A good commanding officer, says what he means, means what he says and commands based on informed decisions. So, if a commanding officer above you issues a command in the military, your job is to simply obey it, not over-think, “spiritualize,” “allegorize” or “interpret” the command to your liking. You are to hear and obey. Of course, this implies that the command is explicit and succinct. If you don’t understand the command, you ask, but unless the command leaves room for your own creative execution thereof, it’s not up to you to decide your own meaning for it apart from what was stated. For to do so, can lead to devastating consequences and/or severe retribution.

I’m thinking “YHWH OF HOSTS” is the best Commanding Officer there ever was and ever will be. So therefore, it seems to me that it’s best to just do what He says, the way He says to do it.

Case in point: There is no question that the word “leaven” is LIKENED unto sin in the New Testament (as in Matt. 16:11,12 Luke 12:1 and 1 Cor. 5:1-9 for instance). There is likewise no question that we should ALWAYS be working to rid ourselves of such “leaven.”

However, I keep hearing and seeing people trying to spiritualize the command concerning leaven as it pertains to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. People are saying it is NOT about ridding our homes of “baking goods,” but rather it is about cleaning our houses (lives/bodies) out of sin. While removing sin IS something we should be doing all the time, I’m going to have to beg to differ concerning this Appointed Time. If it is merely spiritualized, then the command is NOT being correctly understood nor obeyed.

Exodus 12:
15 Seven days shall ye EAT unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall PUT AWAY LEAVEN OUT OF YOUR HOUSES: for whosoever EATETH leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an 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.

17 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.

18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall EAT unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

19 Seven days SHALL THERE BE NO LEAVEN FOUND in your houses: for whosoever EATETH THAT WHICH IS LEAVENED, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

20 Ye shall EAT NOTHING LEAVENED; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

Exodus 13:
3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye 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.

4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.

5 And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

6 Seven days thou shalt EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.

7 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.

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.

So, as you should be able to clearly see (by the CAPS), it IS about removing the baking goods from your homes. And ironically enough, if sin is defined as lawlessness (1 John 3:4), then by only removing sin while not removing the baking goods, you would in fact be sinning! Doh!