August 2011
Discovering God's Rest by Valerie Moody

As the heat of August settles on the northern hemisphere, people are scrambling for shade and an opportunity to simply "chill." They want respite from the heat and, if possible, respite from responsibilities. Heat-fatigued people want rest. The dictionary defines rest as a physical condition, a spiritual condition, and a place. Physically, rest is a bodily state characterized by minimal activity. Spiritually, rest is freedom from raging passions and agitating concerns. Geographically, rest is the location where rest occurs.

Rest is the primary idea in Psalm 23:2-3, "He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water, he restores my inner person." In this passage, the Hebrew word for pastures comes from the root word nava, which means a beautiful dwelling place for repose. It is a vision of rest and calm, a scene where flocks lie down on tender, luxuriant deshe or new grass. It is an image of flocks that are completely supplied. They are surrounded by abundance. They are fully fed, restful, and content.

In the Torah, entering the Land of Promise was an expression for rest. When the Israelites thought about the Promised Land, they anticipated a future rest. Unfortunately, the Israelites who complained against God in the wilderness were punished with a lack of rest. Psalm 95:10-11 says, "Forty long years I was grieved with that generation and said, 'It is a people that errs in their heart. They have not known my ways. Therefore I swore in my wrath, 'They won't enter into my rest.' " Hebrews 4:11 adds "Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest so that no one will fall short because of the same kind of disobedience." The consequences of disobedience are a lack of rest.

Psalm 95 gives an effective strategy for discovering rest. The psalm uses our illustration of sheep in a pasture from Psalm 23. "For he is our God and we are the people in his pasture, the sheep in his care. If only today you would listen to his voice: Don't harden your hearts..." (Psalm 95:7-8)

Sheep listen and find rest. Rest is a reward for listening and obeying. "Listen and obey" are two words in English, but only one in Hebrew. They are the Hebrew word shema. Shema is to listen and shema is to obey. When we shema, we become the sheep in God's pasture. When we shema, we are the flock which finds rest. If we desire rest during the hottest, most sultry days of summer, let us shema. God promises rest to believers in every age who shema. Shema is a call to listen, obey, and enter God's rest

August 2011
Biblical Rest: Shabbat and Shalom by Dr. Noreen Jacks

When I think of rest, the first thought that comes to mind is God's Sabbath's rest following the six days of Creation (Gen 2:2-3). In similar manner, Yeshua also demonstrated the need for physical and spiritual rest when He declared Himself the Lord of the Sabbath (Matt 12:8). Contrary to the western mindset, Hebraic tradition views rest differently than mere relaxation. Indeed, it carries with it the concept of shalom, which speaks of the peace of God that passes all understanding (Php 4:7).

Webster defines peace as freedom from war or a cessation of war, a treaty to avoid or end war, public security, freedom from public disturbance, law and order, harmony, absence of mental conflict, serenity, calm, quite, tranquility. The Hebraic concept of peace, however, takes the term to the next level, revealing even greater blessings.

"Shalom be with you" was a common greeting among the Israelites, also meaning "hello" or "good bye." The Hebrew definition of shalom signifies not only peace and rest, but well being, good health, welfare, security, and contentment, invoking the wholeness of body, mind, soul, and spirit, and the complete absence of agitation and stress. When a Jew blessed a fellow Jew with peace, he was blessed indeed! Such was the blessing Yeshua imparted to His disciples when He appeared to them after the Resurrection.

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." - John 20:19

The term shalom derives from the verbal root shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full. Shulam, a passive form of the verb shalom, means to be fully paid, the reconciled one, the one restored to peace and happiness.  For example, the Shulamite girl was reconciled, restored to peace, favor, and contentment:

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." - John 20:19

The term shalom derives from the verbal root shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full. Shulam, a passive form of the verb shalom, means to be fully paid, the reconciled one, the one restored to peace and happiness.  For example, the Shulamite girl was reconciled, restored to peace, favor, and contentment:

"Then was I in his eyes, as one who has found [discovered] favor [shalom] - SS 8:10.

