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UNLEAVENED BREAD – DAY ONE (High Sabbath)

Fred R. Coulter – April 20, 2000

 Since we’re in the season of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, let’s begin by going to 2 Timothy 4, and we will see a prophecy that is so prevalent for our day today that it is just like this was written yesterday.  2 Timothy 4, and let’s begin in verse 1 because this tells us what we are to do, and especially for those who are teaching, what we are to do and when we are to do it, and how we are to do it. 

Let’s read it here in verse 1, “I charge thee therefore before God…”  And everyone who’s a teacher, and I do personally take this myself the same way, that this is a charge by the apostle Paul before God.  In other words right from God.  “…And the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the [living] quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; preach the word…”  That’s what’s to be preached.  Not all kinds of fairy tale stories of myths and different things like this as the world does now as we have Easter this year right smack in the middle of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Preach the word.  To preach it truthfully, to preach it honestly, to preach it straightforward, but preach the word. 

Now notice, “…Be instant in season…”  And that means to be instant or new, always have something new.  It’s like Jesus said of the scribe who teaches things concerning the kingdom of God has new things and some old things.  And so that’s what we will have today concerning this Feast of Unleavened Bread on this holy day.  We will have some old things, we will have some new things, and we will have hopefully the inspiration of God so that we can grow in grace and knowledge and really in our lives fulfill the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

He says preach the word, “…in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”  And doctrine is important because doctrine then amounts to the very teachings of Christ.  And it is to be correct doctrine, and it is to be rightly divided, and it is to be in truth for the edification of the brethren that we can all grow in grace and knowledge.  “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…”  And that’s exactly what we are seeing today.  And the spin-offs are still taking place, and the self-willedness of people running off just doing their own thing.  And even just, you know, it’s amazing what is happening.  There are almost as many ministers as there are doctrines, and doctrines as there are those who claim to be ministers, and of course God is separating out and trying and testing every one of these things.  So people are out there but they always get an audience.  No doubt about it they always get an audience.  “…But after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears…”( 2 Tim. 4:1-3).  They want to hear something new, they want to hear something strange, they want to hear something different. 

“And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (vs.  4).  And the Greek there is mythos or myths.  And we’ve seen that happen too, haven’t we?  You know when Jesus said when the Son of man returns will He find faith in the earth?  And we also have the situation that many are called but few are chosen.  Now we don’t know how many few, few is.  And I think that if you really look around and understand it has really been almost an unreal thing in our experience to go through what we’ve gone through and see the Church go through the things that it has.  And all of that is to fulfill part of what we’re doing today in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because as we will see as Paul wrote, a little leaven leavens the whole lump.  And so what God is trying to do, He’s trying to get the leaven out of the Church.  He’s trying to get the leaven out of people’s lives and therefore that’s why we’re going through the things that we are going through. 

Now let’s go back to Leviticus 23 because that’s where all the feast days are contained.  Let’s go there and let’s see the commands of God as He shows us and teaches us, the very word of God.  And remember the thing that we learned when we went through parts of the book of Jeremiah, that God said through Jeremiah that, “You have not listened unto My voice.  And you have rebelled and you’ve gone a way backwards.”  And isn’t that what has happened to many in the Church?  Yes. 

Now here in Leviticus 23, let’s begin in verse 4, “These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.”  Now I hope you understand that since God gave the command to keep these days, and as we will see in a little bit also in the New Testament the Gentiles, that He also gave us the calculated Hebrew calendar so we would know when to keep these days.  And part of the leaven that a lot of people have today is they want to make a calendar, supposedly in their own image, supposedly better than the one God gave to the Levites.  And I hope you’ve read through the paper that we have done on the calendar showing that it was given by God, and that the calculated Hebrew calendar is the most accurate way to calculate the time for the holy days given the situation in the universe as it now stands that any other way you shall proclaim in their seasons.  We have no choice if we are to follow the word of God, if we’re teaching the people, any elder or teacher, or minister. 

