He wanted to avoid exposing these men to the full force of His opponents before their faith was ready to handle such a trial. Jesus gave us the first 4 symbolic examples of leaven in the New Testament. Here is leaven in the Bible. As Christians, our bodies are the “house” or Temple of God, and we are told not to “defile” God’s Temple with sin  (1 Cor 3:16-17), but rather, we are to “glorify God in our body” (1 Cor 6:19-20). Comment: Physically, leaven is a lump of old dough in a high state of fermentation, or a substance that causes dough to rise (yeast). by Mike Bennett. P Bible and Science-Yeast, A Model of Church Growth. Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21. Answer: Jesus’ Parable of the Leaven is found in two of the Gospels. Or have we let the yeast of unbelief gain a foothold, breaking down our trust in God and spreading resistance to Him throughout our life', The Word in Life Study Bible, New Testament Edition, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville; 1993), pp. In the third, Jesus warned of the leaven of Herod (he was evil and immoral: Mt 4:1-12, Mk 6:14-29, Lk 3:18-21, Lk 23:7-12), and again the Pharisees (Mk 8:15). Knowing its Old Testament significance, however, He would have used the symbol in the same way. Just a smidgen of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod suffices t… The key is that you only need to add a very small amount of fermented dough to make new dough rise. Yeast is a see also of leaven. Below are the English definition details. As nouns the difference between leaven and yeast is that leaven is any agent used to make dough rise or to have a similar effect on baked goods while yeast is an often humid, yellowish froth produced by fermenting malt worts, and used to brew beer, leaven bread, and also used in certain medicines. It is used in the bible both as symbols of positive and negative influence. 'Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.'" Luke 13:20-21). Understanding the parable “ He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough’” – Matt. Bible and Science-Yeast, A Model of Church Growth Matthew 13:33 “ The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (NIV) To understand this passage we need to look at how yeast grows. ( 1 Corinthians 5:7) (Another quality in leaven is noticed in the Bible, namely, its secretly penetrating and diffusive power. When Jesus spoke of yeast in His comments about the Pharisees and Herod (v. … Leaven/yeast is basically old, fermented dough that is placed in new dough to make it rise. Knowing its Old Testament significance, … What does the Bible use leaven to picture? Everywhere else in the Bible where the word "leaven" or "unleavened" appears, "leaven" carries with it a negative implication. Narrative. Others believe that it is negatively speaking of evil doctrine working its way into the kingdom. CONCLUSION Leaven is used as a symbol in the Bible as well as in rabbinic writings. Finally, Paul gives us a very clear final example in (1 Cor 5). That’s right, the dime store. Parable of the Leaven/Yeast: Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20-21. Yeast is a type of leaven that causes bread to rise. In this respect it was emblematic of moral influence generally, whether good or bad; and hence our Saviour adopts it as illustrating the growth of the kingdom of heaven in the individual heart and in the world at large: because (1) its source is from without; (2) it is secret in its operation; (3) it … (Gal 5:9) describes this saying, “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Bible Question: What is the meaning and significance of eating bitter herbs, eating unleavened bread, eating lamb, and drinking wine during the passover meal? 26, 30). The wheat harvest is the new harvest that characterises these wave loaves. Before sharing these examples, I should first explain why the use of leaven in these examples gives us a good picture of sin. Q. "In Exodus 13:7, the proper rendering would be, "Unfermented things [Heb. Copyright © JesusAlive.cc All rights reserved. It is interesting to note, however, that for a peace offering (Lev 7:13) and wave offering (Lev 23:17) God commanded that leaven be used. Why does Paul issue this warning? He was, of course, also without sin (1 Jn 3:5)(2 Cor 5:21)(Heb 4:15)(1 Pet 2:22). The seven churches are the primary focus of the first three chapters of Revelation. Yet, according to the commentators, this one case is the exception! Yeast, or leaven, is a powerful fungus that can cause a lump of dough to rise into bread, ferment liquids into alcohol, or cause painful infections. Leaven/yeast is basically old, fermented dough that is placed in new dough to make it rise. In 87 