The name "Solomon," the object of the Shulamite girl's affections, is closely related to the name "Shulamite." Both terms are rooted in shalom, God's perfect peace. "Solomon" means the peaceful oneorthe peace provider.  The Shulamite girl, a prophetic image of the Bride of Christ, is the bearer of peace, while Solomon, a type of the heavenly Bridegroom, is the source of peace in the bride's life. In other words, Yeshua is Sar Shalom, the Prince of Peace, and His bride is the daughter of peace. May the priestly blessing of Shabbat and shalom be upon you and yours now and forever.

The LORD bless you, and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give youpeace. - Nu 6:24-26

August 2011
"On the Seventh Day God Rested"...And How Much More by Dr. Anne Davis

"How much more" was a common phrase in the ancient world that introduced a deeper meaning. We find these words in both the Tanach and the New Testament. In fact, much of what Yeshua taught was based on principles from the Torah with "how much more" added. Yeshua was guiding his followers to deeper meaning and practical application.

We can apply the concept of "how much more" when we search for deeper meaning in Scripture. Let's practice with God's completion of His creation.

On the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Gen 2:2

You might already know that the Hebrew word "rested" is our word for Shabbat. But what is significant to our study, which attempts to uncover "how much more," is the expression of all three Hebrew verbs: completed, done (2 times), rested. All four usages of these verbs are in the completed sense of time. That is, Scripture tells us that God's creation has been completed and is now completely complete.

But what a minute! What about the new heavens and the new earth, which are still future? And even more significant, what about God's creation of mankind? In the same passage in Genesis we read that God created mankind in His own image, that is, perfect, holy and without sin.

God created man [mankind] in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Gen 1:27

Again, the Hebrew "created," which is repeated three times in this verse, is in the completed sense of time.

Well, I don't know about you. But I am not yet completely in God's image, that is, holy, pure, perfect and without sin (how I wish....).

The only way to understand this mystery is through the Hebraic sense of time, which is not linear with points on a line. Linear time originated with the Greeks and came into our modern, western culture through the Romans. (We sometimes call it the Greco-Roman culture). By contrast, the Hebraic sense of time perceives God in time and time as one with God. Let's apply this Hebraic concept of time to the principle of completion and perfection as it applies to mankind in God's own image.

When we first belong to God He "sees" His children as perfect, that is, in His image. In our own experience we can see the same thing. A newborn baby is indeed perfect, without sin or blemish. Now let's jump forward to the end time when God will complete His work of creation Only then will God's children be able to enter His presence in a completely righteous condition. But now..... ah.....the "now" is the "how much morel"

Now we are in the "process" of becoming complete. By "complete" I mean a completely righteous condition as God is Righteous. But "process" refers to continuous, ongoing action. So how is this present sense of time related to God's past completion of His creation and God's future completion of that creation?

We remember that the Hebraic sense of time is not linear. Instead God is ever-present and infinite. So is the righteousness of God is ever-present and infinite in us. If you belong to God, He saw you as righteous in past time. He will complete righteousness in you at some time in the future. And He is working in you now through His son Yeshua to bring about righteousness in you now.

WHY IS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN YOU NOW SO IMPORTANT?
When we walk in righteousness now, which we do from time to time:

     1. We manifest the righteousness that is in us. We witness God's righteousness to the world
     2. We are walking in the Kingdom of God
     3. We enter the Sabbath res

So, on the next Sabbath, consider how much more "rest" is to God than merely the completion of all His work.

July 2011
Freedom Indeed! by Valerie Moody

On America's Independence Day, it is natural to think about freedom.  To an American, freedom means the absence of constraints, and the ability to make choices.  In contrast, freedom in scripture is the freedom to express love, in spite of outward circumstances.  In fact, sometimes that love is expressed by giving up freedom.

