direction altogether.

Pharaoh and the Egyptians pursued the Israelites aggressively with raised fists of defiance. The Israelites cried out in Pi-hahiroth, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

Needless to say, it appeared that these God-followers were completely lost and hopeless. But this was all part of God’s plan, and it was the only way that Egypt and other onlooking nations would know the true power and supremacy of the God of Israel.

Many years later on this same day in history on the Biblical calendar, Jesus Christ was in the mouth of a cavern – a tomb – after being crucified to death on a cross. This did not appear to be the way that God would usher in His eternal Kingdom or give victory to His chosen Messiah in order for God’s chosen people to worship Him freely, but this was all part of God’s design. God had already performed signs and wonders through Jesus – so many that the world could not contain all the books that could be written about them – in order to prove and confirm that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, God’s chosen servant, and the Savior of the world, conveying God’s own words to all of mankind.

In spite of all this, God’s sovereign power had not quite been sufficiently demonstrated, and He had not quite fully revealed His glory for all to see. So instead of causing things to get better for Jesus, God purposefully led Him to willingly offer up His own life as a sacrifice. According to God’s eternal and sovereign design, the world struck down and killed God’s one and only Son. On this day, the cavern of Jesus’ tomb made it appear that His life was over and, from the perspective of human logic, it would seem that this would put an end to Jesus’ ministry and influence forever.

The enemies of mankind (namely sin, death, the world, the flesh, and the devil) defiantly raised their fists against the Lord’s anointed. Jesus cried out from His cross, quoting Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far away when I groan for your help?… Everyone who sees me mocks me… My enemies stare at me and gloat… They sneer and shake their heads, saying, ‘Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!’”

Needless to say, it appeared that Jesus and those following Him were completely lost and that their hope had been snuffed out. But this was all part of God’s plan, and it was the only way that all nations throughout history would know the true power and supremacy of the one and only God, the Father of Jesus.

Which bring us to today – this day in history. Perhaps you are in the confusion of the caverns in your walk of faith. Perhaps you have set out to do your best, be your best, or follow God to the best of your ability. Perhaps all you desire is to worship God with your whole heart but the more you follow Him, things only seem to grow worse and worse. Perhaps your enemies are pursuing you, or it appears that your enemies have overtaken you. You may feel that you are desperately lost and without hope. Maybe, it seems that your trust in God has been misplaced and that you are heading in the wrong direction entirely, even though you believe that you have been following God’s voice.

Be of good courage! You are in good company! God has experience navigating the confusion of the caverns, and they are all part of His plan. He knows what He is doing. Trust in Him and continue to follow Him when you hear His voice. When your hope and trust are in God, He will not allow you be put to shame, and He will do exceedingly and abundantly beyond all you could ever ask or imagine. He will demonstrate His Sovereign power and glorify Himself in your situation for all to see. Consequently, everyone around you looking at your life will know that He is truly God and that Jesus really is the Messiah and the Son of God and that you are rightfully following Him.

Mark these words and meditate upon them day and night. These are the inspired words of Moses to the people of Israel on this day, the second day, in the confusion of Pi-hahiroth, the mouth of the cavern, a situation which seemed to be their tomb and the end of them. Let these words inspire and encourage you in your cavern today. “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians [enemies] you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.”

Scripture References: Exodus 14, Psalm 22, Ephesians 3:20

Jesus on the Cross and in the Tomb: Matthew 27:45-66, Mark 15:24-57, Luke 23:47, John 19:18-42

Originally published as: "Confusion in the Caverns" - Reprinted from The Obedience of Faith Blog - Copyright © 2013 Wendy Bowen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE

3rd Day - First Fruits - Resurrection

Today is a day of eternal significance. Today is a day of deliverance and victory. Today is a day of new beginnings and confirming the promises of what is still to come. On the Biblical calendar, today is the anniversary of the day that the Israelites walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, and their enemies were buried by the waters – the third day after the original Passover. Today is also the anniversary of the resurrection* of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He walked out of the tomb fully and eternally alive after conquering and overcoming death – the third day after the crucifixion of our eternal Passover Lamb.

On this day as the sun began to rise after the people of Israel had passed through the Red Sea on dry ground with a wall of water on both sides, Moses raised his hand over the waters, and they swept back into their normal place. Israel’s enemies, the Egyptians, in spite of their military strength and power, were buried in the waters as God moved powerfully on behalf of His people. The Hebrews watched in amazement at the mighty hand of God which was outstretched on their behalf. For generations to come, nations near and far would be told of the glorious deliverance God provided for His people so that they could worship Him freely.

In addition, according to Jewish law, in the years after God faithfully delivered the people of Israel into the land He had promised them, today* is the day for waving the first sheaf from the field (also known as first fruits) before God as an act of faith in God’s provision for the harvest to come. Year after year on this day as the sun began to rise, the priests presented the first buds of the fields in a wave offering before God, declaring God’s faithfulness and how He delivered them into the Promised Land basically saying, “God has fulfilled His promises to us so far and we are confident that He will continue to keep His promises.” This offering acknowledged God as the God of harvest and demonstrated faithful hope and expectation of God’s provision of abundance when the time was ripe. From this day, the countdown began to the full offering of first fruits, which takes place 50 days from today, signifying a faithful deposit towards the bounty of the harvest yet to come.

On this day as the sun began to rise in the year of Christ’s crucifixion, the earth quaked and the stone covering the entrance to the tomb was rolled away. At the same time that the priest would be waving the first and best of the field, God’s first Son, the best of mankind, walked out of the tomb resurrected to eternal life. Two women named Mary went out with burial spices to visit Jesus’ tomb, but He was not there. An angel of the Lord assured the women that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He had promised that He would. As the day progressed, the risen Lord Jesus appeared to the women and other disciples, demonstrating and revealing to them that through His suffering, death, and resurrection, God had been faithful to deliver on all of His promises by fulfilling God’s laws and the prophecies of God’s Prophets. From this day the countdown began to Pentecost, the day when Jesus would fulfill another promise, the promise of the Holy Spirit indwelling believers as the first fruits of their resurrection and as a deposit guaranteeing God’s faithfulness for the final harvest of all believers when the time is ripe.

Jesus conquered the grave, overcoming and defeating mankind’s greatest enemy – death, and those who saw with their own eyes were in awe of the mighty hand of God. Since that day, people from nations near and far have been told of the glorious deliverance God provided for His one and only Son so that all believers who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus can enter into the presence of God and worship Him freely. Since that day, the countdown has been progressing towards God’s glorious harvest of all believers at the end of time. Since that day, whoever lives by believing in Jesus will never die, because God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life – the same eternal life which He was resurrected to on this day in history.

THIS is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!

Scripture References:

Passing through the Red Sea: Exodus 14 & 15

Festival of First Fruits: Leviticus 23:9-14; Deuteronomy 26:1-11

The Resurrection: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20

Note: This is the day commemorated as Easter in some churches around the world.

*Note: The Feast of First Fruits is celebrated after first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is a day of rest. In the year of Jesus’ crucifixion, this appointed date fell on a Saturday, the Sabbath day for Jews, so the first fruits were presented on the third day – the same day Jesus exited the tomb.