The Biblical Exodus and the Seven Day Work Week



In this post I'd like to talk about the workload the Israelites were under when they were enslaved in Egypt. We know they did hard work and manual labor. We know their slavers at least occasionally attacked them physically (a young Moses was so angry to see the harshness an Israelite was treated with that he killed the assailant). We know that the children of Israel cried out to YHWH because of the slavery. But we don't often hear about how much they worked. 

The Bible paints a picture of the Israelites working every day. The text doesn't expressly say this, but it can be inferred from the exchange that Moses and Pharaoh have in Exodus 5, and the fact that once they were freed they needed to be taught to have a rest day each week.

At the beginning of Exodus 5, Moses doesn't seem to be asking for all-out release of Israel from slavery...he initially asks Pharaoh for permission for the Israelites to take a three day journey into the wilderness to celebrate a festival (5:1, 3). He seems to be requesting vacation time from work.

Pharaoh's response to this tells us a lot. This request has angered him. How does he reply to Moses? He doesn't suggest they take a shorter trip over the weekend or use their day off to have their festival. In Exodus 5:4, he says to Moses and Aaron, "Why do you take the people from their work?" Pharaoh is asking, "Why would you have the people stop working? Why would you give them a day off?"

That certainly seems like the Israelites didn't have too many off days, but even if they were getting a day off here or there, it's probable that it was less than one out of every seven days, given that the command for a weekly Sabbath is repeated several times once they are freed. We see that this request for time off angered Pharaoh so much that he increased their workload, requiring them to make the same amount of bricks but now making them gather the straw needed to do so. This was a significant enough increase in work that Scripture records the Israelite slaves confronting Pharaoh about the unreasonableness of this new demand. So even if the Israelites actually did have some occasional days off before, they were certainly gone after they were forced to gather straw themselves. 

On a side note, ancient Egypt had a calendar system that had 'weeks' that were ten days long. It's not super relevant for our purposes here; the main point is that they were working every day of the week, however long that week was. The work schedule and calendar system of Egypt does give us insight into why the seven day week and the day of rest needed to be taught to the Israelites. 

Something we need to take notice of in this story is that it seems to indicate that a lack of time off is a serious impediment to worshipping YHWH. We know the Israelites had some sort of relationship with the Living God, they had cried out to him for freedom after all, but the enslaving powers had blocked them from having festivals and holidays to worship God. They were withheld rest, and Sabbath rest is worship.

This has some huge implications for how we are using our time. 

More and more companies and workplaces are demanding seven day availability from their employees. This can be disguised in language like, "flexible schedules," "weekend availability required," or "time and a half overtime pay." In some cases it can literally be a requirement to work seven days a week for a stretch (I talked to a man once who had just worked a shift for the 106th day in a row), but it can also be things like not being given set days off, or having a schedule of 'four on/four off' or something similar. And in the internet age it can also look like being expected to check email over the weekend or check in on Slack every day, as if you have nothing more important to do with your time than constantly be tethered to work.

Not only are expectations like this a huge emotional drain (any mental health professional will tell you that the pressure to always be working or always be available is detrimental to brain function, and quickly leads to burnout or breakdown), causing havoc at any attempt at a healthy work/life balance, but this expectation is literally unbiblical and ungodly. If you are an employer or manager and you're expecting the people who work for you to be available seven days a week or to check in with work every day, then you are doing things Pharaoh's way and not God's.



Keeping people busy all the time is keeping people from God's best for them. It is robbing them of opportunities to rest and worship on the weekly Sabbath and to take part in the Biblical holidays. That's not to say that you can't have a relationship with God if you are working all the time. Again, we see the Israelites crying out to him when they were slaves. But one of the ten commandments is that we should honor the Sabbath day. If we are not abiding by YHWH's schedule, then we miss out on the good things that come from that.

If you have a business, Scripture requires you to give your employees at least the Sabbath days off. That means they do not work, you do not bother them with work updates or news, and you do not require them to check in on work on that day. 