Exodus 21:5-6 is an interesting passage about freedom and slavery.  "But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently."  The theoretical slave in this passage is thinking more about his master's good than his own freedom.  He has grown to love his master, and to adopt his ways.  Therefore, he chooses to remain with his master until he dies.  This slave, who could have been free, finds greater freedom in lifetime servitude to one he loves.  When he became a slave, he crossed the threshold into his master's household.  Now, he was unwilling to abandon the threshold covenant he had come to cherish.  So, it is at the threshold of the door that he confirms this covenant for life.

Shaul called himself a bondservant of Messiah Yeshua.  Shaul was a trained scholar.  He enjoyed independence of movement, and could live as he wanted.  Yet, he called himself a slave to Yeshua.  Why?  His first words to the Romans were, "From Shaul, a slave of Messiah Yeshua, an emissary because I was called and set apart for the Good News of God."  Shaul is a slave because he is called and set apart, and not because he lost his freedom.  In a sense, he now enjoys the greatest freedom of all.  He is a person who feels he has no property in himself, and that God is his all and in all.

These two types of individuals voluntarily give up their freedom for a higher calling.  In both of cases, we see the pattern of a person renouncing liberty in exchange for service to a worthy master.  Each one is actually an symbol of inheritance from their master's household because even a bondservant can inherit everything.  The paradox is that while they are giving up freedom, they are gaining an inheritance.  For example, Eliezer was both Abram's servant and his prospective heir.  Genesis 15:2 says, "But Abram said, 'Adonai YHWH, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?' "  Of course, YHWH did have other plans and provided an heir from Abram's loins.

Shaul gave up his freedom, just like the slave of Exodus 21:5, knowing that his ultimate happiness lay in service to Yeshua, his Master.  In effect, Shaul loved his Messiah so much that he crossed the threshold.  Figuratively, Yeshua pierced Shaul's earlobe with an awl, permanently identifying him with His threshold and the doorpost of His house.

July 2011
Covenant and Freedom by Dr. Diana Dye

The United States is often called "Artzot haBrit", which means the lands of the covenant, so named because of its similarity to the covenant established by God with Israel.  The Mosaic covenant or the Torah is the basis for the rule of law for the nation of Israe, and the United States Constitution is the basis for the laws that govern our country.  Our beloved Constitution once had a special place in the hearts and minds of Americans just as the Torah did for Israel.  And just as the children of Israel often forgot the uniqueness of the Torah and the God who brought it into existence, so too we have seen an eroding of the love for our Constitution and an ignorance surrounding our Founding Fathers. 

Unfortunately, Israel continued to violate God's Torah by worshiping and serving other gods.  In so doing, God allowed them to reap the fruit of their disobedience.  Consequences came in the form of plagues, famines, pestilence and ultimately exile as God meted out his wrath.  We see that our country has also strayed far from its foundation and we are now reaping the whirlwind of chaos and confusion in every area of American life.

The Shema, (Hear O Israel the Lord is God the Lord is One) from Deuteronomy 6, is the most important declaration in the Torah.  It is a call to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength.  It is a declaration of the sovereignty of God and His kingdom. It is the highest expression of his will, and it speaks of our joyful submission to His laws and commandments.  What is especially significant is that the Shema is to remind the individual and the community of their liberation from the bondage of Egypt and the oppression of Pharoah.

The Declaration of Independence is also a declaration of allegiance to the United States and serves to remind us of our liberty from the bondage of an oppressive tyrant (the King of England) and his empire (England). We are called to uphold the sovereignty of this nation and joyfully submit to the rule of law that our Founding Fathers established in the Constitution.

In the Shema Israel was commanded to teach the words of the Torah to their children and not to serve other gods.  If they did serve the gods of others they would suffer the consequences and experience the wrath of God. When their children were to ask the meaning of these laws, they were to respond,  "We were slaves to Pharoah in Egypt and Adonai brought us up out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm."

The pattern is the same today.  We are to follow the Constitution so that it will go well for civil society.  But we have repeatedly declared our founding documents irrelevant, antiquated and changing. So now we are experiencing the fruit of our disobedience.  The consequences are materializing and we are once again on our way, if not already there, to being ruled by tyrants.

