john14six

Do not be anxious...

This is always a good reminder...especially for someone who worries as much as I do:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

Literal Interpretation of the bible?

In the reading this week, we come across Ephesians 5:22-33.  This is the passage that says a woman must completely submit to her husband.  I am not sure this is to be taken as word for word law, but rather the spirit of the law holds true.  This really points to an even bigger question: do you take the bible by its literal interpretation.  I am not sure and struggle with many issues. The bible talks about slaves respecting their masters, I do not believe the Lord is telling us slavery is OK, but rather this was written in a time when slavery was OK. The same is true with the role of the woman in the household. It was a different time back then. However, back then sexual immorality (sex before marriage, homosexuality, divorce, infidelity, etc…) occurred and the bible addressed that. The same things occur today, but society has changed and become more accepting of it. Is that the same? Not sure. It is an issue that continues to be at the forefront of our churches today. In California, the Supreme Court recently ruled that gay couple can be legally married and many initiatives are being run to take action in the November election. It is a really hard issue and one that I don’t think we will know the absolute answer on until Jesus returns to set the record strait.  I personally believe in a forgiving God, one who says to love your neighbors and your enemies. I struggle with this issue daily.

 

In searching through the internet looking for articles on the literal interpretation of the bible, I found this open letter to Dr. Laura.  I am neither defending Dr. Laura’s remarks that being homosexual is a genetic error, nor am I trying to say the bible should be ignored on homosexuality.  However, this is a rather humorous response….in the end, I still find myself struggling with this issue.

Dear Dr. Laura,             

            

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's law. I have learned a great deal from you, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.             

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. How should I deal with this?             

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as it suggests in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?             

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.             

Lev. 25:44 states that I may buy slaves from the nations that are around us. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans but not Canadians. Can you clarify?             

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?             

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 10:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?             

Lev. 20:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear prescription glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.  Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

-Author unknown (there are rumors, but no one knows for sure)

   Yes, this letter shows that the Levitical laws obviously do not apply in today's society if taken literally.  However, the spirit of the law still hold true, and I will always believe that God's word is eternal and unchanging.  I am sure many of you also struggle with these issues....all you can do is read your bible and pray for guidance.

Psalms 19:14

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."
Psalms 19:14

Remember this Psalm before sitting down to do you bible study and as you go throughout your day. Clear your mind of your todo lists, your e-mail, etc... Go to the Lord focused on him and open your heart to his teachings...easier said then done, but it is something I try to do. God will always meet you whererver you are, you just have to give him your time and your heart.

Remember me with favor, O my God

I just finished reading Nehemiah. I really enjoyed this book. Nehemiah Chapter 9 gives a good summary of the first half of the old testament and the struggles and blessings of God's chosen people.

Nehemiah felt the calling of the Lord to restore Jerusalem, both the city, walls, and the people that reside within it. He is very bold and leans on the Lord to get the job done. He asks for guidance and strength. During the rebuilding of the wall he asks the people to carry loads with one hand and carry a sword with the other...do not fear the enemies that want to kill you...God will protect you. In all he did he would call out to the Lord: "Remember me with your favor, O my God." A great way to live your life....do you have a little Nehemiah in you?

Reading for the week of: 6/15/2008-6/21/2008

Proverbs 15-21

2 Corinthians 4-10

2 Kings 20-25

Read from:  NIV,  King James,  New Living Translation  (link to BibleGateway.com) Link will open in a new window.

This week we start new chapters:

1 Chronicles 1-9

Read from:  NIV,  King James,  New Living Translation  (link to BibleGateway.com) Link will open in a new window.

Reading plan from "Maranatha Chapel's: A Year in The Word"

John 16:33

Whenever you are feeling like the weight of the world is too heavy, and feel the world is against you, remember this verse:

In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NIV)

Jesus was telling his disciples that they will be prosecuted for their teachings, that people will kick them out of the synagogues, that they will be mocked.  He tells them that they will face hard times in this world.  There is good news though, he will not leave them.  Through him, they can do anything.  He has come the world and has conquered it.  Through him, you can handle anything that comes your way.  A little bit of prayer and a ton of faith, Jesus will always be by your side.  That gives me great comfort.

I can't wait for the day....

You are in your car driving home.  Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you’ve ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don’t know, but you want to know.. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren’t the only curious one.  The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The
Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players and
parents are searching the clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen.


As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None.


From every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky.


North.  South. East. West.


Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of the  trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.. The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship.


Presently the movement stops and the trumpets are silent, leaving only the triumphant triplet: Holy, holy, holy. Between each word is a pause. With each word, a profound reverence. You hear your voice join in the chorus.  You don’t know why you say the words, but you know you must.


Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there He is. Jesus.


Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of Christ the King. He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud. He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration:


I am the Alpha and the Omega.


The angels bow their heads.. The elders remove their crowns. And before you is a Figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters. Forget stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing is newsworthy…All that mattered, matters no more.... for Christ has come.

Please let me know the exact time you read this. It is mystical—honest.


This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, he saw me, and he asked: My child, what is your greatest wish for today?


I responded: ‘Lord please; take care of the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much’.


The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings but not its    end.


This message works on the day you receive it.


To some it may sound dumb, but the person who sent this to me was impressed with its timing. Let us see if it is true.


ANGELS EXIST, but sometimes, since they don’t all have wings we call them FRIENDS, SUCH AS YOU.

A lamp to my feet

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalms 119:105

Do you let His words fall to the ground?

The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and  he let none of his words fall to the ground. 1 Samuel 3:19 (NIV)

I wish I could say I have lived the life of Samuel and listened and embraced everything the Lord has said to me.  There have been many times I have let his words "fall to the ground".  It is such a blessing to have the Lord love us, to care about us, and to speak to us.  I know there are times when the Lord speaks to me and is guiding me on how to live my life:  "don't boast, show compassion, don't judge them, help that man on the street, love your neighbor, ...."  We have all heard his words.  Try not to let them fall to the ground...I am trying.

The Capstone

Psalms 118:22 (NIV)
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.

The capstone is Jesus and the builders are the religious leaders who refused to accept his teachings.  The building is religion.  A capstone was probably a crucial stone at one of the corners of the building.  This stone would support a great deal of weight and  it would define the size and shape of the building.  This is what Jesus does...he defines our religion he gives it shape and without him the building crumbles.  In his day, Jesus was mocked and rejected.  Little did they know.

Gideon - Judges 6-9

I did not think that I was going to enjoy the old testament as much as I have. I am in Judges and I am reading about the different Judges (aka Leaders) that have delivered Israel in the name of the Lord. The people of Israel continue in the pattern of breaking from the law of the Lord and worshipping other Gods and Idols. This leads to famine, despair and attacks from neighboring kingdoms. Each time the Lord raises up a "Judge" to correct the ways of Israel and deliver them in the name of the Lord. I just read about Gideon (Judges 6-8). I found it fascinating at how insecure he was in his calling and how he repeatedly asked for additional signs from the Lord. Here are the signs:

He placed an offering on a rock and from the rock, fire engulfed the offering. After receiving the sign, he followed the Lord's command and destroyed the alter of Baal and the Asherah pole next to it.

He then placed a piece of wool outside and asked the Lord for an additional sign: if only the peice of wool had dew on it and the rest of the ground dry...he could be convinced. The next morning, that is exactly what he found. The ground was dry and he wrung the dew ot of the wool. Still not convinced, he asked for another sign. This time he asked that the ground be covered with dew and the wool dry. The Lord delivered and he awoke to a dew soaked ground and dry wool. I guess he was finally convinced.

He assembled a huge army of over 20,000 men. The Lord said that the numbers were too many and that he need to send some home. He released 10,000 men and the Lord still said that there were too many. He said to take the men to drink from the stream. The men who kneeled to drink were sent home and the men who lapped up the water were sent to battle (~300 men). The Lord knew that if the battle was won by simply outnumbering the enemy, they would not acknowledge that it was the Lord, but due to their own hands. However, if they won with only 300 men, there would be no doubt that the Lord had delivered them....AGAIN!!!

When the time had come, Gideon assembled his army and prepared for battle. Waiting for a sign from the Lord, Gideon would attack. He told the men, do as I do. They were armed with trumpets and empty jars in with torches inside. He told them: "When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'" Judges 7:18 (NIV). They defeated the Midianites and forced them from the land.

The Israelites pleaded with Gideon to be their king, but he refused, telling them that only God was their ruler. He did make one request. He asked for one earring from each of the men from their share of the plunder. From this he made an ephod as a sign of their battle. It became a symbol that would be worshipped by the people and became a a snare to Gideon and his family. Despite the peace that they enjoyed, they soon fell back into their old ways of worshipping other Gods and Idols. They soon forgot all the good things that Gideon had done.

This is a fascinating story. Who said the bible was boring.....NOT ME!!!

The coming Kingdom

I am in Luke chapter 17:20-37.

