Animals, Colors, Metals, Numbers and Signs in Scripture.

Seven - Completion

Seven Ewe Lambs as Witnesses

Gen. 21:25 "And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. 27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. 31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines." 

Abraham and Abimelech the Philistine entered into a covenant of agreement that Abraham had digged the well at Beersheba.  Abraham gave seven ewe lambs of the flock to be a witness that he had digged the well and that the well belonged to him.  These seven ewe lambs were set by themselves. 

The above points us to a covenant that God made with himself.  The Lord's local churches are a witness of that covenant that God made before the foundation of the world and is set forth for us in Rom. 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." 

Just as Abimelech and his servants did not assist or help in any way in the digging of the well Beersheba, so man does not assist or help in any way with the digging of the well of Salvation, but Jesus Christ dug it all by himself. 

The true churches of Jesus Christ testify or witness that Christ alone saved his people from their sins without any aid or assistance from man. 

While all the other organizations trump what man has done and how man has helped, the true churches of Jesus Christ are set by themselves to declare the truth that salvation is by grace alone through the atoning blood of Christ.  The true churches of Christ are typified by the seven ewe lambs that Abraham set by themselves. 

Seven Days of Unleavened Bread 

Unleavened bread was first associated with the Passover feast in which the feast was to be observed with unleavened bread.  The day immediately following the Passover, the children of Israel were to observe seven days in which they would eat no leaven. 

The parameters of this feast of unleavened bread are set forth for us in Ex. 12:15

"Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. 16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. 17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. 20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread."

The pure, perfect, complete body of Christ is represented in the communion service by unleavened bread.  We know the bread was unleavened because the communion was first established on the day of the Passover.  Therefore, only unleavened bread could be used.  Furthermore, leaven represents false doctrine, false worship, pride, malice, wickedness and ultimately sin (Matt. 16:6, 11, 12; Mk. 8:15; Lk. 12:1; 1 Cor. 5:6-8;  Gal. 5:9).  Contrariwise, the body of Christ is complete and completely without sin.  Additionally, nothing needed to be added to the work of Christ as the children of Israel were to observe a holy convocation on both the first and the seventh day of the feast of unleavened bread.  They were to do no servile work in these days.  Thus the works of men are completely excluded from having any effects on the work of Christ in redemption.