“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even [as we know that’s ben ha arbayim, between sunset and dark] is the LORD’S passover” (vs. 5).  Now we’ve already had the Passover, and I hope that you had a wonderful Passover and a great night to be remembered.  And of course there’s a great deal to do with the knowledge and understanding of the night much to be remembered.  And so that’s why we sent the tape out on that.  And I hope you had your night to be remembered it was a wonderful event for you to experience and to know that that goes all the way back even to the time of Abraham.  So that is really quite an amazing thing isn’t it? 

Now continuing on verse 6, “And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD…”  Now let’s understand something.  This is not a feast for the Jews.  This is not a feast for the Israelites.  This is a feast unto the LORD that those that follow God are to keep.  “…Seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.”  No question about it.  In the past we used to have people always ask the question, “Well, must I eat unleavened bread during the days of Unleavened Bread?” (Laughter)  God says yes.  It’s not even to be questioned.  Now if you have an allergy or something then go ahead and eat just a small amount so it won’t bother you.  Or you can make unleavened bread out of barley.  You can make unleavened bread out of corn.  You can make unleavened bread out of rye as well as wheat.  So there are many different varieties.  Now the children of Israel during their wanderings, they had manna, which I’m sure was unleavened all the time.  Now notice verse 7, “In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.  But ye shall offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD...in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein” (vs. 7-8).

Now let’s come over here to Exodus 12 because we have in here right after the Passover instructions then we have the very first instructions given by God to Moses for the children of Israel to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Now let’s begin right here in chapter 12, verse 15.  “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even from the first day [you shall have]…”, as it should read.  That’s a past tense, already done.  “Shall have put away leaven out of your houses…”  Because you see as I wrote the Passover book, and it’s very clear, that the Passover day is an unleavened bread day separate from the seven days of Unleavened Bread.  So it’s just the reverse of what we have with the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, there we have seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles plus one, which is the Last Great Day.  Here we have one plus seven.  We have the Passover day, which is an unleavened bread day because they were to eat unleavened bread for the Passover.  And they were to have it all removed out of their homes.  And then we come to the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is seven days the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  It is not making the Feast of Unleavened Bread eight days long, as some people may think, or contend.  But it’s really showing that there actually one day for the Passover as an unleavened bread day, and then seven days of unleavened bread for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  They come back to back.  While it is a total of eight days it does not make the Feast of Unleavened Bread eight days.  One day is the Passover.

Now let’s read on here, “…for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.  And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.  And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.  In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even [ba erev, at the end of the 14^th beginning the 15^th], ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even [ba erev, ending the one and twentieth day]” (vs. 15-18).  So then that gives us seven days of unleavened bread, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.  Seven days of unleavened bread and it’s calculated from sunset unto sunset.  So if you have any questions concerning this you can read this section in the Passover book.

Now let’s come to chapter 13 and let’s see some of the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread as it’s given to us in the Old Testament.  Now here in Exodus 13 let’s begin in verse 3.  “And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day…”  That is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And brethren, there’s a reason why we are to remember it.  Not only for the children of Israel, but for us.  “…In which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.”  Now brethren that’s very important for us to understand.

Now let’s look back and remember that Pharaoh is a type of Satan.  Egypt is a type of this world.  Now let’s apply that to us spiritually.  God has called us and brought us out of the world, hasn’t He?  We are to remember the day that God brought us out.  I don’t know about you but I can look back and remember the very day.  I didn’t mark it on the calendar, but I remember the very day that God started dealing with me.  And I didn’t know it until I was able to look back on it and see it and realize that that was the first beginning point that God began dealing in my life.  And then we are to remember the day that we are baptized, because that is the day that we made a covenant with God unto eternal life.  So we’re to remember this day. 

Now let’s come down here in verse 6, “Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread…”  Now I don’t know how many times God has said that, but if someone wants to do a little concordance study you can look it up and see how many times God says seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, unleavened bread must be eaten.  “…And in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.  Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters” (vs. 6-7).  Now today when we just unleaven our houses, even though that’s a quite a task in itself, just think what it was to unleaven the whole country and to get rid of all the leaven.  That’s why they had to start early.  And that’s why you see on the news that they show something concerning this on the news you will see what is called Israel today, which is not Israel but really Judea, that they have official people going around, I guess they’re assistants to Rabbis, or maybe even Rabbis, and they have a 55-gallon barrel metal drum.  And they have a portable gas tank on it of compressed gas and so they can have a flame that comes out of it and literally burn all the leaven so there is no leaven.  And of course they start many days before the days before the Feast of Unleavened Bread just like you do, so that when they come to the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread “you shall have put away leaven out of your homes.” 

