The word matzah in Hebrew means “unleavened bread”. According to Deuteronomy 16:3, it’s also known as the “bread of affliction”. This is the bread associated with the Passover (Pesah) story found in Exodus. The idea behind matzah as “bread of affliction” is that the conditions of slavery were so intense and demanding that the Hebrew people didn’t have time for the bread to rise before it was ready to be eaten. This flat bread, then, became a symbol of their affliction.
In the event of the Passover, however, God changed the meaning associated with the symbol. God ordered the people of Israel to rid their homes of all leaven (Heb. chametz) because his redemption would come so quick that they would not have time for their bread to raise before the doors to freedom were opened. In Jewish tradition, chametz (leaven), then, becomes a symbol of the evil desires of the heart. That which can affect the entire batch. Just like with leaven, a little bit of sin will infect all that we are, the entirety of our lives. We’re are to rid ourselves of all sin, then. This removal of sin is symbolic of our sanctification in the Holy Spirit made possible through the propitiatory atonement of Yeshua.
Matzah, then, is like the cross. God took the symbol of affliction (matzah) and redeemed it to make it into the symbol of freedom. The Roman Cross, a symbol of shame, affliction, and wrath, becomes the symbol of redemption.
In much the same way, God wishes to turn the burdens of our lives into points of redemption. God allows our afflictions because he wishes not to simply remove them, but to redeem them. How disrespectful it is, then, when we neglect a certain pain in our lives because we just want it to go away. Consider that God has allowed that pain because he wishes to use it to demonstration his power and sanctify you. This, I believe, is a part of why Paul encourages us to consider our afflictions a joy…because they represent an opportunity for God to show us who He Is and what he’s capable of.
There’s only one way to redemption and it’s through the Cross.
