Time to Clean this House!

You must not eat any yeast with it. Instead, for seven days eat bread without yeast—the bread of affliction—because you left the land of Egypt in haste. Remember the day you went out of the land of Egypt for the rest of your lives.

(Deuteronomy 16:3 ISV)

Operation Zero Chametz

Before Passover (Pesach) yeast or leaven (Chametz) must be removed from every crack and crevice. The homes of observant Jewish brothers and sisters are thoroughly examined, beginning weeks before Passover and rid of all Chametz. Today we know that leaven is likened to sin, read Galatians 5:7-9. Before the children of Israel were to prepare and eat the Passover Meal (Lamb), the children of Israel were instructed to apply the blood, from the lamb, on the door post of their homes and stay in the house until the death angel passed over.

 

Proverbs 20:27 KJV

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Time to Clean this House!

 

Time to clean this house

Out with all the yeast

Leaven is the sin of man

That determines to the least

 

 

Show ourselves prepared

By examining every inch

Every corner and the cracks

Light of a candle, reveals even a pinch

 

We cannot be negligent

Nor overlook a crumb

Satan hopes we’re lackadaisical

Presuming we are dumb

 

We will take a feather

And dust this entire place

Whisk every crumb into a bag

Outside to burn leave no trace

 

For we are not surprised

By Pharaoh’s ploys and tactics

God said no time for yeast,

Leaving in haste, departure was climactic

 

We have witnessed every plague,

Now we know without a doubt

God is not slow nor is He slack

Making known His power while bringing us out

 

No longer slaves veiled or separated

Led out by the power of God

Taking us out of Egypt

Eye witness to His power, we’ve been awed

 

 

No moaning or complaining

May come across our lips

We do not want to be the ones

Left to die because we quipped

 

Give no provision to grumbling

Only believe and obey

He is going to takes us out

But why the longest way

 

Cleansing us from Egypt’s ways

Teaching us how to live as free

We are citizens of a different land

By faith created to have liberty

 

He will safely bring us out

With His righteous right arm

Into the land He promised

Safe from all of life’s harm

Poem written by laurette laster © 2018 March

 

Genesis, chapter 12

God makes covenant with Abraham. Fast forward to Exodus 12, we see God, who remembering His people, prepares to bring them out of Egyptian bondage.

Hebrews chapter 12 recalls the events at the Mountain of Sinai and how Moses quaked.

And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.” (Hebrews 12:21 NKJV)

The children of Israel would be leaving in haste. God had given strict instructions, eat the meal standing up, their sandals latched, and belts tied. And with the blood applied to the door posts.

Genesis 12:11

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S Passover. (KJV)

When you eat the meal, be dressed and ready to travel. Have your sandals on, carry your walking stick in your hand, and eat quickly. This is the Passover Festival in honor of me, your LORD. (CEV)

“On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:12-13 Berean Study Bible)

Leaving in haste meant there was no time for the bread to rise, or be leavened, with Chametz. Their loins girded meant “not be exposed” or caught off guard. (God gives strict instructions about men having on undergarments going up to the temple. There is a whole other teaching in this. Remember Adam said to God, “we hid because we were naked and ashamed.” God ask Adam a question, “who told you, you were naked?”) This is for a later date.

We understand that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump. Describing a little sin corrupts the entire body (the ecclesia), bringing spiritual death, resulting in natural death also. Today, reading about removing the leaven, I learned something new. Each year it seems that something is highlighted, that pertains to a ‘now’ situation, one happening in our world. And some say the bible is outdated, or simply a history book. Not so! God isn’t trying to surprise us, and jump out, saying gotcha. He corrects, equips and teaches us.

Observant Jews are not required to remove baking powder or soda from their homes, prior to Passover. Baking powder and soda are considered leavening agents, but leaven by chemical reaction, not by biological fermentation. Can we say COVID 19? Hasn’t the virus become biological? It was a virus known to live in and infect animals. Somehow the virus mutated, transmitting animal to person, immediately mutated again, spreading person to person.

Recently I had a VERY strong impression, from The Lord, concerning the COVID scare. I felt impressed the reason we don’t fear and panic, with sin living next door, is because we do not understand how contagious, and deadly, sin actually is. Especially when ignored by the people of God. God has made a covenant with us, through salvation, by the blood of Christ. The people fear and panic COVID 19, knowing it is highly contagious, having mutated becoming transmittable person to person. Sin is in our carnal DNA or animalistic nature, not in our born again glorious spiritual DNA.

Are we receiving a warning? Is there a lesson to learn in the midst of this pandemic? Does God want us to realize we cannot sit with sin, in our midst (church and ecclesia), while pretending there are not consequences forthcoming, to any and all playing with sin. Or do we have a mask over our mouths, refusing to speak of the dangers of sin. Are we serving donuts and sickly sweet words, while poisoning our body? God loves and corrects, He warns and punishes, He instructs and holds accountable. This is the double edged sword Hebrews 4:12 speaks of.

Why do we seem to push the limits? Why do we struggle with understanding this? Why? Because like the children of Israel we are not fully understanding: God is not making a suggestion, He is commanding us. His commandments are not burdensome, but for our good. That we may live long and prosper, in the land where with He is sending us. Like He told the children of Israel, if you keep My commandments, I will be Your God and you will be my people, and I will take sickness out of the midst of you. There are many covenantal promises made to the people of God. As Gentiles, we are grafted in. We are the seed of Abraham, through Christ, and we have access to every promise and blessing of the Covenant, God, made with the children of Israel. Jews are natural born citizens; we are the spiritual born citizens of heaven, through faith in the Eternal Passover Lamb, who is Jesus Christ our Lord. But like devout Jews we have our side of the covenant that we are to keep. It isn’t works we keep our side because we are commanded to love God with our whole heart.

When ask which was the greatest commandment Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy “Hear O Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is one. And you shall love The Lord your God with all your heart (kardia), all your soul (kardai), with all your mind (kardia), and all you strength (kardia).” Each of the four describes kardia. This is all that is within us. This description is describing a sacrificial love.This is loving God enough to say no to self and thus get the Chametz out, get the sin out of our house. Jesus said if you love Me you will keep my commandments.

If we truly love, can the church sit and hold hands with sin, make out in the back, in the booth, in the dark, and not expect to rouse Gods anger? Can we remain idle while we pretend there are no consequences? I’d like to offer a suggestion here. Read Ezekiel 33:7-9 before you answer the question.

I am not attempting to put us back under the law because the covenant was prior to the law. I am saying a little leaven, hidden away to take out later, in the back, in the booth, in the corner, thinking God won’t see is extremely dangerous. This is how the world acts not the church. Oh I thank God who is rich in [hesed] a forged and binding mercy, that in  Jesus Christ we may take refuge in His perfect atoning work, and receive grace and mercy, at the Throne of His mercy [hesed] seat!

As a watchman, I feel to warn you. It is time to clean the house. I am saying that God has kept His oath, He will not break His [hesed] covenant. Have we kept our part to enact this agreement? God’s covenant is unchangeable. Our right to access the covenant and insure we partake in the blessing, hinges on obedience and willingness. Jeremiah 1:19 tells us, If we be willing and obedient we will eat the good of the land. Willingness is a (kardia) internal, with our whole being decision. It isn’t easy it is essential.

If judgment starts in the house of God, is it time to clean house? How do we clean our house? Repentance is the key.

God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord cause His countenance to rise upon you and give you Shalom.

Until next time, thank you for listening with me. Laurette