Now notice here is the reason, not only coming out of Egypt, but coming out of Egypt is only part of it.  If you come out of the world but you don’t come into the presence of God by receiving God’s Holy Spirit and you don’t start walking in God’s way then you’re missing the whole point.  There are some people who just want to get away from the world so they find a little place in the country or on a mountain top away out in the wilderness if they can get there, but they have not done the other thing of following God.  Here’s what the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to picture on the second part.  Not only coming out of Egypt but something else must take place. 

Verse 8, “and thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.  And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in thy mouth…”  Now today we are to have the laws written in our hearts and our mind so that not only will it be in our mouths but it will become a very part of our beings, etched and inscribed in our minds.  “…For with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.  Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year” (vs. 8-10).  And this shows that it is an annual event just exactly like the Passover is an annual event.

Now let’s see the similarity of the command in 1 Corinthians 5, and here is the place where that God says and gives the command through the apostle Paul to keep the Feast, even to the Gentiles.  Now the Greeks were Gentiles.  And this is part of the scriptures in season.  Now you know the problem that they had there with the man who was actually committing incest with his stepmother, and they were glorying over it.  And Paul says here in verse 6, “Your glorying is not good.  Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”  And that is a key lesson.  And oh how we’ve learned this through the years brethren.  You get a little sin here, a little sin there, and you allow this to happen, and it begins to grow and it begins to develop.  Or a person gets a pet doctrine or idological cause and they want to make this their little pet project or their pet religion, and all of that is leaven.  And I’ve seen it and it virtually never fails.  Once it’s started, unless there is repentance, they’re right on their way back into full-time leaven, back into the world, and back into Egypt because they didn’t remember this day and they let a little leaven leaven the whole lump and take their whole lives away. 

Now it’s the same way with the Church.  Not only just in an individual of leaven leavening the whole lump, but also to the Church Paul was referring to the whole Church.  Look at all the sins that were there in the Church at Corinth.  And it was many, many different pieces of leaven which were doing it but this one was the worst one and he said to put it away.  Here’s what we’re to do, verse 7, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, [even] as you are unleavened.”  Now this is showing that they were unleavened by putting leavening out of their homes.  Otherwise you wouldn’t say a little leaven leavens the whole lump, that’s the whole congregation.  “As they were unleavened” meant that they purged it out of their homes and got it out.  So now he’s saying as you have done that, you see, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.  For even Christ our passover [was] sacrificed for us.”  That’s why we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the Passover.  So you see how all of these things go together.  If you have the Passover you must have the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  If you have Easter you have all the leaven of the world that goes with that, and you have Christmas and Sunday, you see. 

Now we’ve seen how the leaven within a whole church has done this.  The leaven of doctrine, the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees.  And that’s a very important thing for us to understand concerning leaven.  We’ll look at that in just a minute.  Now notice verse 8, “Therefore…”, that is because of the fact that Christ was crucified for us, for our sins, and sin is the transgression of the law.  “Therefore let us keep the feast…”  Now here’s a New Testament command as dogmatic as you want to get where Paul commanded that Jews and Gentiles were to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but predominantly the Church in Corinth was a Gentile church.  Now part of the leaven that is entered into the thinking of people today is that, “Well, this was only for the Jews and therefore the Gentiles don’t have to keep the feast.  Maybe they should keep the Sabbath but they should not keep the feast.”  Well here is one scripture, and how many scriptures does it take to prove a point?  One.  Here is a scripture which says, “Therefore let us keep the feast…”  Now here is the whole spiritual lesson for us.  “…Not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness…”  So during this time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread leaven pictures sin.  And leaven grows, and leaven expands, and leaven puffs up, and leaven produces vanity, and vanity produces selfishness, and selfishness produces greed, and greed produces other kinds of sins.  And pretty soon you’re just back out in the world as it ever was.  And I had someone tell me something, which I think is pretty profound.  That he saw some people that he used to know that were in the Church, but the leaven got to them and they accepted the false doctrines of Sunday and Christmas and Easter.  And he saw them at a later date and he said, “You know, it was like there was nothing there.  It was just like kind of a blank.”  And he was concerned that maybe God had taken the Holy Spirit from them.  Now it’s possible.  We don’t want to make a judgment.  In cases like that pray for those people.  But it is something, once you go back into the world, and once you go back and take in all that leaven again then you really get yourself in great trouble.

