Blessings Friends!
Do you have any idea how hard it is to remove every speck of yeast from your home?
As my daughter and I prepared for Passover, the mere thought of this daunting task made it very difficult to drag myself out of bed in the morning. I was literally stress paralyzed. And, yes, that is real thing—I saw it in Mom’s Night Out.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the details of preparing for Passover, http://www.hebrew4christians.com is a great place for more information.
God commanded us in Exodus 12:15:
“On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses.”
Why must we rid our homes of yeast? Because it’s a symbol of sin, and it’s no coincidence that Israel had to leave it behind when they began their journey to the Promised Land.
Today this entails a thorough house cleaning from top to bottom—floors, windows, refrigerator, freezer, stove, closets … and don’t even get me started on the toaster—I needed a new one anyway. Don’t get me wrong. I love a clean house, and I actually enjoy cleaning. But every single crumb? With an old farmhouse, where dust and crumbs seem to ooze from every nook and cranny, and kids who constantly pack “snacks” to every room imaginable, I could clean day and night, and achieve nothing. Take this moment for instance. I just vacuumed every piece of furniture in this room until it was spotless—yet from where I sit, I can clearly see crumbs on the cushion beside me. I think they’re following me. Grrr.
Why would a born-again-Christian observe Passover, anyway? Didn’t Jesus fulfill that promise? Yes. Jesus was the Passover Lamb. Before Jesus, the Passover commemorated the deliverance of God’s people from slavery in Egypt. Now, we celebrate our deliverance from the bondage and penalty of sin through the sacrifice of God’s Son.
God commanded His people to keep His appointed feasts so we wouldn’t forget the wonderful things He has done for us, and the promises He has in store for our future. But is keeping God’s Passover a point of salvation? No. So, why do I torture myself with such an exercise in futility as trying to remove all the yeast from my home?
Because it is an exercise in futility. As I work, I’m reminded that no matter how hard I work or how long I stay at it, no matter what special techniques or high tech gadgets I employ, I will never get rid of it all. Likewise, nothing I do on earth, no amount of effort on my part, can rid my flesh of the deadly infection of sin. As soon as I think one area is clean, I turn around and find a whole new pile of crumbs.
Under any other circumstances, this knowledge would be enough to make me give up all together, take to my bed (with plenty of dark chocolate) and wait for the inevitable. Death and Hell.
But God had another plan for my future. He sent His only Son, the perfect Lamb of God, as a ransom for me. Not only did He cleanse me of all sin, He set me free from bondage, giving me the power and authority to say “No” to sin. He gave me my life and the privilege of knowing my Heavenly Father—heart to heart.
I never want to forget that. I never want to take that for granted. Observing the mitzvahs of Passover helps me remember just how precious the blood of the Lamb is, and how much I owe Him. Celebrating Passover makes the celebration of Resurrection Day (First Fruits) all the sweeter for me. I think Paul said it best:
“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 5:8
I’m very aware that my home will not pass the candlelight inspection, but that’s okay. You see, death and Hell had no hold on the Passover Lamb—and I’m with Him.
Have a blessed Passover!
Rebecca
