A study of old and/or unique words from the Bible that are worth knowing
leaven (levən)
from Greek word ‘zume’ (Strong’s
G2219) meaning to ferment (as if boiling
up). A persuasive influence that modifies something or transforms it.
Although we don’t use this word much anymore,
women often have the advantage of understanding what it means. We can grasp
Jesus’ parables pertaining to it because of our own culinary experiences or from
those gathered from our mothers or grandmothers.
Leaven, as used in the Bible, refers to yeast.
Many of us are familiar with the commercially produced yeast that comes in jars
or packets; tiny round capsules of activity ready to transform our baked goods
into pillowy clouds of deliciousness. Stop and think of that for moment. These
granules of yeast are as small as this punctuation mark à .
ß
yet a few of them can modify an entire mound of dough!
Jesus refers to this when He describes
the kingdom of heaven in both Mathew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21.
“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three
measures of meal till it was all leavened.” (NKJV) The granules of yeast are the small beginning of the church:
12 apostles teaching and preaching the gospel of Christ in Jerusalem (Acts 2) where 3000+ souls were added to
the church (Acts 2:41-47), then it
continued to grow as the gospel was preached in all Judea and Samaria (Acts 8), and to the ends of the earth (Colossians 1:23, just as Jesus said it would
in Acts 1:8). The three measures of meal is the world and the church, though
small at first, grew and developed throughout it.
Jesus used leaven to describe something
else, something His disciples needed to be aware of and something Christians
today need to be very aware of – bad/evil influences. Jesus warned His
followers of the influence of the Pharisees and Sadducees (the religious leaders in the Jewish synagogues) and their corrupt
doctrine (Matthew 16:6-12, Mark 8:13-21),
we find out in Luke 12:1 that their doctrine is hypocrisy – commanding others
to do one thing while they did something different (consider Matthew 23:3 – the whole of chapter 23 shows the depth of
their hypocrisy).
We see this warning issued again by the
apostle Paul in Galatians 5:9 and 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, where he instructs
Christians to rid themselves of the old leaven (our old ways: malice and
wickedness) so it can no longer influence nor modify us; it only then that
we can be truly unleavened (without evil
influence of any kind) and living a life that is true and sincere!
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. … Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 101:3-4; 119:11 NKJV)
Beware of the leavening of the world (Ephesians
5:15-17, 1 Corinthians 15:33-34). Consider
your companions, are they helping you seek God or are they hindering your
efforts to follow Him? Are you doing all you can to keep yourself from bad influence? Take
time each day to examine your heart so you can identify and remove the granules
of bad influence before they begin to ferment and modify your thoughts and
behaviours. Throw away that book,
turn off the TV, shut off the computer, put down your phone, shred or compost
that newspaper/magazine, and instead fill your heart with God’s word, put on
His armour, and continue to do whatever is necessary to live a life that is
sincere and true, and influences others to turn to God!
You can do it! So can I!!
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