LEAVEN IN THE BREAD
This is a call to all who are truly born again Christians in the body of Christ.
It is time to expel the leaven from among us and separate ourselves to God.
In the following pages I have listed all the verses that deal with leaven (yeast). It was curious to me that God spent so much time instructing Moses to avoid the use of leaven in bread used in the tabernacle. This put me on to the thought that it must be a picture of something pretty serious.
The picture? God hates the leaven of unrighteousness!
The Third Wave "New Apostolic Reformation" Latter Rain counterfeit revival movement is leavening the church as never before. There are people out there who are deceived or deceivers who are leavening churches, families, and children before our very eyes. And yet most of us just stand there and watch, cowed into submission by those who would call us "God mockers" and "heresy hunters". This should rather be a clarion call for the true Body of believers to stand up and expel the wicked man from amongst you! God does not tolerate wickedness in His holy place, and we should not either. I believe that this is a test for the Church to see if she can obey God, stand up for sound doctrine, stand firm in the faith, and do what is right. I know that what I am saying is very unpopular right now. I'm sure Paul was unpopular for judging a number of people and sending them away from the body of Christ. But he was entirely right and we must do the same thing before our friends, our families, our children, our neighbors and our fellow believers are hoodwinked with false doctrines, false prophesies, and a false anointing.
It is important that you see the correlation to what Paul talked about in 1 Cor. 5 with what is being said and done in the Third Wave before you expose yourself or your family to a great delusion. Ask the Father for wisdom in this matter. There is help for you out there, and there are many of us who are taking this stand now. But it must be done!
THE MEANING OF LEAVEN
Old Testament
Strongs Hebrew 07603 - sa'or
means 1) leaven
Strongs Hebrew 04682 - matstsah
means 1) unleavened (bread, cake), without leaven.
Strongs Hebrew 02557 - chametz
means 1) a thing leavened 2) leaven
New Testament
Strongs Greek 2210 - zume means 1) leaven, 2) metaph. of inveterate mental and moral corruption, viewed in its tendency to infect others
Leaven is applied to that which, though small in quantity, yet by its influence thoroughly pervades a thing; either in a good sense as in the parable Mat. 13:33; or in a bad sense, of a pernicious influence, "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump"
The term "leaven" was primarily used as:
1) a remembrance to Israel
of the haste of the Passover meal before fleeing Egypt
2) as a symbol of Israel
being influenced to sin by surrounding nations
3) as a symbol of the body
of Christ being influenced to sin by false doctrines
4) as a symbol of the kingdom
of heaven which will leaven the whole until it is brought to the fullness
of the will of the Father
5)
thanksgiving and praise with leaven
The use of "unleavened bread" was primarily used as:
1)
a symbol of Israel being set apart from the nations unto God
2)
as a remembrance of the physical body of Christ being put to death on the
cross to pay the penalty for our sins
3)
as a symbol used in the Lord's Supper of our separation unto God by the
physical death on the Cross and our faith in Christ
VERSES ABOUT LEAVEN
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. (1)(2)
Ex 12:19 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. (1)(2)
Ex 13:7 Unleavened
bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen
with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen
with thee in all thy quarters. (1)(2)
Ex 34:25 Thou
shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven;
neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the
morning. (2)
Le 2:11 No meat
offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven:
for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey,
in any offering of the LORD made by fire. (2)
Le 6:17 It shall
not be baken with leaven. I have given it
unto
them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most
holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. (2)
Le 10:12 And
Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that
were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the
LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven
beside the altar: for it is most holy: (2)
Le 23:17 Ye
shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals:
they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven;
they
are the firstfruits unto the LORD. (4)
Am 4:5 And offer
a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and
proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O
ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. (5)
Mt 13:33 Another
parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,
which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was
leavened. (4)
Mt 16:6 Then
Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (2)(3)
Mt 16:11 How
is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning
bread, that ye should beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? (2)(3)
Mt 16:12 Then
understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven
of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (2)(3)
Mr 8:15 And
he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees, and of the leaven
of Herod. (2)(3)
Lu 12:1 In the
mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of
people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto
his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven
of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (2)(3)
Lu 13:21 It
is like leaven, which a woman took and hid
in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. (4)
1Co 5:6 Your
glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump? (3)
1Co 5:7 Purge
out therefore the old leaven, that ye may
be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed
for us: (3)
1Co
5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven,
neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness;
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (3)
Ga 5:9 A little
leaven
leaveneth the whole lump. (3)
VERSES CONTAINING THE WORD "LEAVENETH"
1Co 5:6 Your
glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth
the whole lump? (3)
Ga 5:9 A little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump. (3)
VERSES CONTAINING THE WORD "UNLEAVENED"
Ge 19:3 And he
pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into
his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened
bread, and they did eat.