If you have a job that's requiring to much of you right now, please know that this is not a condemnation of you or any sort of judgment. The legitimate need to provide for your family or to pay your rent can put you in some very bad situations in this culture that largely doesn't recognize Biblical commandments. God understands your situation and cares for you. I'll link below to a post with practical ideas on how you can stop working on the Sabbath.

While many businesses and employers are at fault for their expectation of constant reachability and overburdening their employees, we as individuals need to make sure we are doing our part to make sure we are stopping on the Sabbath for rest and worship.

All of us can help others and ourselves to be more able to rest on the Sabbath day. Not running errands or shopping on the Sabbath means stores and restaurants do less business and therefore require less staffing. If I need to ask someone to do something for me, I can wait another day and not interrupt their Sabbath day with my requests. Pay attention and see what things tend to keep you from rest on the Sabbath - what adjustments can you make so that work, housework, email, etc. are not stealing your focus? If you need help with this, I'll post a link to an article that will help, or feel free to reach out and ask for advice!

We are not slaves. We serve YHWH who commands rest each week...let's do our best to not keep the schedule of slavery. In Revelation where it says, "Come out of her, my people," it's talking about certain cultural customs and ungodly behaviors. That includes the seven day work week! 



How to Stop Working on the Sabbath
Five Ways to Have a More Peaceful Sabbath
Things That Aren't Required for Sabbath Rest

Blood on the Doorpost Passover Dessert from Exodus 12:7 (Easy and Creative)


Look no further for a creative Passover dessert that's easy to make, but still presents beautifully! I wanted to create a dessert that was specific to the Biblical holiday of Passover to make the festivities special. This creation was inspired by Exodus 12:7 and the directive to the Israelites to put the blood of the lamb on the doorpost to their homes. This creates a fun visual and could certainly be simplified a bit to make for a kids Bible school snack. 

How to make the blood on the doorpost Passover dessert:

The core tenets of this dessert are very simple. You'll just need something rectangular shaped for a door, and then something red to symbolize the blood of the lamb.

In this case, a rectangle of vanilla cheesecake with almond flour crust is used for the door.

A raspberry coulis is the 'blood' that goes around the cheesecake 'door.'

There is a small serving of homemade lemon frozen yogurt, beneath the sheep cookie. The color is an homage to the Messiah making our sins white as snow, and ties in with the Passover lamb as well.

The lamb cookie is a shortbread cookie (just flour, sugar, and butter and not leavened in any way), cut with a lamb shaped cookie cutter.

You could certainly adapt this in many ways...make rectangular meringues or unleavened cake for the door. The coulis could be made from strawberries or another red berry, or you could use a red jam or jelly. You could forgo the frozen yogurt altogether, opt for store-bought, or use whipped cream or ice cream in its place. If you're not comfortable using shortbread around Passover, feel free to leave off the lamb cookie. Depending on the changes you make, this could a gluten-free, low-sugar, or dairy-free dessert.

Biblically Clean Eating for Passover and Unleavened Bread


What are the Bible's instructions for us around food during the week of Unleavened Bread? What exactly is leaven? We've talked before about what it means to eat 'kosher' for Passover during this time, but we've also talked about the kosher dietary laws often going above and beyond what Scripture says and even adding to it! So how do we eat in a way that honors what the Bible says without going overboard with manmade traditions? This post is here to help. Biblically clean eating for Passover and Unleavened Bread is truly doable, and this post will walk you through what you can and can't eat during these Biblical holidays.

During the week of Unleavened Bread, all the normal dietary laws apply, plus one extra, temporary restriction. What does the Bible tell us not to eat during the week of Unleavened Bread?

"Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you shall remove leaven from your houses." -Exodus 12:15

That is the restriction...no leavened bread for the week. There is no specified grain to avoid, just a prohibition on leavened bread. If you're used to hearing that Unleavened Bread week means not eating any grains at all, and even that you have to avoid things like peanuts or beans, I'm here to tell you that the Living God did not make it that complicated.

To understand how to avoid leaven bread for the week we need to know what it is.

What is leaven in the Bible?