But, here’s how we are to have the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and here’s the meaning for it.  “…But with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”  Now that’s what we are to do individually in our lives, collectively as the fellowship group, overall as the whole Church, and in reaching out to other Churches of God that’s their duty to do also. 

Now let’s come to Matthew 16 and look at one of the leavens that leads people astray very quickly.  Matthew 16:6, “Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed…”  Now “take heed” means to be on guard.  “…And beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  Now the Pharisees and Sadducees were the religious leaders of Jesus day.  And as we’ve seen through the whole series that we have done, five tapes on it, concerning why does God hate religion, that a religion is a substitute way for God’s way.  And therefore religion, as we will see it even defined here, becomes a spiritual leaven.

Now let’s read on.  “And they[that is the disciples] reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.  Which when Jesus perceived, He said unto them, O ye of little faith…”  Now that’s something, isn’t it?  If we don’t believe Christ we are of little faith.  Here He was talking to His own disciples, the ones who would become the apostles.  “…Why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?  Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many basket ye took up [and how much God was able to do with such a little bit]?”  Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?  How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?  Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (vs. 7-12). 

And brethren one thing for sure, one of the things that is very important to remember for the Feast of Unleavened Bread is that it has to be sound doctrine according to the word of God, and that way we can test everything that comes in.  We need to always be like the Bereans, searching the scriptures whether these things are so.  Just like we had to learn with the calendar situation.  Just like we had to learn with the Passover 14/15 controversy.  And you see the leaven of the 15^th Passover is the leaven of the Pharisees down to this very day. 

Now let me just tell you a little story behind how I got started writing the Passover book.  And I had no idea of writing a Passover book, but to understand when the 14^th Passover began and whether it was really an afternoon sacrifice or an evening sacrifice right after the sun set at the end of the 13^th.  This goes clear back to 1977 when we had a ministerial conference in Worldwide Church of God, and we all went to Pasadena and we were all presented with this Passover paper.  And in this Passover paper, which was written by Robert Kuhn and Lester Grabbe, they were purporting the traditional Jewish interpretation of the Passover that the 14^th, ben ha arbayim, meant that it was at mid-afternoon on the 14^th. 

And so I was stuck with a huge problem because I had already sent out 10,000 of the “Harmony Of The Gospels” first addition, and those were already sold out and into the second edition – 5000 copies, and many of those were already out.  And I put at the end of the first addition that if anything new concerning the Passover would come up I would be sure and make any changes that were necessary.  And so this came like a bolt out of the blue.  And the things that were taught down there was just really the leaven of the Pharisees, no doubt just coming into destroy.  You know, Satan’s agents there to teach the traditions of the Jews. 

So when I got home I said, “Alright now what am I going to do?”  I went through the material over and over again and I saw many places where they weren’t right.  Matter of fact I saw where they were very wrong.  So what I did, I had to do this.  I had to find in the Bible, do just like the Bereans.  Search the scriptures whether these be so or not.  And in searching the scriptures when I came to Exodus 16 I found God’s way of defining of between the two evenings – ben ha arbayim, in relationship to evening – ba erev, and so I’ve got a whole two chapters, or three chapters on that in the Passover book.  And that’s how I came to understand it, because I was stuck in a situation that if there was no place in the scriptures which showed the truth, which there was, but just if there wasn’t then we would be forced to accept the traditional explanation of the Jews. 

