Unleavened Bread

The Purpose

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a reminder of GOD’s miraculous deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The second of the seven biblical feast is Hag Hamatzot, named after the bread required to be eaten during this time which is Matzah or “unleavened bread”. It recalls when the Hebrews fled from Egypt during the night of deliverence, there was not even enough time for their bread dough to rise. So, this seven-day feast in which unleavened bread is eaten commemorates the haste in which they left Egypt in freedom. This is an annual pilgrimage feasts in which GOD required all Jewish men to present themselves before HIM in Jerusalem.

The Time

This Festival is observed in the month of Nisan (March-April). It begins on the 15th of Nisan and lasts for seven days.

The History

GOD established both Pesach and the Feast of Hag Hamatzot (Unleavened Bread) prior to the other feasts of Leviticus 23 (Exodus 12:14-20) to Moses on Mount Sanai.

The Elements

Hametz, or leaven, literally means, “sour.” Leaven (yeast or baking powder) is used to produce fermentation in bread dough and cause it to rise. During this festival, not only is leavened bread not to be eaten, but, all leaven has to be removed from the home entirely.

The Spiritual Focus

Quite often, sin is depicted in scripture as “leaven” (Matt 16:6,11; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1; Gal 5:9). The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a time to allow the Light of GOD’s Word and Holy Spirit to remove those traces of sin that still remain or have crept back into our lives. It is a time to focus on laying aside even the tiniest of sins that would eventually weigh us down, hindering us from being all that GOD would have us to be!