Leaven is grain that has been soured, or fermented. Sourdough bread is the most obvious example of a leavened product, hence the emphasis on this Biblical holiday being a time of unleavened bread. Leavening or souring is not something that happens immediately when water hits a grain, but a process that takes more time - typically several days. In Judaism there is a law that says bread dough becomes 'leavened' after 18 minutes of flour mixed with water and formed into dough, but this is not a directive from Scripture. If you've ever made bread, or tried your hand at sourdough starter, then you know 18 minutes is nowhere near enough time for leavening to happen or for dough to rise.

Nowadays sourdough bread is rare, and most breads are made with yeast. Though the Bible does not specify avoiding yeast-risen breads by name, I believe since yeast mimics the leavening process of traditional sourdough, we would do well to not partake during this time. The same would go for breads, cakes, or pastries made with baking soda or baking powder.

What should we avoid eating during the Feast of Unleavened Bread to eat Biblically clean?

Leavened bread products, such as:

-Sourdough bread
-Bread made with yeast
-Breadcrumbs
-Products containing breadcrumbs such as breaded chicken, meatballs, meatloaf, or tortellini fillings
-Muffins and other quick breads made with baking soda or baking powder
-Cakes
-Pastries such as croissants, cinnamon rolls, danishes, etc.
-Biscuits
-Pizza

Foods to watch for leaven in:
-Chicken strips or breaded chicken
-Batter for fried fish, onion rings, etc.
-Meatballs
-Meatloaf
-Ravioli and tortellini fillings
-Ice cream flavors with cake, cookies, etc. mixed in

Please note that the leaven mention in Exodus 12 does not mean all foods that have been soured or fermented. We see the Messiah serving wine (which is fermented) at the last supper, and tasting vinegar (also fermented) while on the cross. A surprising number of foods we eat today from yogurt to kimchi to chocolate are fermented, and we are free to eat those during Unleavened Bread. What we don't want to eat this week is fermented or leavened bread, or at the most, fermented or leavened grains.

Examples of soured grains that aren't bread:

-Beer
-Soy sauce (tamari is very similar to soy sauce, but made only with soybeans and is an easy substitution)

Can you cook and bake during Unleavened Bread?

Yes, absolutely you can make your own unleavened baked goods and meals for or during this Biblical holiday. I've heard too many times that the only way to be sure you're not eating leaven is to purchase all specially made and kosher certified matzah and kosher for Passover products, but the Bible does not say that only a rabbi can tell if something is leavened or not. Furthermore these products can be very difficult to find and expensive. Use your judgment. You can make your own unleavened bread in many different forms, and there are probably plenty of meals that you already make that are unleavened and would be appropriate during this feast. Take a look at recipes - if they use grains, check and see if making the dish involves souring or fermenting dough. If it doesn't - I see no reason why you can't make it as part of your Unleavened Bread meals and celebrations.

Can you eat grains during Unleavened Bread?

Jewish traditions call for avoiding all grains, except for kosher for Passover matzah, and sometimes even things like beans, legumes, and peanuts. Again, this is not something the Bible calls for. It is not called the Feast of No Grains at All, but rather the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Unleavened bread is made with grain, and it's okay to use grains during Unleavened Bread week, so long as you are not leavening them. Any grain is fine to eat, so long as it's not leavened. That includes wheat, barley, corn, teff, spelt, rye, quinoa, rice, oats, millet, etc.

With that in mind, I would not hesitate to eat things like tortillas without leavening, shortbread cookies, granola, popcorn, cooked rice, peanut butter, beans or lentils.

As always, I would encourage you to pray about how you can best implement this Biblical instruction into your life! If you're new to celebrating Unleavened Bread, focusing on avoiding leavened bread during this week and don't be overwhelmed by what others might traditionally avoid.

So what can you eat during Unleavened Bread?

-Unleavened bread in any of its variations...homemade or boxed

-Any Biblically clean meat or fish

-Any vegetables

-Any fruits

-Lentils, chickpeas, and other legumes

-Beans - black, pinto, cannelini, kidney, great northern, etc.

