Beware of leaven!
At the end of the feast of the seven days of unleavened bread also called Passover, we are honored to be invited to a feast day by our Creator and Father Yehoah. We can indeed join Him especially in the city where His name resides eternally.
Let's read this invitation in Leviticus 23: 1-2 and 4-8:
" 1 And Yehoah spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of Yehoah, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts....
4 ‘These are the feasts of Yehoah, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. 5 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is Yehoah’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Yehoah; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. 8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yehoah for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.”
We must hope to come out enriched by the feast of unleavened bread so as to pursue our journey to the kingdom of our Lord.
Remember that to become richer for Elohim does not mean to increase earthly and material wealth as we have shown elsewhere. Indeed, the search for earthly riches presents a great danger because of the risk to fall into the slavery to come planned by the Beast and his prophet for all the human beings during the short period of time following the fall of Babylon the Great, the harlot!
The enrichment I want to tell you about is an enrichment of heavenly riches, the ones that Yeshuah and his disciples have talked so much about. The heavenly riches are marvelously symbolized by those unleavened bread that fed us during the seven days of the feast.
One of the signs accompanying this last day of celebration of this feast is to have lived without this old and bad leaven, as Paul writes in I Corinthians 5: 6-8
"6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
Paul makes this recommendation because this old leaven symbolizes indeed the pride that swells men and makes them believe that they are above the law of their Creator; just read what he wrote earlier in the same chapter in verses 1 to 5:
"1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Yeshuah Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Yeshuah Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Yeshuah."
The new dough that we hope to have become is a dough that lets itself be shaped under the hands of the Creator, all in harmony with his commandments. But to let oneself be modeled, one must be the opposite of the proud, one must indeed be humble! Remember what Yeshuah at the last Passover decided to do: to wash the feet of all his disciples, including Judas who had already agreed to betray him for money. He, the Lord, the Word of Elohim made flesh, comes humbly to serve us.
Everywhere the Bible invites us to be humble and seek to make ourselves useful by doing what is pleasing to our neighbor whoever he may be! But beware, we must do this without compromising with the commandments of our Father.
For example, one of the things we must never forget is to be lovingly subject to all the authorities in the world. Let's read how Peter tells us that in I Peter 2: 11-25:
"11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify Elohim in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for Yehoah’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of Elohim, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of Elohim. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear Elohim. Honor the king.
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward Elohim one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before Elohim. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. "
Sometimes we lose control on ourselves by pronouncing judgments and uttering abusive words about others in general and the authorities in particular! This attitude is the fruit of the old leaven that was in us. Today, we are offered the opportunity to start from scratch with this new dough of respect and love for all.
In this regard, remember as we have just read that we are not here in our kingdom in this today’s world, wherever we are. We are foreigners in this world whose authorities, though set up by Yehoah, are led by Satan! We owe respect to all these authorities.
Paul gives us several examples to ponder, such as when he will speak at their request to the Athenians at the Areopagus, Acts 17: 16-34:
"16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was [e]given over to idols. 17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. 18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?”
Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Yeshuah and the resurrection.
19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? 20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” 21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Yehoah of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek Yehoah, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them."
Let's read how respectful Paul speaks to King Agrippa in Acts 26: 1-32:
"1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.”
So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: 2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, 3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 “My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. 5 They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by Elohim to our fathers. 7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving Elohim night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
9 “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things [a]contrary to the name of Yeshuah of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Yeshuah, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will [b]deliver you from the Jewishpeople, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I [c]now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to Elohim, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified[d] by faith in Me.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to Elohim, and do works befitting repentance. 21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.22 Therefore, having obtained help from Elohim, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— 23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”
25 But he said, “I am not [e]mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. 26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
29 And Paul said, “I would to Elohim that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
30 When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; 31 and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”
32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
So, try to follow these examples and show great modesty by remembering the advice of King Solomon written in Proverbs 25: 6-7:
“6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of the great; 7 for it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.”
But we must also know our gifts and make them fruitfully growing as most servants of the parable of Yeshuah did in Matthew 25: 14-30:
"14 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"
Doing so by creatively developing our gifts, we will walk in the footsteps of our Savior and His disciples. It also means that we will take a growing responsibility in the work of our Father because as for his Son and his disciples, we will generate interest among those around us. Many will be attracted by our actions and their fruits. For some of them it will be like a revelation that will turn them to life while for others it will generate hatred and rejection that lead to death. This is what Paul writes in II Corinthians 2: 14-17:
"14 Now thanks be to Elohim who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to Elohim the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of Elohim; but as of sincerity, but as from Elohim, we speak in the sight of Elohim in Christ."
Without knowing it, we will spread a pleasant flagance around us!
To conclude, we must now replace the old leaven that we eliminated before the feast by a new kind of leaven that Yeshuah mentions in Matthew 13:33:
“Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”