Matsot 2022
(Unleavened Bread)
Matsot 2022 (Unleavened Bread), celebrated for 7 days beginning the morning of Abib 15, and finishing on Abib 21, 5994 at midnight (April 16-22, 2022).
Matsot (Unleavened Bread)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be celebrated from the 15th of Abib to the 21st, and is an eternal ordinance. Exodus 12:18-20 tells believers to eat unleavened bread from the 14th at evening, until the 21st at evening––this is telling believers to eat the matsah with our evening meals (including at Pesach).
This seven-day Festival is set-apart, and the seventh day closes the Feast that commemorates the redeeming work of our Yeshua, our Elohim (our Savior, our God).
A Vigil
Exodus 12:42 tells us that (the first night of) Matsot is to be a night of vigil (solemn observance) to Yahweh for bringing the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. The dictionary describes a vigil as: a period of keeping awake during the time usually spent asleep––especially to keep watch or pray. After they finished the Passover meal, the Israelites were ready and waiting for God to give the signal to leave Egypt. During that waiting period, they were holding a vigil of watching and prayer.
A Coming Out
The ancient meaning of the Hebrew word Matsah is what comes from the drawing out (of Egypt). Matsah represents God’s Redemptive Power––He redeemed the Yisraelites from Egypt, and today it means He redeemed all believers from the world and sin (Egypt). Matsah truly means a coming out––of Egypt, of sin and of the world. An eternal time of remembrance of the time Yahweh brought the children of Yisrael out of Egypt (Exodus 12:14) is what Matsot is all about.
The bread that represents this Redemption, is a sweet, unleavened bread and has nothing to do with affliction. It is actually considered to be the bread of the humble simply because it contains no leaven. So eating it should not be a horrible experience. When you buy unleavened bread (matsah) at the store, do not be afraid to get the flavored kind––it is our Redemption that this matsah represents, not our slavery. Or make it yourself, flavoring it to your own tastes.
The Beginnings of it All
All of the Feasts of God began with Adam. There are many passages in Scripture where you can find bits and pieces of these Feasts. Although it isn’t the first time it took place, and it doesn’t mention it by name, the first place we see Matsot mentioned is in Genesis 19:3 where Lot is preparing a feast for the visiting angels to his hometown of Sodom (they came to destroy the town). For the most part, the only time ancient Hebrews baked and ate matsah was during the Appointed Season of Matsot with God, so this is a clue that Abraham and Lot knew of these Appointed Seasons with God (Exodus 29:2 shows that matsah was also used to consecrate Aaron and his sons for the priesthood).
Abraham and Lot most definitely knew about God’s Feasts, yet God had not delivered His people from Egypt yet. So at that time, the Feasts of God were simple Commandments and Festivals, without any reference to actual Salvation yet. Keep in mind that the Hebrews did in fact know the meaning of Matsot, which is a coming out. In Lot’s case, it represented a coming out of Sodom. For the consecration of Aaron and his sons, it represented a coming out and separation from the people of God to be priests before God––eternally.
The Israelites were given a bit more information the day after Passover day. They were about to leave their Egyptian captivity, and this particular Feast now pointed directly to the coming Messiah––Salvation from bondage. Whether or not they knew all that it signified at that time is not clear, but they did know that the Feasts were now unfolding God’s Plan of Salvation. Sadly, the significance of all of this was lost during the Babylonian exile.
When is the leaven to be removed?
Exodus 12:15 tells us about the seven days of Matsot, and on the previous day (some translations say first day), we are to remove all the leaven (sinful or worldly things) from our homes. Burning the leaven is not in Scripture.
Celebrating Matsot is an eternal ordinance, but removing actual leaven is not eternal. After Yeshua came, believers no longer need to remove actual leaven. Throughout the year, sin and things of the world can creep into every area of our lives and homes, and we may not have even noticed it. This is what is to be removed from our lives––because we do not remove actual leaven like the Jews still do (because they do not know Yeshua).
We do not need to refrain from eating leavened products, as we did not remove leaven from our homes and lives. By doing this we are demonstrating our belief in Yeshua, and are no longer in bondage.
Mysteries Revealed
God never changes, so how come we see Him seemingly changing things all throughout history? We must understand that because God does NOT change, but wants us to understand what He is doing at all times, He cannot reveal everything to His people all at once. He leaks (hints) things out to us a little at a time.
Normally, the Hebrews would sacrifice on the thresholds of their homes. However, that all changed when the Tabernacle was built in the wilderness. What God revealed when He brought the Yisraelites out of Egypt, and then when the Tabernacle was built, was that His Feasts and offerings would now be done on the threshold of the Tabernacle instead of the threshold of the Hebrews’ homes (or tents).
Celebrating Matsot
•This Festival is one of the required Appointed Times for all men to come before Yahweh.
•The first and the seventh days are Holy Convocations (miqra, which means an assembly to meet with God for rehearsal). Therefore, these two days are days off from work (Leviticus 23:7-8 & Numbers 28:18 & 25).
•One of the Commandments is to remove all the leaven, which in Biblical days (& before Yeshua came), was done literally. Today, it is the worldly ways and things of the world (sin) that we are to remove from our homes and lives––these are a believer’s leaven (sin) today (Matthew 16:6 & 1Corinthians 5:7-8). Believers are to do without these worldly things––eating the matsah each of these days reminds believers to do without the things of the world––removing them from our homes and our lives.
•As a symbolic gesture, throughout the seven days of Matsot you can eat bread without leaven with your Matsot meals, which is matsah.
•Joshua 5:11 tells us that the Israelites ate produce and parched grain on this first day of Unleavened Bread.
• The next five days a simple meal each night with matsah (unleavened Bread) would be appropriate (you can choose to make this whole week a very festive celebration).
•The children are to ask or read the questions in Deuteronomy 6:20-25.On the seventh day there is to be a Special Feast (Exodus 13:6). This day should be a day given totally to Yahweh, in an atmosphere of reverence and praise to Yeshua, our Salvation.
•You can recite or sing the Song of Moses in Exodus 15:1-3, 6-7, 9-10 & 11-13.