-Potatoes 

-Corn tortillas or tortilla chips

-Nuts such as walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc.

-Dairy products like milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, etc.

-Eggs

With these ingredients there are plenty of wonderful foods to be had during Unleavened Bread from soups to stir fries to tacos to meat and potatoes to frittata to hummus to ice cream and more.

If you're looking for further direction on what to eat during this set apart time, I will include links below to Biblically clean recipes!





Unleavened recipes for Passover and Unleavened Bread:

Meal Ideas for the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Recipes to Use Your Homemade Matzah In
Unleavened Desserts for Passover and Unleavened Bread

The Real Meaning of the Story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

A woman with long hair, wearing a white dress with light brown and cream floral print is holding an open Bible in the sunlight. Text overlay reads: The Real Meaning of the Story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) | Land of Honey

I think the story of Mary and Martha, where Jesus is at their house and Martha is upset that Mary is not being more helpful, has probably caused more frustration than maybe any of the Messiah's words. His statement in Luke 10:41-42 "Martha, Martha, you are upset and worried about many things - but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her," has been misunderstood as a criticism of Martha worrying about a meal. We've misunderstood some things in this story, and this post will shed light onto what was actually happening and what was meant in this part of Scripture.

Who were Mary and Martha? 

They were sisters who were both devoted followers of the Messiah during his ministry. The Bible speaks highly of the faith of each of them, and says that Jesus loved them both (John 11:5). They were from Bethany, and they hosted Jesus in their home. Their brother was Lazarus - who was raised from the dead by the Messiah. We see Mary and Martha in the Bible in Luke 10, John 11, and John 12.

The story of the confrontation between Martha and the Savior about Mary's lack of help is found in Luke 10:38-42.

We are told the story goes like this...

Mary and Martha were followers of the Messiah, and they were hosting him and many of his Disciples in their home. While Jesus was waiting on lunch to be served, he began teaching those who were there. Martha was hard at work in the kitchen, preparing an elaborate meal. But her sister Mary sat down to listen to the words the Messiah spoke instead of helping with the food or setting the table. Martha felt annoyed that she was stuck doing all the hospitality work for this large group of people and became upset...and then Jesus reprimands her. He tells her she's making too much food and losing sight of what's most important. He says that Mary made the wiser choice by not helping in the kitchen.

Over and over I have heard that story used to reprimand women for the work they do in providing nourishment to others. It's also used to shush women if they raise any qualms about needing help with making dinner or church kitchen responsibilities. Don't complain, you're the one choosing the less important thing.

Jesus told Martha that "only one thing is required." I've heard many times from the pulpit and Bible studies that this reprimand was because Martha was making too many separate dishes, when she should have just made one simple thing so that she would have had time to come listen herself while the soup simmered or whatever.

I actually remember being in the Christ for the Nations bookstore and seeing a cookbook called something like, "Only One Thing is Needed." It was inspired by the words of the Messiah and filled with recipes for casseroles, stews, and other one-dish meals.

Image is an open Bible with a woman's hand turning a page on the left hand side. Text overlay reads: Most of us have an entirely wrong idea about Mary and Martha! | Land of Honey


I probably don't have to tell you how much frustration, shame, guilt, and annoyance this interpretation of the notorious Mary/Martha story has caused millions of women. Throughout history women have been given the workload of feeding, not just their families, but relatives, neighbors, coworkers, and church members. They are tasked with figuring out what picky eaters will eat and feeding them multiple times a day. They are called on to feed hundreds of people at funerals and other church functions. They are expected to take meals to new mothers, the elderly, the sick, and the bereaved. If there's an office party that food needs made for, who prepares it is mostly decided not by their position in the company, but by gender. Moms step up to feed the basketball team after games. Women around the world cook for dozens of people to make family reunions possible and make meals to celebrate birthdays and countless occasions. They do this work heroically, with limited budgets, accounting for dietary restrictions and preferences, limited ingredient availability, and often on short notice. This work typically goes unappreciated, their work not valued or noticed, and is almost always done without pay. It's rare for men to pitch in their share of cooking and clean up at events like this. While many women do this work joyfully, it is still work, and I don't know anyone who would prefer kitchen duty to listening to the Messiah speak.

