As I write these words, most if not all in this country are feeling the effects of a very cold and snowy winter. Although not unexpected in the part of the country I live in, much of the south has been introduced lately to the type of weather I unfortunately have had to grow accustomed to. Cold and snow definitely interfere with my normal activities as I spend most of my time outside either working in my yard, or in my shop woodworking. Since my shop is unheated and uninsulated, I find myself mostly housebound during the winter months longing for spring and the opportunity to get back outside.
A little over a month ago, bored out of my mind, I decided to try once again to master the art of baking bread. I say again because I have tried before and failed miserably, the running joke in the family being Dad is great at making focaccia because my bread always collapsed and ended up being an inch thick or so. This time using a wonderful book along with the magic of YouTube, what now emerges from my oven, as you can see from the picture above, is actual bread. Yet what I find to be the most amazing thing about this loaf is that it only contains less than I/2 teaspoon of yeast.
As you might expect from me, while learning the in’s and out’s of bread making and watching the process of the yeast begin to work, I found myself contemplating the subject of leaven in the Bible and all of the instructions to avoid it. In fact, the use of unleavened bread is commanded by God in the three pilgrimage feasts of Israel that all Jews who were able to travel were required to attend at the temple in Jerusalem.
“Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year:“You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty);“and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field. Exodus 23:14-16. NKJV
Scholars agree that the use of the word leaven in the Bible always refers to a type of sin, and such is the reason God commanded the Israelites to avoid it at all costs. Yet although this is the case, it certainly seems surprising to see Jesus’ use of it as an illustration in His parable that we find in Matthew 13 which I shared at the beginning of this article. Jesus telling His audience that the Kingdom of God would be filled with sinners would certainly raise a few eyebrows at that time but Jesus already knew full well it was His mission on earth to die for our sin in order to make a way for us to enter the Kingdom. Imagine what it must have sounded like to His audience of Jews, yet in the back of their minds I have to wonder if they thought about the one Feast of Israel which also used leaven.
‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. ‘Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD. ‘You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD. Leviticus 23:15-17. NKJV
This feast, which we call Pentecost after its Greek name, was the day in which many believe the Church was born as a result of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. To the Jews, it is celebrated as the day that Moses came down from Mt. Sinai carrying the Ten Commandments. The question remains, however, why two loaves of unleavened bread? I believe as many others do, that the use of two loaves symbolizes two different groups of people, the Jews and Gentiles. It was, in fact, prophetic in that it was God’s way of saying Jews would commemorate the giving of the Law and at a future time the Gentile Church would celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit.
Two loaves, two peoples, both groups made up of sinners, but acceptable to God by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on a cross as payment for our sin. If you have never chosen to accept the gift of eternal life provided for us by God the Father, I would urge you to do it today. Time to make that choice is indeed rapidly running out and Jesus returning to take His own back with Him to heaven could happen at any time. All you need to do is simply ask Him for forgiveness for your sin, invite Him to come into your life, and believe He died to pay the price for your redemption. A simple prayer like this is all that He wants to hear from you.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me. Amen.
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