The Restored
Church of God
The word of God is…sharper than any two-edged sword…
Hebrews 4:12
THE DAYS OF
UNLEAVENED BREAD
Bible Introduction Course
Lesson 24
Page Introduction
In the previous lesson, we saw that Christ’s sacrifice,
depicted by the Passover, was the beginning of God’s
Master Plan of Salvation. Professing Christianity claims
that upon acceptance of that sacrifice, the only remaining
obligation is to “just believe.” Although genuine belief is
crucial, there is much more to do in order to qualify for
eternal ­life.
The sacrifice of Christ is what covers the sins of those
who truly repent. The definition of sin is found in I John
3:4: “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for
sin is the transgression of the law.” In order to truly repent
of sin, one has to stop breaking the Law of ­ God—­the Ten
Commandments. Christ’s own words in this regard are “...
if you will enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matt.
19:17). Once someone has come under the blood of Christ,
having been forgiven of past sins, he has the opportunity
for a new ­start.
The very process of coming out of sin is what true
Christians must do once their slate has been wiped clean.
Even before coming under the sacrifice of Christ, there
has to be an acknowledgement and regret of having sinned
as a way of life. The process of coming out of sin is not
­instantaneous—­it requires many years of overcoming and
character building. This second step of God’s plan is pic-­
tured by the Days of Unleavened Bread, which typify put-­
ting sin out of our ­lives.
This lesson will examine the origin and meaning of these
­days.
LESSON ­24
The Days of Unleavened ­Bread
(1) Can valuable lessons be learned from the experiences of
ancient Israel as they came out of Egypt? Romans 15:4; I
Corinthians 10:1, 5, ­11.
(2) In review of the Passover, was the lamb to be eaten
at a designated time and was a memorial of this event to be
observed at that precise time on an annual basis? Exodus 12:6,
11, ­14.
(3) In the wake of the Passover, was Israel commanded to
do more? Exodus 12:15-­16.
Comment: The first Day of Unleavened Bread imme-­
diately followed the Passover. There were seven days of
Unleavened Bread, in which the first and seventh days were
holy, requiring a convocation or gathering and an offering to
be presented to ­God.
(4) Were the Days of Unleavened Bread only to be kept for
a limited time? Exodus ­12:17.
(5) What did God further explain had to be done during
these seven days? Exodus 13:6-10; Deuteronomy 16:3-­4.
Comment: Leaven had to be put out of the Israelites’ homes
and away from their property. They were to instruct the fol-­
lowing generations about what had happened in Egypt during
that time. God’s people were commanded to eat unleavened
bread for the entire seven days of Unleavened ­Bread.
Christ and the Apostles Kept
the Days of Unleavened ­Bread
(1) Did the parents of Jesus Christ keep the Passover and the
Days of Unleavened Bread? Luke 2:41-­43.
Comment: Verse 43 states, “when they had fulfilled the
days,” which meant the Passover and the seven days of
Unleavened ­Bread.
(2) Did Christ observe the Days of Unleavened Bread as an
adult? Mark 14:1-2, 12-­16.
Comment: Verses 1-2 pertain to the planning of Christ’s
enemies to arrest Him. They were well aware that He would be
observing the Days of Unleavened Bread. Verses 12-16 show
how Christ directed His disciples in arranging for the Passover
meal. Passover was observed prior to these days. The same God
who commanded Passover to be kept forever also commanded
that the Days of Unleavened Bread be kept ­forever.
Even though the Passover meal required unleavened bread,
Passover was not a time of unleavened bread. Although leav-­
ened bread could be eaten on this day, by this day’s end, all
leaven had to be put out in order to enter the First Day of
Unleavened Bread as commanded. The Jews at Christ’s time
wrongly counted Passover as a time of unleavened bread (see
Mark 14:12).
(3) Did the apostles observe the Days of Unleavened Bread
after Christ’s death and resurrection? Acts 12:3; ­20:6.
Comment: As the writer of the book of Acts, Luke (Acts
12:3) used this reference as an event that was observed by the
true Church. Likewise, this timeframe was used again as Luke
was later traveling with Paul in Asia Minor (Acts 20:6).
(4) Does the Bible contain any explicit command to observe
the Days of Unleavened Bread? I Corinthians 5:7-­8.
Comment: Paul was expressing that as Christ our Passover
is sacrificed for us, we should proceed to keep the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. The central meaning of leavening will be
discussed in more detail ­below.
Symbols That Typified ­Sin
(1) Does Scripture refer to Egypt as being a symbol of sin?
Revelation 11:8; Hebrews 11:24-­27.