No one wants to be Martha in this story, doing the work while missing out on what's better. Plenty of women wish they had more time for Bible study or hearing the words of Jesus...but who is going to feed everyone? The simple reality is that most people cannot afford take-out or convenience foods every night...to say nothing of the significant cost of professional catering for large events. Even if you are able to outsource this kind of work, it just puts someone else in the position of having to do the cooking when they could be doing something else. And now Martha is getting in trouble (from Jesus himself, no less) because she was taking too much time to cook for everyone?! How fair is that?

I've struggled for years to understand this story. Surely the point of this story is not to manage your time better or you'll get into trouble? The point can't be that making meals is a bad thing. The point can't be that if you say that you want help then you're doing something wrong. Surely Jesus, who so often saw and recognized the needs of women and always treated them with kindness, wasn't mad at a woman working hard to provide a meal for him and his followers?

In fact, this whole incident is quite brief and much of what we've talked about has been assumed, not actually taken from the word of God. Luke 10:38-42 is limited to these words:

Now it happened as they went that he entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached him and said, "Don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Did you catch that there's no mention of cooking a meal here? Martha was busy serving. The Bible does not say that she was busy with serving food to the Messiah. It says she was busy serving. Big difference.

A woman with long hair, in a white, light brown and cream floral print dress is standing on a white porch while holding a Bible. Text overlay reads: The Bible does not say that Martha was busy serving food to the Messiah. It says she was busy serving. Big difference. | Land of Honey


The word used for serving in Luke 10:40 when it says that Martha was busy serving is diakonia. This is usually translated to mean:

1. service, ministering, especially of those who execute the commands of others

2. of those who by the command of God proclaim and promote religion among men

3. the ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian affection, especially those who help meet need by either collecting or distributing of charities

4. the office of deacon in the church

5. the service of those who prepare and present food

We can see from this definition, this word is rarely used to mean preparing food. Given the context of the definition, even if food is being talked about it's more likely to mean cooking for a huge crowd for charity reasons, and not so much for a dinner party in a home setting.

Just to demonstrate that diakonia is rarely used in the context of cooking and serving a meal at home, we see it translated otherwise in these places:

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. -Acts 6:4

His purpose was to equip God's people for the work of serving and building up the body of Messiah. -Ephesians 4:12

Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry. -Acts 12:25

God gave us the ministry of reconciliation. -2 Corinthians 5:18

I know your works, your charity, and service, and faith. -Revelation 2:19

Given verses like these, and that Paul frequently used this word to describe his ministry, it seems unreasonable to assume that the service Martha was doing was serving one meal at home. The way Martha describes Mary's actions further supports this understanding of the verse. When Martha says that Mary has left her she uses the word kataleipo, which means forsaken. If this passage was truly about Martha wanting help with dinner, I doubt she would have chosen such a strong term to describe Mary's slipping away for a few minutes to hear the Messiah speak.

It's most likely that what Martha was doing was running some sort of ministry. Maybe she was caring for orphaned children or lepers. Perhaps she had been assigned charity tasks by a religious leader in her community. She may have been doing deacon work (yes, the New Testament mentions several women as deacons). She could have been working on an outreach project to share good news within or outside of her community. Or she could have been working on collecting and distributing charity to the poor or unwell.

Many scholars believe that Mary and Martha (as well as their brother Lazarus) were part of the Essenes - a religious sect of their day. The Essenes were known for charity work and did much caring for the sick and providing for the poor. So that would certainly fit with the idea that Martha was doing ministry work instead of sitting at the Messiah's feet.

This is why Martha takes her complaint up with the Messiah, and not her sister. If this was about putting a meal on the table, she likely would have told Mary that she needed help. But instead Martha went to Jesus and asked, "Don't you care that my sister has forsaken me to do this work by myself?" I think that was her way of saying, "I am doing all this work for you, and if you cared then you would send someone to help me." She's not talking about setting the table or dishing up the food. She's not talking about needing a hand for a few minutes with clean up. She's talking about significant ministry projects.

