Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Today, we call “leaven” yeast. Such a small amount of yeast, and yet does it not perfectly spread throughout the whole lump when it is active? Anyone who has made bread or cinnamon rolls knows that a necessary ingredient is active yeast, and without it your cinnamon rolls are just not as good. However, in the Bible leaven/yeast is definitely not a good thing as Paul the apostle, the author of the above verse, makes clear.
Our post is about the following situation: God raises up a ministry and blesses it with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Everyone, but those serving in ministry more than all others, knows that the blessing is from the Lord and not from the effort of man. In the early stages, His presence is so powerful, lives are changed, and many miraculous things occur daily. Literally, there are days of heaven on earth. Then slowly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to change. Personalities and egos begin to be seen and heard, where before such a thing was non-existent. Soon, discord and division follow, and unity is only a memory. Finally, either the whole thing collapses or it limps along in a form not even recognizable to those who were present at the start. Those who serve in ministry are left shell-shocked, sick at heart, and wondering how they failed. Surely they failed, somehow falling short in faith, otherwise God would have let the blessing continue forever, right?
Here is what happened: the yeast worked perfectly, but the faith did not. Before you go on the war-path to get rid of all the yeast (in others), you should understand first of all that it is in you also, dear reader. If that is not bad enough, try this: God put it in your “lump” on purpose, just the same way you put it in your cinnamon rolls! Why? After it is cooked, it simply tastes better to Him. Once again, we apologize if we are offending your doctrines, but Father accepts full responsibility for what He does in, and to, His church. Sometimes He likes His bread un-leavened, and sometimes He likes it with leaven. Right now, dear reader, we happen to be living in an age when Father wants His bread to be leavened. Lack of faith has precious little to do with it.
This probably sounds strange to anyone who is not familiar with the feasts of the Lord. The first feast is Passover, followed immediately by the feast of Un-leavened Bread (the day after the first sabbath following Passover–the day commonly called Easter). The Israelites, and later the Jews, would actually scour their houses in an attempt to make certain THERE WAS NO LEAVEN ANYWHERE that would violate the command of YHWH/Jesus:
You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, nor is the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover to be left over until morning. Exodus 34:25 NASB
The feast of Unleavened Bread occurred at the time of the barley harvest, and the Israelites were forbidden to eat these “first fruits” until the priest had waved (“heaved”, in the King James version of the Bible) them before YHWH. The priest did not wave the bundle of barley from side to side; no, but from down, to up, then down again. At the precise moment the high priest waved the barley up, Christ ascended to the Father–He is risen, just as He said!!
Just 50 days later, the second of the feasts occurred–Pentecost, called shavuot in Hebrew. This feast coincided with the harvest of wheat. How is it that just weeks after scouring their homes to make certain there was no leaven, even in their houses, that YHWH/Jesus commanded the priests to offer the Pentecost wheat first-fruits offering with leaven? See for yourself:
You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine [wheat] flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD [YHWH]. Leviticus 23:17 NASB
The short answer is YHWH/Jesus wanted leavened bread. But why? It is a prophecy of the plan of God for the period of time in which we live, even as the Passover feast was also a prophecy for a period of time in history (His story). We highly recommend the teaching of Dr. Stephen Jones on the ages of mankind and the ages of the Church. See Chapter One of Dr. Jones’s book, The Seven Churches, here: http://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.org/COLDFUSION/booklet.cfm?PID=17. In short, since 33 A.D. God planned for ministry to Him to be offered with leaven, and whether you like it or not, would have planned it differently or not, or believe you can have enough faith to avoid the effects of the leaven, dear reader, it’s going to be offered with leaven–at least for now.
Do not despair! There are more feasts/ages to come! Next to come: the grape harvest! And those feasts have NO LEAVEN–and neither will His ministry,when Isaiah 61 is fulfilled:
1The Spirit of the Lord GOD [YHWH] is upon me, because the LORD [YHWH] has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners;
2To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD [YHWH] and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn,
3To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting so they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD [YHWH], that He may be glorified.
4Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
5Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, and foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
6But you will be called the priests of the LORD [YHWH]; you will be spoken of as ministers of our God–you will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
7Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion–therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs.
8For I, the LORD [YHWH], love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; and I will faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9Then their offspring will be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples. All who see them will recognize them because they are the offspring whom the LORD [YHWH] has blessed. Isaiah 61:1-9 NASB
In those days, faith will be perfected, and the leaven won’t work! Take heart, faithful servant, and remember that your labor is not in vain–He who holds tomorrow is faithful.
My precious bride, the day is nearing
When I’ll take you in My arms and hold you
I know there are so many things that you’ve been hearing
But you just hold on to what I have told youFor when I hear the praises start
My bride, I want to rain upon you
Blessings that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are My child, and you know Me
To me you’re only holy
Nothing that you’ve done will remain
Only what you do for me
–Keith Green, When I Hear The Praises Start
Blessed are You, O Lord, our wonderful God. With wisdom You have planned the ages, and with great lovingkindness/chesed You will draw all men to Yourself in mercy and compassion. Be pleased with, and enjoy, Your bread, leavened and unleavened. All men will praise You for the greatness of Your plan.