LEAVEN PART ONE
Leaven can be a confusing Biblical term because it can have both positive and negative meaning and because it is generally interpreted to symbolically represent sin. Sin, of course, inspires fairly clear associations for most people across the religious spectrum and even in the non-religious community. But, the way we see it, the fact of universal agreement about its meaning is a clear indicator that it is interpreted with Old/First Covenant, literal understanding and not with a spiritual New Covenant understanding. So that is the focus of this series of pages.

STUDY TIP: See God’s Written Word and God’s Spoken Voice

We begin by looking at the Hebrew and Greek words that are translated as leaven or yeast.

These definitions hold no surprises or nuances that affect our understanding of what leavened and unleavened bread are. There is nuance, however, in the understanding of how leaven/yeast works. In this Wikipedia article we learn that leaven as a noun is a chemical, mechanical or biological agent that lightens or softens a dough or batter. Merriam Webster says that leaven is a substance (such as yeast) used to do one of the following:

What we know from these definitions and our practical experience in cooking is that leaven has the effect of making things puff up and be lighter than they would otherwise be. This is the essence of leaven that God has in mind when he uses it to describe spiritual bread.

Merriam Webster also says that leaven can be used as a transitive verb where an action that makes the thing to which it is applied less serious and often more exciting. Here is a quotation by William McIlvanney that uses “leaven” in this way:

“Good lies need a leavening of truth to make them palatable.”

This quotation is especially instructive in our quest to understand the spiritual meaning of leavening in the Bible. It is especially instructive when we consider it alongside the following scripture:

1 Corinthians 8:1-12 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” “Knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if one loves God, one is known by him. 4 Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth–as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords” — 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Knowledge in this scripture is not spiritual. It is natural, human knowledge that is available to everyone. Acquisition of this kind of knowledge tends to make people proud of what they know and their ability to apply it. People who have such knowledge think that they know something, and indeed they do know something but what they know is not from God. It is human wisdom taught by men who admire and value such knowledge because having it makes them feel superior to others and it creates envy on the part of those who do not have it.

COMMENTARY: See Two Kinds of Knowledge for more about knowledge that puffs up those who think they have it.

This kind of human knowledge is the leavening agent by which the truth of God’s laws are interpreted. Well-meaning but deceived religious leaders fill themselves with the literal words of the Bible thinking that they have all the truth they need for righteousness. They wrongly believe that the Bible in its written form is what God wants them to learn and obey. While it is true that the written Bible does have value for training in righteousness, it is also true that learning to increase knowledge of the written word alone will not bring anyone to spiritual knowledge of the truth. The perfect kind of knowledge that God wants his people to seek is learned only by listening to the voice of God through his Spirit speaking truth to the hearts of men with true understanding.

STUDY TIP: See God’s Written Word and God’s Spoken Voice Part 1 for more about God speaking to the heart.