Comment: In Revelation 11:8, the great city (referring to
Jerusalem; see also Rev. 16:19) in its sinful state was spiritu-­
ally compared to Sodom and Egypt. In Hebrews 11:24-27, we
find that Moses rejected the pleasures of sin that Egypt had
to ­ offer—­choosing to obey God and suffer along with His
people, while looking beyond the attraction of this temporary
evil ­world.
(2) How was Israel treated in Egypt? Exodus 1:11, 13-14;
­2:23.
Comment: All the world has likewise suffered in the bond-­
age of sin, since the time of ­Adam.
(3) Are those called of God admonished to resist this
present evil world and the sin it promotes? I John 2:15-17;
Hebrews 12:1-­4.
Comment: Resisting and turning from sin in this world
requires diligence and sustained ­effort.
Page (4) Why did God command Israel not to eat leavened bread
(or leaven in any food) during the Days of Unleavened Bread?
Exodus 12:15, ­20.
Comment: A leavening agent causes bread to rise or
become puffed ­up.
(5) What is wrong with a person being “puffed up”? I
Corinthians 5:2, 13:4; Colossians ­2:18.
Comment: “Puffed up” is a condition of ­self-­exaltation or
pride that comes from a sinful or defiant attitude. It is clear
that a “puffed up” condition results from sin. Just as bread
rises as the result of containing leaven, men are “puffed up”
as a result of sin. Note that it was permissible to eat leavened
bread at any other time outside of these ­days.
Israel Comes Out of ­Egypt
(1) When and where did Israel begin their exodus out of Egypt?
Was Israel very joyous and excited upon first leaving Egypt?
Numbers 33:3; Deuteronomy 16:1.
Comment: Rameses was located in Goshen, where the
Israelites lived. After having approached the Egyptians on
Passover day to “borrow” (Ex. 11:2) treasures from them (actu-­
ally to receive the fair wages they were never paid as slaves),
they assembled on the night beginning the 15th of Abib. This
was the “Night to be Much Observed” as the cloud first formed
over the Israelites, providing light by night and shade by day
(Ex. 12:42; 13:21-22). Soon after gathering and organizing
according to tribes, they began their journey. Israel disembarked
that night and continued traveling through the next day.
(2) To where did Israel go from Rameses? Numbers 33:5.
Comment: They traveled on the route called “Way of the Red
Sea” until reaching a point near Succoth (a name which means
“temporary dwellings” or “tents”). On the following morning,
they proceeded to the next campsite.
(3) What was Israel’s next destination after Succoth?
Numbers 33:6.
Comment: They continued eastward on the Way of the Red
Sea until reaching Etham. Etham was located on this major
travel route near the eastern edge of Egypt where the wilderness
began.
(4) Where did God instruct Israel to go from Etham? Exodus
14:1-2, Numbers 33:7.
Comment: The logical way out of Egpyt was to continue
straight ahead to the east, but at this point, God instructed Israel
to “turn” or change direction from where they were previ-­
ously headed. Apparently, they turned sharply to the south from
Etham, just before reaching the region of the Red Sea.
(5) As Israel headed south, did God cause Pharaoh to have a
change of heart? Exodus 14:8.
Comment: Israel camped in the region of Migdol, as
Numbers 33:7 states. Here, the land was more rugged and prog-­
ress was much slower in this wilderness between Baal-zephon
and Migdol, just west of this upper portion of the Red Sea. This
Migdol is also mentioned in Jeremiah 44:1 and 46:14 as being
in Egypt.
(6) Did the people of Israel panic upon learning that they
were trapped by the Egyptians? Exodus 14:10-12.
Comment: As Israel was escaping Egypt, it appeared that
the Egyptians had trapped them between the Red Sea to the east
and the Pihahiroth mountains to the south (Ex. 14:2-4). Pharaoh
intended to destroy as many of these helpless Israelites as pos-­
sible with his well-equipped army—the most powerful army
in the world at that time. Josephus recorded that the Egyptians
who pursued Israel included not only 600 chariots, but 50,000
horsemen and 200,000 footmen (Antiquities, bk. II, ch. 15, par.
3). Pharaoh had pursued those who were leaving the bondage
of Egypt, just as Satan attempts to block anyone’s efforts to flee
the bondage of sin. As Egypt typified sin, so did Pharaoh typify
Satan.
(7) How did Israel escape their deadly entrapment by the
Egyptian army? Exodus 14:13-16.
Comment: Only by God’s miraculous intervention of open-­
ing up the Red Sea was Israel delivered from the Egyptians. The
seven days of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 12:15) picture leaving
spiritual Egypt and completely coming out of sin. Coming out
of Egypt required effort on the part of Israel, as well as God’s
intervention. Likewise, we have to exert sustained, persistent
effort with God’s help to come out of sin.
