What Old Testament passages relate to the concept of leaven and sin? The Warning from 1 Corinthians 5:6 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough?” Old Testament Foundations for Leaven as a Picture of Sin • Exodus 12:15 – “For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses…” • Exodus 12:17, 19 – Leaven purged during Passover so no “impurity” remained among the covenant people. • Exodus 13:3, 6-7 – Israel commanded to remember redemption by eating “nothing leavened,” underscoring separation from Egypt’s old life. • Leviticus 2:11 – “No grain offering that you present to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for no leaven or honey may be burned as an offering…”—fermentation symbolized corruption unfit for the altar. • Leviticus 6:17-18 – Priestly portions of grain offerings were eaten “unleavened,” keeping the priests themselves free from emblematic defilement. • Deuteronomy 16:3-4 – Unleavened bread called “the bread of affliction” so Israel would remember haste of deliverance and avoid lingering in former bondage. • Leviticus 23:6 – Feast of Unleavened Bread formally anchored the annual calendar, a week-long picture of life cleansed from corruption. • Leviticus 23:17 – Two wave-loaves for Pentecost were baked “with leaven,” highlighting that only after the firstfruit sheaf (Christ) could leavened people be presented—grace dealing with our sin. • Amos 4:5 – God exposes hypocritical worshipers who “burn leaven as a thank offering,” twisting what He forbade and illustrating sin’s subtle spread among the people. Shared Themes Connecting Leaven and Sin • Removal—Leaven had to be sought out and cast away; sin must be identified and expelled (1 Corinthians 5:7). • Speed—Leaven works quietly yet pervasively; sin, left unchecked, permeates the whole community. • Purity—Nothing leavened went on the altar; worship demands holiness (Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16). • Memory—Unleavened bread annually reminded Israel of liberation; believers remember Christ our Passover, sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Practical Take-Aways • Clean house—Just as Israel inspected every corner for leaven, examine attitudes, conversations, and habits. • Act quickly—Delay allows sin to ferment. Swift repentance keeps fellowship sweet. • Stay distinct—Leaven’s absence marked Israel as different from Egypt; a pure lifestyle marks Christ’s people as different from the world. Scripture Echoes to Reinforce the Lesson • Matthew 16:6, 11-12; Mark 8:15—Jesus warns of the “leaven” of Pharisees and Herod. • Galatians 5:9—“A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough.” The Old Testament imagery still speaks: sin spreads, so remove it decisively and walk in the unleavened sincerity and truth provided by our Passover Lamb. |
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