Ex 12:8 And
they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened
bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (1)
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. (1)(2)
Ex 12:17 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. (1)
Ex 12:18 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. (1)(2)
Ex 12:20 Ye
shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened
bread. (1)(2)
Ex 12:39 And
they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which
they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they
were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared
for themselves any victual. (1)
Ex 13:6 Seven
days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and
in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. (1)(2)
Ex 13:7 Unleavened
bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen
with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
(1)(2)
Ex 23:15 Thou
shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread:
(thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days,
as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it
thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) (1)(2)
Ex 29:2 And
unleavened
bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with
oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil:
of
wheaten flour shalt thou make them. (2)
Ex 29:23 And
one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the
basket of the unleavened bread that is
before the LORD: (2)
Ex 34:18 The
feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep.
Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread,
as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib
thou camest out from Egypt. (1)(2)
Le 2:4 And if
thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall
be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled
with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with
oil. (2)
Le 2:5 And if
thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall
be of fine flour unleavened, mingled
with oil. (2)
Le 6:16 And
the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened
bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle
of the congregation they shall eat it. (2)
Le 7:12 If he
offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of
thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with
oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil,
and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. (2)
Le 8:2 Take
Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and
a bullock for the sin
offering,
and two rams, and a basket of unleavened
bread; (2)
Le 8:26 And
out of the basket of unleavened bread, that
was
before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake,
and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat,
and upon the right shoulder: (2)
Le 23:6 And
on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened
bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened
bread. (1)(2)
Nu 6:15 And
a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine
flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened
bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.
(2)
Nu 6:17 And
he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the
LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread:
the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering.
(2)
Nu 6:19 And
the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened
cake out of the basket, and one unleavened
wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after
the
hair of his separation is shaven: (2)
Nu 9:11 The
fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and
eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
(2)
Nu 28:17 And
in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall
unleavened
bread be eaten. (2)
De 16:3 Thou
shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened
bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth
out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when
thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. (1)
De 16:8 Six
days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and
on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God:
thou shalt do no work therein. (2)
De 16:16 Three
times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the
place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened
bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and
they shall not appear before the LORD empty: (2)
Jos 5:11 And
they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover,
unleavened
cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. (1)(2)
Jud 6:19 And
Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened
cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the
broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented
it.
(2)
Jud 6:20 And
the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened
cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And
he did so. (2)
Jud 6:21 Then
the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in
his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened
cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and
the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the
LORD departed out of his sight. (2)
1Sa 28:24 And
the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and
took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened
bread thereof: (2)
2Ki 23:9 Nevertheless
the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in
Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened
bread among their brethren. (2)
1Ch 23:29 Both
for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the
unleavened
cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which
is fried, and for all manner of measure and size; (2)
2Ch 8:13 Even
after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of
Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts,
three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened
bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
(2)
2Ch 30:13 And
there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened
bread in the second month, a very great congregation. (2)
2Ch 30:21 And
the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of
unleavened
bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised
the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD.
