Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends:
We recently observed the annual Passover and the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, picturing, in Old Testament times, the death of the firstborn in Egypt, the physical salvation of the Israelites who had placed the blood of the lamb on the lintels and the door posts of their houses, and the exodus and deliverance of the Israelites from bondage. All of this was symbolic of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our spiritual salvation, and our deliverance today from the captivity of sin. As we abstain each year from physical leaven during the Days of Unleavened Bread, we are reminded of the need to remove spiritual leaven—sin—from our lives. This should be an ongoing process.
In a recent Editorial for our weekly Updates, titled, “Re-Commitment,” I wrote the following:
“Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are a time to examine ourselves and to make an effort to put sin out of our lives. In the Bible, leaven is many times compared with sinful, hypocritical and proud conduct. During the Seven Days of Unleavened Bread, we are reminded of the physical and spiritual applications of sin and righteousness. The physical removal and avoidance of leavening, which we must not neglect, points to the spiritual and symbolical meaning, which is even more important not to neglect.
Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – April 21, 2010"