1-13-15. Exodus 13:3-10.  The Feast Of Unleavened Bread-my devotional

Exodus 13:3-10                                                                        Kevin E. Jesmer

Key verse 13:9                                                                        1-13-15

“ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.” (NIV)

Exodus 13:3-10, “Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. 10 You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.”

The ancient Israelites were to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On the night they were delivered they had to move quickly. They couldn’t wait around for the bread to rise before baking it. Time was of essence. When God told them to leave, they needed to leave. And so they baked bread for the journey without yeast. It would not have air bubbles. It would be firm flatbread.

Not having yeast is to commemorate the grace of God, that comes quickly, like a flood. Yes, the Israelites were in slavery for 400 years. There was a purpose for that. The 400 years was like an embryo in womb waiting nine months to be born. After the 400 years of suffering in slavery, a new nation comprised of people of faith would be born. The birth came quickly. After many plagues and the constant pleas by Moses and Aaron, “Let my people go!”, Pharaoh finally relented and let the 3 million Israelites go free. The letting go of the 3 million people was like the opening of a spigot on a dam. Nothing could stop the water from flowing. It was illustrated in the 2014 movie, “Exodus” as the people were shown literally pouring out of their shanty towns. That part of the movie made me shed tears, because I could see what God was accomplishing through this great release, the coming of Jesus and the Gospel into the world.

God’s grace poured into my heart like a flood 28 years ago. I was a 22 year old new grad from college. I did not believe in Jesus. I was a hedonist who did not think about Jesus and spiritual things.  I had no problem with that. But at least I was interested in Christianity. At a Bible conference at MSU (Michigan State University) we studied the lives of people in John’s gospel who were touched by the love of Jesus. I could see that the Bible was something deeper than any human being could every produce. I was amazed by the very real solutions that Jesus gave for human problems. I faced the fact that there was every reason to believe and no reason to not believe. A short conversation with a missionary about what the Bible said about marriage, was the proverbial straw the broke the camel’s back. I repented of my unbelief. Jesus forgave me of all my sins. The Holy Spirit occupied my heart like flood and I became a child of God. Just like that my darkness was turned to day. I was born again. Jesus called me to come out of the world and follow him. The outpouring of his grace was quick. He maintains me along my life’s journey. Thank you Jesus!

Not having yeast could also mean that they people of faith need to move when God tells them to move. When God calls us, there may not be time to fully prepare. Think about Lot and his family. God told them to get out of Sodom and don’t look back. They left everything behind and fled to the mountains. But Lot’s wife was not ready to pick up her skirt and run. She looked back thinking about all the things she left behind. And do you remember what happened? She turned into a pillar salt. (Gen 19:26) When we answer God’s call it is like putting our hands to the plow. Look at Luke 9:61-62, “Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (NIV) The young man in this passage was called to follow Jesus. He hesitated to answer Jesus’ call. He was allowing yeast to permeate his heart.

God has called me to be his disciple in 1986. It was a dramatic calling. I shed tears in a dorm room of Michigan State University when the epiphany of the Gospel flooded into my heart. It was such a spiritual release. I was overcome with emotion. I was literally born again with a new hope in the Kingdom of God and a new life direction to live for the glory of God and share his life giving Gospel as I  move forward on my pilgrimage to the kingdom of heaven where I will dwell with Christ forever and ever. But it all began with a call, “Follow me!” I could have tarried. I could have hesitated, and in so many ways I did. My hesitation was like yeast. I wanted to take the time for dough to rise before baking it and leaving my old life behind. But God had mercy on me. He forgave me of my “yeast-y-ness” and helped me to follow Christ.

A person may have answered Jesus’ call to be a disciple with very little hesitation at the beginning of his life of faith. But later in life, they begin to hesitate following Jesus. They reject the pull of the Spirit of God. This is like yeast permeating their lives. This is serious business. Look at verse 7, “Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders.”  Responding to the call of God is a lifelong exercise, not just a sentinel event.