Commanded Observance of
the Days of Unleavened ­Bread
The day that Israel started their exodus was on the 15th of
Abib and the day they completely came out of Egypt was
on the 21st of Abib. We will see that both days are com-­
manded to be observed as Holy ­Days—­times of commanded
­assemblies.
(1) What does God command with respect to the First Day
of Unleavened Bread and the day that immediately precedes
it? Leviticus 23:4-7; Numbers 28:17-­18.
(2) What does God command with respect to the seventh
and last day of Unleavened Bread? Leviticus 23:8; Numbers
­28:25.
Comment: Both of these Holy Days (also referred to as
High Days) fell within the first month of the sacred year,
which occurs in the spring. “Abib” was the name of this
first month, which was later called “Nisan.” On these two
Holy Days, no servile work was to be done, commanded
assemblies were to take place, and special offerings were to
be ­given.
Avoiding Spiritual ­Leavening
(1) Did the apostle Paul have to address a particularly griev-­
ous sin in Corinth on one occasion prior to the Days of
Unleavened Bread? I Corinthians ­5:1.
(2) Did the brethren who tolerated such sin consider them-­
selves to be especially forgiving and righteous? I Corinthians
­5:2.
(3) What did Paul command to be done with the offender
in this matter? I Corinthians 5:4-­5.
(4) What did Paul command those who had this puffed up
condition? I Corinthians 5:6-­7.
Comment: After condemning their puffed up condition,
Paul warned that even a tiny amount of leaven can leaven a
large amount of dough, just as even the smallest sin can cor-­
Page rupt one’s character. He then charged them to purge out the
old leavening or put away the leavening, as done about the
time Passover arrived (as true Christians practiced both then
and now).
Paul was emphasizing the spiritual aspect of putting away
the spiritual leaven of sin, pride and ­ self-­righteousness, in
order to become unleavened, or pure from sin. This analogy
would have been useless if the brethren had not been familiar
with the putting out of leavening during this season on an
annual ­basis.
(5) Having put away the old leavening, both literally and
spiritually, what did Paul command these brethren to do next?
I Corinthians ­5:8.
Comment: Paul explicitly commanded the Corinthian
brethren to keep the Feast. The old leavening, which was
thrown out, represented malice and wickedness, while the
unleavened condition represented sincerity and truth. The
meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread pointedly defines
what God expects of His ­people—­we are to put out sin as a
way of ­life!
Kings of Judah Observed
the Days of Unleavened ­Bread
(1) As King Hezekiah ascended to the throne, did he institute
needed reforms? II Chronicles 29:3-­10.
Comment: Hezekiah feared God and sought to obey Him
in all things. Hezekiah charged the priesthood to put the
temple in order and to prepare to resume the sacrificial system
that had been neglected for many ­years.
(2) After having kept the Passover, did Judah and those
of Israel who journeyed south to join them keep the days of
Unleavened Bread with great gladness? II Chronicles ­30:21.
(3) After having rejoiced during these days (for the first
time in many years), did those of Judah and Israel take coun-­
sel to observe another seven days of Unleavened Bread? II
Chronicles ­30:23.
Comment: Nowhere else in Scripture do we find this ever
happening. So joyous was this event that the people celebrated
14 days of Unleavened Bread with God’s approval and bless-­
ing!
(4) Did Hezekiah’s great grandson, Josiah, likewise insti-­
tute reforms after Judah had departed from following God? II
Chronicles 34:1-­5.
Comment: Josiah deeply sought to obey God, and did so
with all his ­heart.
(5) Did Judah (and the remnants of Israel who had previ-­
ously relocated to Judah) keep the Passover and the Days of
Unleavened Bread during the reign of Josiah? II Chronicles
35:1, 16-­17.
(6) Was that Passover and the following Feast a memo-­
rable occasion? II Chronicles ­35:18.
Comment: The term “Passover” (or Passover season) has
often been used to describe both Passover and the Days of
Unleavened Bread. This occasion was so memorable that
such a Passover had not occurred in all Israel since the time
of Samuel, about 500 years before that time. This was surely a
joyous time of celebration and heartfelt worship of God. After
having been deprived of the worship of the true God for a
number of decades, the people once again rejoiced to worship
Him according to His laws and ­statutes.
Far from being a burden, worship of the true God in the
true manner is indeed a joyous privilege for those who come
to (or return to) follow His Way ­wholeheartedly.
In the next lesson, we will examine the next Holy Day in
God’s Plan, the Day of ­Pentecost. c
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