What connections exist between Exodus 34:18 and the New Testament teachings on purity? Verse under the spotlight “You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt.” (Exodus 34:18) Unleavened Bread: A Practical Call to Purity • Israel literally cleared every crumb of leaven from their homes (Exodus 12:15,19). • That physical act taught a heart‐level lesson: God desires a people separated from corruption. • Seven days of eating only unleavened bread reminded them that holiness is not momentary but sustained. Leaven as a Picture of Sin • Jesus warned, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Luke 12:1) • Paul wrote, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (Galatians 5:9) • The image is clear: sin spreads quietly and completely unless removed. Christ the True Passover and Our Purity • “For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. 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.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) • The Exodus deliverance foreshadowed a greater rescue—Christ’s cross. His sinless sacrifice secures forgiveness and empowers purity (1 Peter 1:18-19). • Because the Lamb is perfect, those joined to Him are called to live in that same purity (1 John 3:3). New Testament Echoes of Exodus 34:18 • The disciples prepared the Passover meal on “the first day of Unleavened Bread” (Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:1), showing continuity between covenant meals. • 2 Corinthians 7:1 — “Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement.” • Ephesians 4:22-24 — Put off the old, put on the new in true righteousness. • James 1:27 — Pure and undefiled religion keeps oneself “unstained by the world.” Living the Unleavened Life Today • Sweep the house of the heart: confess sin quickly (1 John 1:9). • Guard what you allow to ferment your thoughts—media, conversations, attitudes (Philippians 4:8). • Cultivate sincerity and truth; those qualities are the “unleavened bread” God delights in (Psalm 51:6). • Celebrate your continual “feast” in Christ by walking in freedom from the old leaven of bitterness, lust, and pride. Summary Connections • Exodus 34:18’s command is historically literal and spiritually foundational. • Unleavened bread prefigures the believer’s call to purity—sin must be removed as thoroughly as leaven. • The New Testament elevates the symbol: Christ is the Passover Lamb; His people are the unleavened dough. • Purity is not optional tradition but covenant identity, flowing from deliverance and pointing to eternal communion with a holy God. |
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