Exodus 23:15

The feast of unleavened bread. This early spring festival came at the beginning of the barley harvest in the month Abib (Nisan), began with the Passover and a holy convocation, lasted seven days, and closed with another holy convocation (Lev. 23:5–8). Unleavened bread was eaten during these seven days, in commemoration of the hasty exodus from Egypt (Ex. 12:33, 34, 39). Leaven was a symbol of sin and error (Matt. 16:6, 11, 12; 1 Cor. 5:6–8). Unleavened bread was representative of the freedom from sin of Him who is the bread of life (John 6:35, 48, 51). A sheaf of new barley, the first fruits of the harvest, was offered as a wave offering before the Lord (Lev. 23:9–14). “The time appointed” was the 15th day of the first month, Nisan (Lev. 23:6). This feast, which began with the Passover, was a type of the deliverance of sinners from sin through the death of Christ. When the Saviour offered Himself on Calvary the significance of the Passover ceased, for it looked forward to Him (1 Cor. 5:7). The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was instituted as a memorial of the same event (Luke 22:14–20).

None shall appear before me empty. Those who attended the feast were to present a freewill offering to the Lord. An Oriental never came before his superior without a gift. No less was expected of an Israelite when he approached Jehovah, the King of the theocracy.