Well, thankfully we were able to understand that and now we have the Passover book.  Let’s continue on here.  The lesson is beware of the doctrine, the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, which is their doctrine.  And there are an awful lot of Hebrew wannabes that want to go around and bring people into bondage of a Seder Passover, of prayer shawls, of all kind of silly Jewish tradition.  Christ said beware of it, don’t fall for it. 

Now let’s understand something concerning how we are to keep the Passover and what it means for us and the meaning of it for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Now we know that foot-washing is something we are to do.  Covered that very thoroughly concerning what it means and how it is, and Jesus said blessed are you if you do them.  Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and He said, “I have set you an example that as I have done unto you so should you do to one another.”  And so foot-washing then renews our baptism, and it also shows that we are to walk in the way of God.

Now let’s come to John 6 and let’s see the meaning concerning how we are to apply this to the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  How do we apply the Passover now to the Feast of Unleavened Bread because they are both, one’s on the 14^th, one’s the 15^th and then runs for seven days.  Christ makes it very clear. 

Let’s pick it up here in John 6:51.  Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever…”  So this is the key to eternal life.  The Passover is the key to eternal life, and the Passover is the covenant for the New Covenant, which is eternal life.  “…And the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.  The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat?  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:51-53). 

Now brethren let’s understand something here very clearly.  There is no eternal life granted in any other way other than through Jesus Christ, nor with any other name other than Jesus Christ.  The religions of this world are not all on their way to the same place, that is to the Kingdom of God or heaven.  They’re all on their way to the same place, that is to Gehenna, if they don’t repent.  They have no life in them.  There is no eternal life in Judaism.  There is no eternal life in Catholicism.  There is no eternal life in Protestantism.  There is no eternal life in Hinduism, or Islam, or Shintuism, or any other religion of this world. 

Jesus said, “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him” (vs. 53-56).  And that’s a key thing concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  If Christ is in you, you are unleavened. That’s very profound and important to understand.  Christ dwelling in you.  Now what is this to do?

“As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even He shall live by Me” (vs. 57).  And that is with Christ in you.  And that is with the commandments of God.  And that is walking in the way of God.  And that’s so important brethren.  That is so marvelous.  That is something that we need to understand.  That’s why our way of walking in Christ is pictured as unleavened bread.  That is sinless.  Are you walking in Christ?  Are you living by every word of God?  Are you truly living by Jesus Christ?  That is the whole meaning of this Feast of Unleavened Bread, and we’re going to see it in many, many instances here as we understand on this first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the reason why this is a holy convocation and the lessons that we are to learn in this season. 

Now let’s continue on here and finish this section in John 6.  Verse 58, “This is the bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead…”  All the physical things in life do not count.  “…He that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”  And that was a hard saying for them to understand, you see but the disciples then understood it on the Passover night when Jesus took the bread and He broke it and said, “Take eat, this is My body which is broken for you”.  And He took the wine and He said, “This is My blood in the New Covenant.”  These are the symbols.  We don’t literally eat His flesh, and literally drink His blood, but these are the symbols that Christ has given.  And for the Passover service they represent the body and the blood of Christ.

Now let’s go back to the book of Psalms.  Let’s come to Psalm 34 and we will see how that eating God’s way, or tasting of the LORD as it says here, is what we are to do.  We are to literally eat, sleep, and breathe God’s way.  Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me…”  Now this is what we are to do.  We are to seek God.  And God has  the seven eyes of His Spirit, as it’s told there in Revelation 5, going to and fro the earth seeking those who are seeking Him.  “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.  They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed” (Psalm 34:4-5).  So if you look to God He’s going to help you, He’s going to strengthen you.  There’s no shame in serving God.  There’s no shame in the difficulties that you are going through.  That’s all a part of Christian living. 

“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him…”  Now this is a poor of spirit.  Remember what Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor for they shall see God.”  God heard him, “…and saved him out of all his troubles.”  Now notice we have two things that are important, which are for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Not only did God bring us out of the house of bondage, from Egypt spiritually speaking from this world, but He also delivers us from all our fears, and delivers us, saves us out of all of our troubles.  Every one of them.  Now I can look back and I can see all the difficulties and problems that we as a family have gone through while we’ve been in God’s Church.  And we’re going on now and getting upwards to 40 years, 39 ½ years, and I can see that God has delivered us out of every single problem and trial and difficulty that we have gone through.  Now there are times when you are going to have troubles and they are going to be there.  And God doesn’t immediately take it from you.