out of 88 times, it means something bad, but here in Matthew 13, leaven is positive. Which brings us to the Parable of the Yeast or Leaven. As Christians, we are expected to live a life of faith where we appl... y the teachings in the Bible. It is likely that this was done because they were preparing for a haste exit from the Egypt (Exodus 12:39). God does not hate yeast. Physically, leaven is a lump of old dough in a high state of fermentation, or a substance that causes dough to rise (yeast). Leaven is a see also of yeast. Yeast (leaven) could be used as a picture of sin, of evil which spreads its sinister effects everywhere, Galatians 5:9, KJV: "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Carrying this out to sin, it can be said that “a little sin can wind up destroying the whole body.” This body can be symbolic of our individual body or the larger body of Christ (i.e. Comparing the Kingdom to Yeast (Luke 13:20-21) hamets, properly "ferment." Are we heeding this warning as Christians? Bible Answer: The Jewish passover foods eaten at the feast known as the Seder, was instituted by God while the Israelites were in Egypt during the last plague. What was the response of the Pharisees? In the Gospel of Luke, the parable is as follows: The parable of the yeast is recorded in two different books of the Bible; it is recorded in Matthew 13:33 and also in Luke 13:20-21. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the definition of leaven is: “1. In every instance that leaven appears in the Bible, it represents evil; the only exception, some say, is Jesus' use of leaven in this parable. In context, Jesus has just told the Parable of the Mustard Seed which essentially has the same meaning as this yeast parable. Clearly, Jesus was warning His followers against the insidious infection of unbelief. (1 Corinthians 5:7) (Another quality in leaven is noticed in the Bible, namely, its secretly penetrating and diffusive power. As the next verse shows, they were to be of fine flour. In the New Testament, leaven and yeast were often a symbol of sin. Sin grows relentlessly. Galatians 5:9, NASB: "A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. When God commanded His people to rid their homes of leaven (Ex 12:15), they understood this. A search on Wikipedia gave two lists of leavening agents. In Bible times, the most common type of leaven was yeast. Wisdom Concerning The Secret And Revealed Things, The Net Pastor's Journal, Eng Ed, Issue 38 Winter 2021. In the Old Testament, the firstborn son was the one who normally received a double inheritance, and was the one who would inherit his father’s role as head of the family. The parable of the leaven, also called the parable of the yeast, is another parable told by Jesus to illustrate what the kingdom of God is like. read more. The reason for this is because if one person is allowed to continue in unrepentant sin (we all  sin, but as Christians we are sorry for it), it will soon affect the rest of the body (the whole lump). Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the Earth in six days, and, upon completion, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 1; 2:1-2). the Church). The Greek word “Zume” (Strong’s G2219) is the word used for Leaven which also means “fermenting matter” In the New Testament, Jesus referred to Himself as the “Bread of Life” (Jn 6:22-59). Question: "What is the meaning of the Parable of the Leaven?" Powerful enemies would lay hold of Him, and the disciples would be sorely tested. I believe a good parallel to this can be seen above, where on the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, God commanded that all leaven (sin) should be cleaned out of the house. Yeast is a bacterial fungus or mold. What leaven does. A: Whenever leaven is mentioned in the Bible (22 times in the Old Testament and 17 times in the New Testament), it always (or almost always) represents sin or evil. It lasted 7 days. It is a natural image to use because our Lord has just fed four thousand people with seven loaves of bread, and the disciples are noting how they forgot to bring enough bread for a meal with them in the boat (Mark 8:110, 1415). In the fourth, Jesus said, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy” (sin) (Lk 12:1). 160-161, Q. Unleavened. Furthermore, they were already in league with Herod and his supporters to destroy Jesus (3:6; 12:13), just as Herod had done away with John the Baptist (6:14-29). But here the birds are not enemies but welcomed guests. In addition, a “blood sacrifice” (the blood also represented Jesus in the Old Testament: Heb 9:11-28, Heb 10:11-25) was not to be offered with leavened bread (Ex 23:18)(Ex 34:25). Leaven is a see also of yeast. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” He also said such a person should be “judged” (1 Cor 5:12). In todays passage, Jesus alludes to this phenomenon of yeasts making dough rise in order to teach a spiritual lesson. Yet, according to the commentators, this one case is the exception! The third occurrence of "leaven" in the New Testament is found in Paul's letters. 1. Answer: The Bible tells us that the Israelites were to eat only unleavened bread every year during Passover as a commemoration of the Exodus from Egyptian bondage. The first instance in which this word is used is found in (Ex 12:15). Yeasts are eukaryotic and can divide by a process called budding. God was insuring that the people would remember his rescue of them from Egypt. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. 31 Bible Verses about Yeast ... You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. (Gal 5:9) describes this saying, “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”. It is used to represent human evil and corruption, and, perhaps less often, it represents the complete or permeating effect of a transforming agent. This was just before the Passover, in which God destroyed all of the firstborn of Egypt, but spared the firstborn of Israel in the last of the 10 plagues that He visited upon Egypt. First of all, the “yeast of the Pharisees” is a phrase used in many of the “new” versions to replace what the King James Bible calls, “the leaven of the Pharisees.” Leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible. 1. 3 Bible Tips: How Is Sin Like Leaven? The use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all offerings made to the Lord by fire. Since Wine and Bread are both symbols of the body of Christ, neither can be made with leaven or yeast which is a symbol for sin, since that would destroy the symbols of communion and Passover. The parable describes what happens when a woman adds leaven (old, fermented dough usually containing lactobacillus and yeast) to a large quantity of flour (about 8 1 ⁄ 2 gallons or 38 litres).The living organisms in the leaven grow overnight, so that by morning the entire quantity of dough has been affected. Heb. In this respect it was emblematic of moral influence generally, whether good or bad; and hence our Saviour adopts it as illustrating the growth of the kingdom of heaven in the individual heart and in the world at large: because (1) its source is from without; (2) it is secret in its operation; (3) it … 2. Some Bible readers mistakenly view Canaan—the Promised Land—as a portrait of heaven. Should an Unbeliever Partake of Communion? Leaven is a substance, like yeast, that when put into bread dough, spreads throughout the dough and makes it rise. (Paul makes a distinction between a Christian “brother” and a person who is not a Christian.) Jesus issues this warning: Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. In todays passage, Jesus alludes to this phenomenon of yeasts making dough rise in order to teach a spiritual lesson. Yeast or Leaven Yeast, or leaven, is a powerful fungus that can cause a lump of dough to rise into bread, ferment liquids into alcohol, or cause painful infections. Most breads, cookies and crackers list “leaven” (in one of its forms) as … Some believe that it is positively speaking of the “rise” or growth of the gospel in the world or a person’s life. Question: "What is the significance of unleavened bread?" Daily Bible Verse Blog What Is the Leaven of the Pharisees? Everywhere else in the Bible where the word "leaven" or "unleavened" appears, "leaven" carries with it a negative implication. 1 Corinthians 5:8 Meaning GALATIANS 5:9 In the Bible Verse Meaning ***Note: The word “unleavened” is first used in (Gen 19:3), and is mentioned 51 times in the Old Testament and 9 times in the New Testament. An element, influence, or agent that works subtly to lighten, enliven, or modify a whole.” ‘Yeast’ was regularly used to mean something or someone with a pervasive, undercover influence — just as the yeast in bread-making, spreads its unseen influence throughout the dough. Removing yeast from the house has become symbolic of removing sin. First of all, the “yeast of the Pharisees” is a phrase used in many of the “new” versions to replace what the King James Bible calls, “the leaven of the Pharisees.” Leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible… There are two main Hebrew words for "leaven" in Exodus 12 and 13: seor means "leaven" or "swelling by fermentation"; chamets can mean "leaven," "leavened bread," "the thing leavened," "fermented,"and—interestingly, in regard to leaven's symbolism—"cruel," "grieved," "sour," "embittered," "oppress," and "ruthless."