And we should note that the Messiah is not upset with Martha! Most of grew up believing that his "Martha, Martha" statement was paired with an eyeroll or came out of frustration. We think of the famous, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia," line from The Brady Bunch and think of someone who has lost their patience with this person. But that's not the case here. Instead of belittling Martha for her choices (no matter if that's making a meal or running a ministry), Jesus speaks tenderly to her. His repetition of her name was said out of concern or empathy, which fits with what he says next, "You are anxious and worried." He's not making fun of her. He's not criticizing her. He's empathizing with how she feels. He's showing her that he does care.

And what Mary was doing was not shirking practical work so that she could do what she wanted - however spiritual that was. I used to picture Mary's actions as selfish. I would picture the busyness of my grandma's kitchen when she was making a meal for her large family - meat need to be sliced, gravy made, the potatoes mashed, vegetables chopped, water poured, the table set - and it would seem like rather than helping her God wanted me to go sit down and read my Bible? Wouldn't that be unkind of me to leave my grandma with all that work? Wasn't it unkind of Mary to expect Martha to serve her along with everyone else they had in their home?

But that is entirely the wrong picture to have about Mary and Martha!

We should also note the wording in Luke 10:39, that says Mary was sitting at the feet of the Messiah. This is not necessarily a reflection of her physical posture (though it could have been). Sitting at the feet was a phrase that was used to describe someone learning from a teacher and being their disciple. That's significant because many have taught and believed that women can't be disciples, in direct contrast to what Scripture teaches and demonstrates. This information also changes the narrative from a picture of Mary sitting and listening to Jesus for an hour or so while Martha cooked, to an ongoing habit in their lives. 

Image is a woman's hand holding an open Bible. Text overlay reads: "This will not be taken away from Mary." -Luke 10:42 | Land of Honey

Luke 10:38 says that the sisters "opened their home" to the Messiah. It does not tell us if that was for one day or many. In the traditional rendering of the story, it's easy to assume that it was for one meal or one evening. But there's no reason to think it couldn't have been for a longer period of time. That would mean this wasn't about the logistics of one meal. Days or weeks could have passed where Mary was being discipled by Yahusha, while Martha was continuing on with the ministry by herself.

This gives us perspective on where Martha was coming from when she went to the Messiah. Don't you care that I'm stuck doing all this work for you by myself? This was not about the practical logistics of one meal, but likely an ongoing situation where Martha saw the needs in her community, and wasn't sure how they could be met without her. She was working to help people, and she wrongly believed that she couldn't stop to listen to the words of the Messiah or to grow in relationship with him. Like Peter when he walked on water, she wound up focusing on the storm around her and not listening to the Messiah's words. We see similar mindsets today when people believe that there is too much work to be done to pause and worship on the Sabbath day, or when our focus is on doing good deeds ahead of spending time with YHWH. 

Yes, good works are an important part of our faith. As James says, "Faith without works is dead." What we do is important. But the Bible also teaches that hearing Scripture is what equips us to do those good deeds. If we do not spend time on our relationship with the Messiah, we will not be equipped and our works will not have the same impact. And, like Martha, it will often leave us feeling anxious and perhaps not cared about by God.

The story of Mary and Martha is in no way a reprimand to the millions of women who spend more time in the kitchen than they would prefer. And it's certainly not a prohibition against serving side dishes. Jesus was not mad at Martha, but had compassion for the worry that she dealt with from not pausing to be with him. This story is a reminder that the weight of the world does not fall on our shoulders. It's a reminder that a lifestyle of time spent in Scripture, prayer, and worship is foundational to good works. It's a permission slip to prioritize your relationship with the Messiah above getting things done in his name.



Related posts on women in the Bible:
Overlooked Truths in Proverbs 31
The Significance of Sarah in Scripture
A Woman of Valor