Jesus is asked about when the kingdom of God will come to the earth. He makes clear that there will be no doubt when it occurs. He also notes that the son of man must suffer and be rejected by this generation. This was true in the day of Noah and the day of Lot. They were eating and drinking and being married as Noah was loading up the Ark. It will be the same when he returns again. Some will be working together and one will be taken and the other left behind. It is so sad to realize how many people do not know the Lord and will be left behind. We will not know the hour or the day...do not be one that is left behind...if you do not know Jesus, do not wait a day or an hour to meet him.

More than a fan club

Luke 13:22-30 : The narrow door.

The Lord wants an intimate relationship with you and not just a fan club. He wants more than someone to say: I have heard of Jesus, I have been to church. He wants people to believe in him, to know that there is only one way to enter the gates of heaven: through the blood of Jesus. Through an intimate relationship with him. Many will not enter because they missed this point. Does he know you? He wants to know you...all you have to do is ask.

Psalms 91

This gives me great comfort:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the almighty -Psalms 91:1 (NIV)

A puzzling parable

This parable was a little puzzling to me, so I went and got some help on this one. Not only did I find what I was looking for, but also a great series of commentaries on the New Testament. You can find the book here. Just to set the scene for this passage, the Pharises and the teachers of the law saw Jesus and his disciples eating and drinking and having a good time. They thought that the disciples were too cheerful. They were surprised that they were not fasting. Here is the passage and his answer:

33They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking." 34Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast." 36He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "

He tells them that, while in his company, the disciples are very happy, so why practice a mournful ritual of worship. He already hints at the day when he will not be with them... in those days, they will fast. Verse 36 gets into the less strait-forward explanation. He uses the illustration of patching torn clothes. You would not tear a new garment, to fix the old garment...it just not make sense and they would not match. And then he talks about wineskins. Wineskins were made from the skin of animals to hold liquids. When they are new, they are flexible and able to expand. As they age, they get tight and can burst if you try to expand them. New wine must be put into new wineskins. He is using both analogies to make this point: He is not just patching up Judaism, but rather teaching something radically new. If he tries to explain his teaching in the constraints of the "old wineskin" of Judaism (practices like fasting), the result would be disastrous. This is totally new. He realized that his teachings may not be palatable to some: those who prefer the old wine would not enjoy the new wine. To them the old wine is better. You have to remember how much of a radical Jesus actually was (in a good way of course). His teachings were not immediately accepted and many did not get it. I have to admit that I had read this parable before and just did not understand it. I am really glad that I found the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries and figured this one out. I am constantly amazed at the depth of the teachings in the bible. I can see how you can read it over and over again and learn something new each time.

Psalms 90:12

A prayer of Moses the man of God: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalms 90:12 (NIV)

Don't be a stiff-necked people

I am in Deuteronomy now and I came across the expression: "...you are a stiff-necked people." Deuteronomy 9:6 (NIV).  What in the world does that mean...it does not sound good, but I thought I would go a little deeper and see what it means.

To set the context, Moses is about to send God's chosen people across the Jordan to settle in the land the Lord has given to them.  Moses is not allowed to go with them and stays there, where he ultimately dies on Mount Nebo in the care of our Lord....that alone is amazing.  Maybe more on that later.  Moses is sending them off and is restating the laws and commandments to them.  He tells them not to be arrogant.

1 Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. 2 The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: "Who can stand up against the Anakites?" 3 But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you. 4 After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Deuteronomy 9:1-6 (NIV)

The adjective "Stiff-necked" was coined by William Tyndale for his 1526 translation of the Acts of the Apostles (7:51).  Their necks are called stiff, because they refuse to bend to God's will.  This unwillingness to bend is well documented from Exodus through Deuteronomy, despite all the Lord had done for his people.

How often we are stiff-necked to things we know we should be doing.  It is a constant struggle.  I pray that you remember to bend to the will of the Lord and not be a stiff-necked people.

impress them on your children

I am now in Deuteronomy and Moses is reminding Israel of the struggles they went through, the commandments the Lord gave then, and to keep God's laws.

He says: Hear, I Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit in your home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of you houses and your gates.  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV).

The first will be last and the last first???

31But many who are first will be last, and the last first." Mark 10:31(NIV)

I have never quite understood this verse. I am still not sure this is what it means, but here is what I have come to the conclusion on...as of right now: If you read it as: Those who put themselves first will be the last to enter the gates of heaven, but those who but others ahead of themselves, they will be the first to enter the gates of heaven. The idea that we are not here to be served by this world, but rather to serve others...to help out your neighbor, the homeless, the less fortunate...to try to make this world a better place, even if that means personal self sacrifice. We often get caught up in the mindset that the world owes me, I need to look out for number one, do whatever need be to get ahead. The Lord wants us to love one another, help each other out, and try to leave this world a little better than the way we found it....even if it means sacrificing our own personal interests. That is what I think Jesus was trying to get across with this versus.

Is the Lord's arm too short?

I am reading Numbers chapter 11, and Moses is leading the tribes through the desert.  The people become restless and are tired of eating manna everyday.  They complain to Moses that they just want some meat, that when in Egypt, they had all the fish they could dream of for free.  Moses goes to the Lord and cries out: why does the responsibilty for these people fall on my shoulders?  The weight is too much to bear.  The Lord tells Moses that he is there with him and he will find someone to help carry the load. The Lord replied "is the Lord's arm too short?" Numbers 11:23 (NIV) Soon the seventy elders are out preaching and there is more quail to eat than they can carry. 

At times we all feel that the weight of the world is on our shoulders and it seems to heavy to bear.  Do as Moses does, even if it seems impossible, and pray for help.  The Lord has long arms and can help carry the load.

Take the seed and be good soil

The Parable of the Sower

1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." 9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'[a]"

13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." Mark 4:1-20 (NIV)

I have said it before, and say it again: I love the parables!!! Take the seed and be good soil!!

Get up, take your mat and walk

This is one of my favorite stories:

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11"I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Mark 2:1-12 (NIV)

Seeing miracles is awesome, but Jesus reminds us that it is nothing compared to forgiveness of sin. I have a hard time fully grasping and understanding how truly incredible it is that our sins can be forgiven. I also love how Jesus would do things to make his point. Here he is being called out by the priests for blasphemy. In an answer to this, he not only shows his power and authority, but let's us know how incredible forgiving us of our sins can be. I can only imagine the reaction from the crowd and how little those priests must have felt. Awesome.

Leviticus

I have to admit that Leviticus is not going to make "my favorite chapters in the bible" list.  It is interesting and goes into amazing detail of how each of the sacrifices and offerings are to be 
prepared.  Some argue that the old testament is not relevant, and after reading Leviticus I almost agree.  However this was a time before the coming of Christ, before his teachings, before he gave himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  Before he came people had to go to great lengths to seek forgiveness.  Today we do not to do that.   There is no sacrifice great enough to match the sacrifice Jesus gave for us.  He paid for our sins of the past and our sins of the future.  All we have to do is acknowledge our sins and ask for forgiveness...the sacrifice has already been given.  Thank you Jesus.

Paul has a sense of humor

Paul is on trial before King Agrippa. The

Jews want him put to death for speaking of the resurrection and the

works of Jesus. He pleads with the king to listen to him carefully

and then goes on to witness to him about Jesus. The king asks him if

he thinks that he could persuade him to become a Christian is such a

short time. His reply is great (Acts 29 NIV):

 

...short time or long time- I pray God that not only you but all who

are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.

 

Awesome!!!

Leavened vs Unleavened Bread

So what is leavened or unleavened bread. Leaven is another name for yeast. That is fine, but why not eat it. In Exodus, Moses keep going on and on about unleavened bread. I am not a biblical scholar, so I Googled it. I came across more information than I could read through. I did find a very informative and indepth article on the subject. Check this out. To summarize, the use of leaven can be found in may different places in the bible. Let’s start with the passages in question:

3 Then Moses said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving. 5 When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your forefathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the LORD. 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. 10 You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year. Exodus 13:3-9 (NIV)

Let’s go back to how they used to make leavened bread. They did not know that yeast was responsible for making the bread rise….they knew that if they mixed flour and water and put it in a cool place for a long time, the bread would rise. Then if they kept back a small piece, it could be seeded into a new batch to speed up the process. It was a way of continuing the use of past yeast to make new bread.

In this passage Moses tells them not to use leavened bread. Do not use the past to make bread of a new day. The Lord has just delivered them from Egypt and has promised them a new day, the past is in the past.

As the author of the article describes:

We can see the different symbolism that an ancient writer might use from bread baking to represent certain concepts: leavening represents a connection with the past, a flavoring when it becomes old, a force that invisibly spreads, a change that is also unseen, complexity, activity/festivity and involves labor. Dough without leaven represents haste, a break with the past, an absence of extra flavor, simplicity, inactivity, powerlessness and a lack of labor.

The use of leaven is used all throughout the bible. Here are a couple of examples:

6"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Matthew 16:6

33He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount[b] of flour until it worked all through the dough." Matthew 13:33 (NIV)

This is just another example of how much I do not know about the bible, but that I am learning through my readings. Very cool.