Quote:

"Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread."
Exodus 12:17-20

It seems pretty obvious here that during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we are to cut off from the community of Israel those who eat anything with yeast in it. What does this mean exactly? Should I not speak to anyone who eats anything made of yeast? I know it's a long way off, but I was studying the Feasts and thinking of what it would look like for me to observe them. The answer seems obvious to me, but I want to make sure I am not misinterpreting it or perverting the idea of cutting off from the community.

It is indeed the removal of sin that we are to be mindful of during this Feast of Unleavened Bread. Physically, it also requires that we cleanse our homes of yeast and things that distract us from Yahweh so that we can focus more on The Work. I think most of us understand this well enough. The crux is whom and when do we "cut off from the community of Israel" if I understand the question in its entirety.

Sigh! This always draws a long breath out of me as I felt that I was almost "cut off" as well and I'd hate for others to be "cut off" just when we are so close to witnessing The Greatest Miracle Ever in the history of mankind. What would be sufficient grounds to "cut off" a person from the community today? Who does the "cutting off"? Is it a permanent "dismemberment" or a temporary exile?

My thought is that we are to disassociate ourselves from the rest of the world during this time and look inwardly and make sure that we understand the nature of our calling and the responsibilities that we have in answering that call. If some factor distracts us during that time, we are to avoid it completely. We have to understand that this is an ocassion where we may have to "draw the line" and may be perceived as self-righteous and uncompromising by non-believers.

This is where we put ourselves on the spot, so to speak, and bear witness to Yahweh. It is not the feast of the Jews but Yahweh's Feast. And is speaks volumes about the coming future when all sin will be put out with the New Earth and New Heaven and that those who will walk with Yahweh today shall have a place there in the future. What glorious news! So it is incumbent upon us to dwell on this Feast with vigour and passion and be identified as Yahudim.

So who does the cutting off? Inwardly, it is up to each of us to do away with matters that cause us to fall. Outwardly, we may have to remove ourselves from our neighbours if it is not conducive to be with them during this time. Upwardly, we pray that each of us are kept safe in His bosom and are found to be pleasing in His eyes so that we are not cut off.