Let us remember this July 4^th that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and we are citizens of this great country.  Let us strive to serve the God of our Fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with our whole heart. And let us return to the principles our Founding Fathers established before it is too late.

July 2011
Freedom from Bondage through Willing Servitude by Dr. Noreen Jacks

Although the concept of ear piercing at the doorpost of the master's home is foreign to contemporary westerners, it was common practice in antiquity throughout the eastern world, including the land of Israel. Contrary to the laws of gentile nations, the laws of Israel demonstrated mercy and compassion to the slave, limiting his service to six years before freedom was mandated by divine law, a type of Sabbath blessing that granted liberty and rest to the indentured servant (Ex 21:2). If, however, a slave loved and respected his master, he was free to remain in his service permanently if he chose to do so:

"But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently."  Ex 21:5-6

The willing piercing of the earlobe occurred at the master's threshold, the sacred place where sacrifices were offered to the household deity, and marriages, adoptions and covenants were ratified.  The slave and master became covenant partners through the bloody ritual, bound for life by unselfish love.  The pierced earlobe and bloody doorpost bore witness of the enduring bond that granted the former slave the status and privileges of family fellowship.

After vowing to serve his master for life, the slave was rewarded with the security of the master's home and the bounty of his table for the remainder of his days.  No longer would the slave fear the uncertain future that accompanied a freed slave...the urgent need for adequate food, shelter, clothing and protection, as well as the dreaded grief of separation from his loved ones.  Bond servanthood offered enviable benefits for the slave who served a righteous, loving master.

Perhaps the apostle Paul was contemplating this exceptional type of master when he declared himself a bondservant of Yeshua.  From the moment of his conversion, Paul never wavered in His commitment to serve His Lord.  His humble ministry was spent encouraging others in the most holy faith, in spite of the numerous trials and tribulations he experienced along the way. No prison, hostile mob, beating, shipwreck, sleep deprivation, hunger, or danger discouraged him from fulfilling his God-given mission (2 Cor 11:23-27).

Paul's exemplary life of sacrifice and self-deprivation demonstrates the eternal security of bond servanthood to Yeshua.  No wonder he has been renowned as the "apostle of joy" for the past two thousand years! The same joy awaits all who discover freedom from bondage through willing servitude.  I hope you are counted among that great number.

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God... Rom 1:1

July 2011
The Irony of Freedom by Dr. Anne Davis

According to Scripture, when we think we are free we have really become slaves, and when we are willing slaves that is the only true freedom. Now that is irony.

Irony says one thing but really means another. In fact, Scripture is teeming with the irony of sarcasm and ridicule, which is certainly not acceptable in our modern culture. But this kind of ironic sarcasm and ridicule was an acceptable way of dialogue and instruction in the modern world.

Let's look at an example of irony from our own lives. When teenagers think they are free from the bondage of their parents and their teachers and the police, they have really plunked themselves into the bondage of the world that entices them with drugs and sex and wild living. They think they are freeeeee! But they lack the wisdom to know they have become slaves to you-know-who.

Now let's turn to Scripture for a better understanding of this irony of freedom. Paul sometimes talks in what sounds like riddles. But with our new understanding of irony the following passage will begin to make sense.

Paul tells us in a complex way, "Our old self was crucified with Yeshua, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him."Rm 6:6-8

Whoa... Where do we start? Let me explain that Paul is making three points. Let's take them one at a time.

First, Yeshua has been crucified, which destroyed sin by the promise of something future when God's work of redemption will be completely complete. What wonderful irony. Satan thought he had destroyed God's plan of redemption. So now we know what Paul meant when he said, "Our old self was crucified with Yeshua."

Second, Yeshua's work has made it possible for us to be free from sin whenever we walk in godly ways. Sigh...that doesn't happen all the time. But when it does we are free from sin and the bondage of this world. Paul explains, "He who has died [to sin] is freed from sin."

