Leaven

Leaven, commonly known today as yeast, is a substance used to ferment dough, causing it to rise and become light and porous. In biblical times, leaven was typically a piece of dough retained from a previous batch, which had fermented and was then mixed into a new batch to initiate the leavening process. The concept of leaven is frequently used in the Bible, both in literal and metaphorical contexts.

In the Old Testament, leaven is often associated with corruption and impurity. For instance, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Israelites were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes as a symbol of purity and separation from sin. Exodus 12:15 states, "For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you are to remove the leaven from your houses, for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh must be cut off from Israel."

In the New Testament, leaven is used metaphorically to represent the pervasive nature of sin and false teaching. Jesus warned His disciples about the "leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees," referring to their hypocritical and erroneous teachings (Matthew 16:6). Similarly, the Apostle Paul uses leaven as a metaphor for sin in the church, urging believers to "clean out the old leaven" to become a new, unleavened batch (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).

Unleavened Bread

Unleavened bread, known as matzah in Hebrew, is bread made without leavening agents. It is flat and dense, symbolizing purity and the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, as they did not have time to let their bread rise. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately follows Passover, commemorates this event and is a time for the Israelites to remember their deliverance from slavery.

The significance of unleavened bread is deeply rooted in the Passover narrative. In Exodus 12:17-20 , God commands the Israelites to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread: "So you are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You are to observe this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come."

In the New Testament, unleavened bread takes on additional significance in the context of the Lord's Supper. During the Last Supper, Jesus broke unleavened bread and gave it to His disciples, saying, "This is My body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). This act established the use of unleavened bread as a symbol of Christ's sinless body, sacrificed for the redemption of humanity.

The use of unleavened bread in both the Old and New Testaments underscores themes of purity, deliverance, and sacrifice. It serves as a powerful reminder of God's provision and the call to holiness for His people.