“Searching for Hametz”
When God was about to rescue the Israelites from their slavery to the Egyptians, He gave instructions for the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The Israelites were given this command, as recorded in Exodus 12:15:
“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses.”
Tuesday, March 30, is the Jewish Passover. Millions of Jews all around the world will commemorate God’s deliverance of their ancestors from four centuries of servitude in Egypt. The way the Passover feast is celebrated today is definitely a far cry from the way it was originally prescribed -- many traditions have made their way into the festivities. One such custom I find interesting is called searching for hametz. Hametz is the Hebrew word for leaven or anything containing leaven. Jews rid their houses of leaven and unleavened bread, as
As Christians, we don’t celebrate the Passover because Jesus IS our Passover and the fulfillment of the Passover. But I like the idea of diligently sweeping the house to get rid of ALL the leaven, leaving not a single crumb behind. There might be a lesson there for us …
Leaven (soured or fermented dough used to make bread rise and to improve its flavor) was a fitting symbol of corruption and evil influences. This symbolism is carried into the New Testament in scriptures like 1 Corinthians 5:6-8. In this passage Paul speaks to a group of “leavened” Christians – who were worldly, sin-tolerant and boastful.
“Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
Paul reasons that just as the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb is followed by a feast without leaven, so Christ’s sacrifice should be followed by a life of “sincerity and truth”, not “malice and evil.” We should never be satisfied with “a little sin” in our lives, not even a “crumb!” Remember, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” and a little sin, left unattended, can corrupt the whole person.
So, let’s take the “candle” of God’s Word and sweep every dark corner and crevice of our lives – until every last “crumb” of malice and evil is found and destroyed. May God make us His pure “unleavened bread”, that we may take our place at the Feast – on the table, beside the blessed Passover Lamb, Jesus!
Rich Howell
