What is the meaning of Exodus 34:18? You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread • This opening command makes the observance non-negotiable; it is a covenant expectation, not a suggestion (Exodus 12:14; Leviticus 23:4-6). • The Feast commemorates God’s mighty deliverance, anchoring memory in worship. When Jesus celebrated this feast with His disciples (Matthew 26:17), He affirmed its ongoing significance and pointed to Himself as its ultimate fulfillment (1 Corinthians 5:7). • “Keep” implies intentional preparation—removing leaven, gathering family, setting aside normal routines—to remember God’s rescue and holiness. For seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib • “Seven days” stresses completeness; an entire week is set apart for focused remembrance and gratitude (Leviticus 23:6-8). • “Appointed time” shows God controls the calendar—He decides when His people gather (Genesis 1:14; Galatians 4:4). • “Month of Abib” (later called Nisan) corresponds to early spring, the season of new life. The Exodus happened then (Exodus 13:4), linking creation’s renewal with Israel’s redemption. You are to eat unleavened bread as I commanded you • Removing leaven symbolizes leaving sin and corruption behind (Exodus 12:15-20). Paul draws on this imagery when urging believers to “celebrate…the Feast…but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). • Eating only unleavened bread for a week engrains the story through daily practice. Each bite reminds Israel they departed in haste (Deuteronomy 16:3). • Obedience is practical and bodily, not just mental. God’s commands touch meals, schedules, and households. For in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt • The reason undergirding the ritual: God acted in history, freeing His people with a mighty hand (Exodus 13:3; Deuteronomy 16:1). • Remembering the exact timing guards against mythologizing the Exodus; it was a real, datable event (Joshua 24:5-7). • Every year Israel relives that night, teaching the next generation that the same God still delivers (Exodus 12:26-27). summary Exodus 34:18 calls God’s people to an annual, week-long celebration that fuses history, worship, and daily life. By keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the month of Abib, Israel remembers an actual deliverance, rejects the old leaven of bondage and sin, and proclaims trust in the Lord who saves. The command invites believers today to live in continual remembrance of redemption through Christ—the true Passover Lamb—purging sin, celebrating freedom, and aligning every part of life with God’s covenant faithfulness. |
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