Sarah and Matt live in an area of West Virginia that is prone to floods, so they’ve developed a plan to be prepared at all times: valuable heirlooms are stored in plastic in their attic, copies of important documents are kept in a safety-deposit box, and the car never has less than half a tank of gas in case they need to evacuate quickly.
The Lord gave Israel evacuation instructions in advance of their miraculous deliverance from bondage in Egypt. In addition to some practical guidelines, God also told the people to eat a particular meal that seemed to have little relevance to their impending flight. A lamb had to be slaughtered and prepared a certain way, and they had to eat bread without leaven.
This month in Today in the Word we will study the theme of bread throughout Scripture. We will see how bread, both literal and metaphorical, reveals so much about God’s care and provision for our physical and spiritual needs. Here in Exodus we see the first glimpse of the significance of bread.
This meal, known as Passover because the angel of death passed over Israelite homes who complied with God’s instructions (12:23), did more than provide nourishment to sustain the people for their journey. It reminded the people for generations about the mighty work of God. The bread was prepared without leaven to remind them that they had to leave Egypt in haste before there was time to add yeast (12:34). In order to remember God’s salvation, the people were to celebrate Passover every year, abstaining from leaven or yeast for seven days. When children ask why the Passover feast calls for bread without yeast, they should know the spiritual significance: “I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt” (13:8).
Apply the Word
If you have trusted Christ for salvation, you have experienced God’s miraculous deliverance out of the bondage of sin! Can you point to regular activities or celebrations in your life that remind you of God’s work in your life? Share your testimony with your children and others in your life: “I do this because of what the Lord did for me.”