Daily devotional, Feb 10, 2024 Blooming Yeast
"Moses said to the people,“Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten."
Exodus 13:3
As a homebaker I never tire of seeing yeast bloom. Even if I know that my yeast is fine, I still try to bloom it and love observing it all puffed up after a few minutes. I ask my kids to join in watching too, it is like a science experiment for them.
In the Book of Deuteronomy the Lord asked the Israelites to never forget about their story of deliverance. How they rushed up from Egypt with bowls of unleavened dough in their hands, while being delivered by the Lord from the hands of their Egyptian slave masters.
"Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel."
Exodus 12:14-15
By keeping in mind the power and might of the Lord, we Christians can remain hopeful amidst the trials and challenges. We can worship him with overwhelming gratitude despite our pains, and believe in our heart of hearts that just like before, and as He promised, He will carry us through the dark valleys that we are traversing.
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8-9
For those who are unfamiliar, leavened bread has yeast, and unleavened has no yeast. Yeast is a fermented substance that is important in the bread making process. It makes a bread puffier, and softer giving it an airy texture and distinct aroma and flavor. However, Biblical scholars say it is likened to sin.
Israelites for instance are being asked to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread to remember their deliverance from slavery. Scholars say it is also symbolic of eliminating sin, because like pride, yeast makes us “puffed up” in ourselves. We tend to think of ourselves as bigger than we are.
Moreover, scholars also say that the week-long feast is also meant to “cleanse” from long term sinning. Back in the days when they used dough starters made of portions of older dough that has fermented, it is thought that the small amount of dough could get contaminated with bad bacteria if left unattended for days. Hence, for health safety reasons it needs to be disposed of, and a fresh batch of starter will be needed to make new bread again. It is the same with us Christians, old habits and even generational sin, should be put to an end, and regular reflection is needed to recognize character flaws that keep us apart from the Lord.
This was actually one of the messages of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthian Church:
"Your boasting is not good. 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
On the other hand, yeast is also used to symbolize another type of possible decay that could happen to people. In the New Testament, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself warned His disciples about the yeast that could creep up and spread false teachings.
"How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Matthew 16:11-12
At the end of the day we should examine ourselves whether we are getting puffed up and if sin is creeping into our lives and turning us away from our Christian beliefs. The best way to do this is by keeping a close relationship with Jesus, reflecting on our lives and trying our best to grow in Christlikeness.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Deuteronomy 16:1-8 and Matthew 16:5-12 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Is sin puffing up your heart? How can Jesus help you remain “unleavened”?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, allow me to see the pockets of yeasts in my life that leave me prideful and keep me from sinning. Give me the confidence to turn away from all these so I could live a life that is glorifying to you. Amen.