Finally we come to the most important part of Paul's words. The opposite of death is life. But we must remember that life has two aspects. The one that everyone knows is the promise of future eternal life with God. But there is another aspect of "life" that we often miss. We can actually be truly alive now with God when we allow our sins to be crucified, that is, put to death. And how do we do this? The answer is simple. Paul says, "We believe that we shall also live with Yeshua." But don't forget. This "living with Yeshua" occurs not only as a promise of future life but also as true life now when we put sin to death by submitting to God. The irony is exquisite. The death of sin becomes life. And we are only alive and free with we submit to God as His slaves.

One last thought. I explained that irony can take the form of sarcasm or even ridicule in a more way. But irony can also become humor when we see ourselves in the irony. I hope you are laughing. I am.

June 2011
Gleaning with Ruth by Valerie Moody

We can glean much inspiration from the Book of Ruth.  Ruth went to harvest fields to gather food for herself and Naomi.  She worked behind Boaz' reapers to gather the stalks of barley they left behind.  The Hebrew word for reapers in Ruth 2 is masculine.  It appears that Ruth, who was unacquainted with Judean customs of modesty, was gleaning in a field with male reapers.  Out of courtesy, no one said anything to her.  But, when Boaz came from city, he immediately noticed this unusual event.

He asked right away, "Whose young lady is this?" thinking that she was with one of men.

Supervisor explained, "She is a Moabite girl who came with Naomi from fields of Moab."  He was really saying, "She is a foreigner, so obviously she does not know how to act."

Boaz tried to tell Ruth to glean with the female reapers.  He said, "Listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women."  Boaz diplomatically encouraged her to glean in his field, but only among the women.  Without a Hebraic understanding, Ruth did not realize what Boaz said.  When Ruth returned home, she told Naomi about her meeting with Boaz.  "Besides, he said to me, 'You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.' "

Naomi, who was born and raised in Judea, immediately understood Ruth's mistake.  She replied, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted."  So, Ruth learned to keep close to the young women, gleaning until the end of the harvests.  Ruth gleaned behind reapers, which is the Hebrew word "achar."  The word "achar" has several layers of meaning.  It means both behind, and in the distant future. 

The word "achar" is found in the story of binding of Yitzchak.  Genesis 22:13 says, "And Avraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind (achar) was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns.  And Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son."

When he lifted his eyes, Avraham saw a ram in thicket.  The ram was behind him or "achar."  Used here, "achar" means that Avraham saw both behind him, and into the distant future.  Avraham saw both the ram in thicket, and the future Lamb of God or Yeshua!  In John 8:56, Yeshua states that Avraham did see the future.  He said, "Your father Avraham rejoiced to see My day.  He saw it and was glad."

During the harvest in the Book of Ruth, Ruth gleaned behind or "achar" Boaz' reapers.  It is a symbolic picture of a future harvest at the End of the Age when the sons of God are revealed.  Ruth's full provision in Boaz' field involved "halacha," which means to walk according to biblical instructions.  Ruth is a picture of our present age when the people of God are acquiring a Hebraic understanding, and learning to walk according to instructions in scripture.

June 2011
Shavuot by Dr. Diana Dye

Shavuot is quickly approaching and there are some very fascinating elements to this festival.  The Greek language translates Shavuot as Pentecost because it is the fiftieth day from the time of the festival of Bikkurim at the season of Passover.  Pente means fifty.  But that description does not do justice to the real meaning of Shavuot, which in Hebrew means seven.

The two-letter root of Shavuot comes from שב, which means turn or seat.  This points to a dwelling place or a resting place to which one returns.  This is the purpose for the regular weekly Sabbath - to return to His resting place each week.  When the letter vav is added, it becomes the word for repentance (shuv) or to turn.  The word Shabbat is built from this same two-letter root and means to "sit" or "rest".  The number seven שבע also comes from the same two-letter root.  A sheva is also a seven of something - it could be days, weeks, months or years.  Contained within the number seven is the idea of rest and return.