Here, hold your place here in Psalm 34 and let’s go to 1 Peter 5 and let’s understand something, that in the purpose that God has for us in these trials to purge out the leaven, to give us experiences to grow in grace and knowledge, that these trials will  come upon us.  And that there is a great blessing that comes by letting God deliver us, by letting Him open the doors, by trusting in Him and crying out to Him just like it was back there in Psalm 34.

Now 1 Peter 5:6.  It says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God [because He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble], that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1Peter 5:6-7). Meaning all your troubles and difficulties, all your trials and things, cast upon Him.  He cares for you.  Even in your suffering He cares for you for He loves you. 

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”  And that’s something that we have to be aware of.  And just as Pharaoh was the evil king for the children of Israel, so Satan the devil is the evil king and god of this world right now who’s going around seeking whom he may devour.  And the ones he wants to devour are those who are letting leaven into their lives because they become easy prey.  And if a person starts letting leaven into his life then Satan will come along and he may even make the way a little easier.  And he will make the leaven come a little nicer.  And you will enjoy yourself because Satan knows that there’s pleasure in sin for a season.  But if you are resisting sin, and you’re going through the trial you may have troubles and difficulties.  Notice, “Whom resist…in the faith [not give into but use the faith of Christ to resist], knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (vs. 8-9).  So everyone’s going to have trials just like was back there in Psalm 34, “…who delivered me from all my fears and saved me out of all my troubles.” 

Now continuing here in 1 Peter 5:10, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory…”  That’s why, to eternal glory you see.  “…By Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”  So if you’re currently going through a trial or a difficulty God will help you.  God will hear you.  God will save you.  But let this trial have it’s work in your life so that it will draw you close to God so that you will learn from it, that you will have the understanding from it, that you will have the spiritual sense of it, that you will be able to give God the glory and the credit for delivering you.

Now back to Psalm 34:6.  “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him [God will hear you as well], and saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about then that fear Him, and delivereth them.”  So you’ll even have angelic help.  “O taste and see that the LORD is good…”  And in this case it is tasting by doing.  And in this case it is also tasting through the Passover by eating the flesh of Christ and drinking His blood that the Lord is good.  “…Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.”  Because if you do exactly like Christ has said then you’re trusting in Him, aren’t you?  If you believe Him and trust Him, and hope in Him He’ll be right there.  “O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him” (vs. 8-9).  Now that is that you’re not lacking anything, that doesn’t mean just in physical things.  How much in the spiritual?  How much in understanding the word of God?  How much in loving God and serving God, and knowing His word, and to be able to love Him with all your heart and mind, and soul, and being?  And brethren that is the best way.  That is truly the way.  And that is the complete state of unleavenedness, if we could put it that way. 

Now let’s continue on.  Let’s go to 1 Peter 2, and let’s understand that if you have been called of God, which you have been, and if you have received the Holy Spirit, God has a great and a tremendous purpose for you.  And that God the Father is the One who has intervened in your life to call you.  He is the One who has done it.  He is the One who has provided it. 

Now here in 1 Peter 2:9, we need to understand this.  “But ye are a chosen generation…”  God the Father Himself and Jesus Christ have personally selected you.  Now if you can’t figure out that reason, don’t worry.  The purpose is to give you eternal life.  And He called you because you were a sinner.  And He called you because you were willing to repent and He led you to repentance.  And He called you because you willing to fear Him and obey Him.  So you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.  That is our destiny, to be a kingly priesthood.  Revelation 20, we shall be kings and priests and reign with Christ a thousand years.  And then from there into all eternity, you see. “…A holy nation…”  So that’s how God looks down here.  This is a holy nation.  “…A peculiar people…”  That is you are peculiar to God, or special to God.  Maybe peculiar to the world because you don’t keep Sunday, and Christmas, and Easter and all that sort of thing.