Clean Out the Fridge!
Posted 02-03-2015 at 03:01 PM by NT Fellowship
Purge out therefore the old leaven,
that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us… (1 Cor 5:7)
A domestic challenge to women of modern Western civilization is that of cleaning out the refrigerator. Whether you have an older model where you must defrost the freezer yourself, or one of those fancy machines that self-defrosts, purifies water, and makes its own ice cubes; you still must eventually clean out the ‘fridge.
This can be quite an adventure. Remember the leftovers from last month’s family reunion? You don’t?! The evidence is there...growing a furry layer of green or white mold. Usually this gets quite a reaction from the younger set. “Eww! Gross!” seems to be the recurring response of the younger set. Those things that hide in the back of the ’fridge, unnoticed, can become pretty scary, alright.
The Jewish people had a yearly ‘fridge cleaning in the celebration of Passover. Each year they were to commemorate when God miraculously delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt. The first generation of Jews feasted on unleavened bread, bitter herbs and roast lamb, eating in haste so they might leave when the LORD God set them free. Each generation after was to retell the story to their families over a meal of roast lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
God anticipated children’s curiosity at this unusual celebration. The retelling and memorial feast was a very “hands on” way of teaching children of God’s greatness and love: And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses (Exo 12:26-27).
Part of the preparation for Passover in every Jewish home is spring cleaning...not just the typical cobweb-busting, window washing kind...but also the removal of every speck of leaven. 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 (Exo 12:19-20). The Jews were to meticulously separate themselves from all leaven, and only eat unleavened bread for the entirety of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible. In more than one place Paul wrote, A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (1 Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9). Jew and Gentile Christians understood that Paul was using a domestic truth, doubled with an application from the Law. This application pointed to the New Covenant teaching of Christian discipleship. As diligent Jewish housewives at Passover swept and inspected every corner of their dwellings, purging out every speck of leaven; so we must diligently examine and cleanse our hearts.
We emphasize this truth when we prepare for the Lord’s Supper. But really, it is a practice that we should take part in each day the Lord gives us breath. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us… (1 Cor 5:7) If we want to walk in purity before our Lord Jesus daily, let’s regularly take stock of our hearts before God. Diligently let’s inspect for leftovers of bitterness and grudges that cause division in the body of Christ, and alienate us from Christ. Let us be sure that disputes between ourselves and our husbands, children or others have been made right. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye (Col 3:13).
Hidden sin is even more scary that moldy leftovers. Often justified, it is left to fester and mildew. When it is finally uncovered and yet not repented of, it can lead to divorce, broken friendships, and even church splits. Sisters, it’s time to “clean out the ‘fridge!”
"Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free."
(J. Edwin Orr)
~Tamra Lee, wife of Pastor David Lee, NT Fellowship
that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us… (1 Cor 5:7)
A domestic challenge to women of modern Western civilization is that of cleaning out the refrigerator. Whether you have an older model where you must defrost the freezer yourself, or one of those fancy machines that self-defrosts, purifies water, and makes its own ice cubes; you still must eventually clean out the ‘fridge.
This can be quite an adventure. Remember the leftovers from last month’s family reunion? You don’t?! The evidence is there...growing a furry layer of green or white mold. Usually this gets quite a reaction from the younger set. “Eww! Gross!” seems to be the recurring response of the younger set. Those things that hide in the back of the ’fridge, unnoticed, can become pretty scary, alright.
The Jewish people had a yearly ‘fridge cleaning in the celebration of Passover. Each year they were to commemorate when God miraculously delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt. The first generation of Jews feasted on unleavened bread, bitter herbs and roast lamb, eating in haste so they might leave when the LORD God set them free. Each generation after was to retell the story to their families over a meal of roast lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
God anticipated children’s curiosity at this unusual celebration. The retelling and memorial feast was a very “hands on” way of teaching children of God’s greatness and love: And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses (Exo 12:26-27).
Part of the preparation for Passover in every Jewish home is spring cleaning...not just the typical cobweb-busting, window washing kind...but also the removal of every speck of leaven. 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 (Exo 12:19-20). The Jews were to meticulously separate themselves from all leaven, and only eat unleavened bread for the entirety of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible. In more than one place Paul wrote, A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (1 Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9). Jew and Gentile Christians understood that Paul was using a domestic truth, doubled with an application from the Law. This application pointed to the New Covenant teaching of Christian discipleship. As diligent Jewish housewives at Passover swept and inspected every corner of their dwellings, purging out every speck of leaven; so we must diligently examine and cleanse our hearts.
We emphasize this truth when we prepare for the Lord’s Supper. But really, it is a practice that we should take part in each day the Lord gives us breath. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us… (1 Cor 5:7) If we want to walk in purity before our Lord Jesus daily, let’s regularly take stock of our hearts before God. Diligently let’s inspect for leftovers of bitterness and grudges that cause division in the body of Christ, and alienate us from Christ. Let us be sure that disputes between ourselves and our husbands, children or others have been made right. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye (Col 3:13).
Hidden sin is even more scary that moldy leftovers. Often justified, it is left to fester and mildew. When it is finally uncovered and yet not repented of, it can lead to divorce, broken friendships, and even church splits. Sisters, it’s time to “clean out the ‘fridge!”
"Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free."
(J. Edwin Orr)
~Tamra Lee, wife of Pastor David Lee, NT Fellowship
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