The number seven is generally understood to mean completion or perfection, but it is really much more. It is a number whose parts make up a harmonious whole.  Seven is identified as a number associated with our physical or natural world.  It is a number that defines our physical reality and is understood by the rabbis to represent the entire history of mankind.  This is found in the concept of the seven thousand years from the first chapter of Genesis.

Seven is revealed in the concept of light, which is composed of the seven colors of the light spectrum.  The musical note scale is made up of seven notes and represents the sum total of all possible musical sounds.  A period of mourning is called a sheva, where mourners "sit" for seven days.  The year of Jubilee is seven cycles of seven years at which time all property is returned to its original owner.  The Shmittah is the seventh year when the land rests from sowing, planting and harvesting.  Shavuot is the culmination of the seven weeks of seven days from the season of Passover.  The number seven is the parts that makes up harmonious whole. 

Passover is a seven-day feast.  However, the season of Passover is not "complete" until Shavuot.  The period leading up to Shavuot is marked by the counting of seven weeks of seven days.  Shavuot is actually called the eighth day because it is the concluding day of Passover. In Hebrew this is called Atzeret.  The number eight  represents a shift from this physical world to the eternal world.

At Shavuot the people brought seven different species for their firstfruit offering to the Temple. These seven species were to be brought in seven separate baskets - wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.  Even if the seven species were brought in the same basket, each had to be separated within that basket.  Together they were separate parts that made up a harmonious whole.  

This is a wonderful picture of His children coming through the seven thousand years and at Shavuot becoming one assembly. On this day, it was said, Israel would become a kingdom of priests and one congregation unto the Lord.  It will be on Shavuot when the Children of Israel will finally hear God's voice speak to them and witness His glory.

The seven thousand long years of this physical world represent the time when we are separated from God.  But on the eighth day we will experience eternity with the Father.  Let this Shavuot be a reminder of the time to come when we will be "face to face" with our Creator for eternity.

June 2011
The Leaven of Shavuot: Symbolism of the Church by Dr. Noreen Jacks

Have you ever wondered why leaven was forbidden in the sacrificial offering of Pesach (Passover), but was required at the Feast of Shavuot (Tabernacles)?  If violated, the divine commandat Pesach threatened banishment or the death sentence to the offender (Ex 12:19).  By contrast, the bread of Shavuot was to be baked with leaven, also by divine command (Lev 23:17).  Why were the regulations of two equally significant feasts so divergent?   What can believers learn today from the omission and addition of leaven in the ancient ritual of both tabernacle and temple?

To begin, we will briefly discuss the properties of leaven and its significance in the Scriptures.  Sour dough leaven, known today as "starter" or "culture," was typically used to bake bread in Bible times.  A lump of old fermented leaven from the previous batch of bread was added to a new batch to help it rise.  The old leaven worked in "secret" from the inside, influencing the development of the loaf and transforming every particle of dough into its own nature.

When the Bible speaks of leaven, it is generally done in a negative context because fermentation implies the process of gradual corruption.  For this reason, leaven is said to symbolize false doctrine, evil, and pride, the idea of being "puffed up" like the hypocritical Pharisees and the wicked King Herod who were condemned by Yeshua (Mark 8:15).  In the following passage, Paul cautions his readers of the subtle dangers of leaven that can be destructive to one's spiritual growth, while exhorting them to be "unleavened" (without sin), just as Yeshua is without sin.

Your boasting is not good.  Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?  Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. - 1 Cor 15:6-8

Quite simply, the Feast of Pesach was celebrated without leaven because Yeshua, to whom the festival pointed prophetically, is without sin.  By contrast, the Feast of Shavuot, which was fulfilled in Acts 2, speaks of the birth of the Church.  For this reason, the feast was to be kept with leaven as a reminder of the sin nature of man and his need for repentance and holiness.  Even within the Church, sin remains a constant problem.  In spite of this sad reality, there is good news at the end of the day.  Our heavenly Bridegroom is preparing a beautiful bride without spot or wrinkle, or we might say, without "leaven" (Eph 5:27).  And that is reason to celebrate!  Chag Sameach!  Happy Feast!