(2)(5)
2Ch 35:17 And
the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time,
and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
(1)(2)
Ezr 6:22 And
kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days
with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful,
and
turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their
hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. (2)(5)
Eze
45:21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day
of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened
bread shall be eaten. (1)(5)
Mt 26:17 Now
the first day of the feast of unleavened
bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that
we prepare for thee to eat the passover? (1)(2)(3)
Mr 14:1 After
two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened
bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take
him by craft, and put him to death. (1)(2)(3)
Mr 14:12 And
the first day of unleavened bread, when they
killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that
we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? (1)(2)(3)
Lu 22:1 Now
the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which
is called the Passover. (1)(2)
Lu 22:7 Then
came the day of unleavened bread, when the
passover must be killed. (1)(2)
Ac 12:3 And
because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter
also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
(1)(2)
Ac 20:6 And
we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened
bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.(1)(2)
1Co 5:7 Purge
out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (1)(2)(3)
1Co 5:8 Therefore
let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of
malice and wickedness; but with the unleavenedbread
of sincerity and truth. (1)(2)(3)(4)
OUR KEY PASSAGE - 1 Cor. 5:1-13
1 It is reported
commonly that there is fornication among you, and
such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one
should have his father's wife.
2 And ye
are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done
this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily,
as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though
I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit,
with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver
such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit
may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your glorying
is
not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7 Purge out
therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8 Therefore
let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of
malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth.
9 I wrote unto
you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10 Yet not altogether
with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners,
or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11 But now I
have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called
a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or
a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what
have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them
that are within?
13 But them
that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves
that wicked person.
VERSE 11 - DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS
fornicator, sexually immoral, idolater, railer, drunkard, extortioner, greedy, slanderer, swindler, covetous, whoremonger
KJV
- 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company,
if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an
idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one
no not to eat.
NIV
- 11 But now I am writing to you that you must
not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral
or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such
a man do not even eat.
DBY
- 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company,
if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an
idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one
no not to eat.
YLT
- 11 and now, I did write to you not to keep company
with him, if any one, being named a brother, may be a whoremonger,
or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--with
such a one not even to eat together;
NRSV - 11
and now, I did write to you not to keep company with him, if any
one, being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--with such a one not even
to eat together;
RSV - 11 and
now, I did write to you not to keep company with him, if any one,
being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--with such a one not even
to eat together;
ASV - 11
and now, I did write to you not to keep company with him, if any
one, being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--with such a one not even
to eat together;
MKJV - 11 and
now, I did write to you not to keep company with him, if any one,
being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--with such a one not even
to eat together;
WEY - 11
and now, I did write to you not to keep company with him, if any
one, being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--with such a one not even
to eat together;
CONCLUSIONS
The main picture of leaven in the OT concerning the tabernacle and sacrifices was a picture of Israel being set apart to God, holy and without the leavening influences of the pagan nations around them. This is also a picture of the coming Messiah, who in 1 Cor. 5 is likened to the unleavened bread of the Passover. Though the picture of the unleavened bread of the Passover is also a picture of the haste to leave Egypt, it is a also a picture of the haste to leave or expel the leaven from among first Israel, and as grafted in branches, the Gentile church -- the body of Christ. The body of Christ is to be without leavening influences such as idolatry, greed, sexual perversion, slander, drunkenness, covetousness, theft.
Leaven was most often used in the NT to describe the influence of the hypocritical Pharisees who pretended to be examples of the truth but were living a lie. They burdened others with legalism but did not understand the freedom that Christ brought, nor did they truly understand Scripture. They used Scripture to lord themselves over people and put burdens on them they could not bear.
Today churches should, in celebrating the Lord's Supper with unleavened bread, be drawn a picture each time of being set apart for Christ, as well as the body of Christ broken on the cross as our "once for all" sacrifice for sin. It should also remind the church that those who would pretend to live a Christian life but are teaching false doctrine, practicing idolatry in the form of ritualistic pragmatic "means to an end", greedily running for profit by using Christian whitewashed sorcery, slandering the saints, drunk in ANY way including "drunk in the spirit", are covetous especially of high standing in the church due to "greater anointing" -- should be rebuked and expelled if they do not repent and change their ways. This is the only way the church will stand unleavened in the last days. God has hated leaven from the beginning, which is obvious by the multiple pictures in the OT. It is time to take the leaven out of the lump, deliver them over to "Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord" (1 Cor. 5:5), and move on with strengthening the relationship of those who are truly one in the Spirit, obedient to the law of Christ and the Word of God, and are living according to His purposes.