Topical Bible: Leaven (Yeast): Leavened Bread Forbidden: At the Passover Meal

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Topical Encyclopedia

Leaven, commonly known as yeast, is a substance used in baking to cause dough to rise. In biblical times, leaven was a symbol of sin and corruption due to its fermenting process, which spreads throughout the dough. This symbolism is particularly significant in the context of the Passover meal, where leavened bread is expressly forbidden.

Biblical Context and Commandments

The prohibition against leavened bread during the Passover is rooted in the historical and spiritual narrative of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. As recorded in the Book of Exodus, God commanded the Israelites to prepare for their swift departure from bondage by eating unleavened bread, known as matzah, during the Passover meal. This command is detailed in Exodus 12:15-20 :

"For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly, and another on the seventh day. You must not do any work on those days, except to prepare the meals—that is all you may do. You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you are to keep this day as a permanent statute for the generations to come. In the first month, you are to eat unleavened bread from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person must be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a foreigner or native of the land. You are not to eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes."

Symbolism and Spiritual Significance

The removal of leaven from the home and diet during Passover serves as a powerful symbol of purification and separation from sin. Just as leaven permeates and transforms dough, sin can infiltrate and corrupt the human heart. The act of removing leaven is a physical representation of the spiritual cleansing that God desires for His people.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul draws on this symbolism to encourage believers to live lives of sincerity and truth. In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 , Paul writes:

"Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Conclusion

The prohibition of leavened bread during the Passover meal is a profound reminder of the call to holiness and the need for spiritual vigilance. By observing this command, the Israelites were not only commemorating their deliverance from Egypt but also embracing a life set apart for God. This practice continues to hold deep spiritual significance for believers, serving as a call to examine one's life and remove any "leaven" that may hinder a faithful walk with God.

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Exodus 12:19,20
Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whoever eats 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.
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Exodus 13:3,4,7
And Moses said to the people, Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
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Exodus 23:18
You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
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