Exo 12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
At the end of what could only be described as a national tragedy, pharaoh and the Egyptian people begged Israel to leave their land. They said, Ex. 12:33 “We be all dead men” knowing that the 10 plagues had wiped them out. The exodus was sudden. The last and final judgement was more than enough to unloose pharaoh’s grip: the Egyptians were also ready for the suffering to end.
Moses gave the command and Israel rushed to escape. Their departure featured the urgency of the moment. A small byline of the scene was that they had no time to add leaven to the bread. Consequently, the taste of the moment was distinguishable from every other time. Bread without leaven does not rise. It tastes bland, even dull. And yet, to wait meant a return to bondage.
Every year from that moment on, the Israelites celebrated the Passover, the exodus, and the salvation of God with unleavened bread. They remembered the urgency of the hour and how time was of the essence. Had they paused for pleasure, or waited for a more savory result, the day may have passed. Thus, the Passover always featured unleavened bread.
There is a battle in our modern Christian world. Believers desire sweetness and freedom. Many seek for blessings without sacrifice. Ultimately, the urgency of the Lord’s return is being lost on feel-good ideologies. The “Thief in the night” has been replaced by complacency, even apathy. Yet, the truth remains the same, there will be no time to turn back when the trumpet sounds. The end of the age will come and only those who are ready will be saved. These words find no refuge on leaven mentality. However, for those who sense the importance of the hour, let nothing hinder us from hearing the final call and the catching away of the Bride. Let it be that no sweetness this world may offer can cause us to pause at the readiness of our soul. Finally, the spiritual battle may entail a bitter taste, but it must not keep us from leaving this world behind.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole