Why Unleavened Bread?

Question

Why Unleavened Bread?

Answer 1

The bread taken by the Jews as they left Egypt was supposedly unleavened because they did not have time to allow the dough to rise on their way out. The unleavened bread at the alter is to remind Jews of the Exodus.

Answer 2

I have heard two reasons, based on the biological fact that yeast is, quite literally, a living bacteria culture.



1) In the much celebrated Exodus, there was no time to prepare the cultures for travel. The unleavened bread is a reminder that we must be prepared to leave EVERYTHING behind at a moment's notice.



2) Even with microscopes and advanced testing equipment, bacteria are scary critters. They were even scarier before we had a name for them and microscopes to study them with.

Answer 3

Days of Unleavened bread. 7 days a year. Old Testament. Falls between Passover and Pentecost. No, not wine. No, don't keep lent. Significance... to remember the Hebrews making haste as they fled Egypt. Symbolism: The 'leavening' is symbolized as 'sin' and this is the putting out of sin from their lives. Grew up in the cult that lived like this... all old testament holy days were strictly kept. The Days of Unleavened Bread ... also we had to 'unleaven' our homes, offices, etc. any property we owned, was to become unleavened.

Answer 4

They were huge loaves and stayed freshly baked for a week, they were replaced with new loaves and even a small piece, the size of a pea, would satisfy one of the priests (the loaves were eaten by the 100s of priests there, so the amount wasn't much per person). It was like the manna---



The exodus bread, had yeast, but yet didn't rise, the flat bread was instantly baked and why it was flat .... there is a difference. The people that were going to leave on the Exodus did have bread, but without the yeast when they had the lamb.



The unleavened bread is [eaten] because the sages & ancestors were redeemed from Egypt, as it is said, ‘And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt . . . ' The Hagadah continues that when Gd redeemed our forefathers from Egypt, their dough did not have time to rise--12:39) ‘And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not remain, neither had they prepared for themselves any provision.' We therefore eat Matzah on Pesach in commemoration of this event.

This reason is a bit perplexing. When Gd gave the commandment to the Jewish people to eat the Korban Pesach in Egypt, it was prior to the nation's departure. One part of the commandment was "And they shall eat the meat in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread . . . " The consumption of unleaven bread, Matzah, was given to the nation even before they left, before the incident with the dough that did not have time to rise occurred.



A culture was not needed for the Show Bread as the manna was filling for those that ate it each week.



However, the Manna assumed the taste, texture and nutritional value of any food that one wanted, thus causing the Jewish people to be nourished and sated. They always had sufficient Manna regardless of the volume that they had collected. The Manna caused blessing "in their innards." Another miracle of the Manna was that since it was absorbed in the inner organs, there was no need for bodily functions. However, the all-encompassing blessing was that the Jewish people did not need to be preoccupied with providing and preparing nourishment for themselves. Thus, they could be singularly focused on their spirituality.

Answer 5

Unleavened bread has nothing to do with "sacrifice at the altar." Unleavened bread is part of passover when we remember the Exodus and redemption from 400 years of slavery in Egypt.

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Answer 6

The Days of Unleavened Bread

From the 15th through the 21st of Abib—a period of seven days—is a festival called the Days of Unleavened Bread. This means that only unleavened bread—bread made without yeast or other leavening agents—should be eaten every day for this one-week period immediately following the Passover. By the time of the New Testament, the Days of Unleavened Bread were generally spoken or thought of as eight days because leavening was usually put out of homes during the daylight portion of the 14th. Yet the seven-day unleavened bread period begins after the Passover—on the 15th.



The first and last of these days, the 15th and the 21st, were to be annual Sabbaths. While Leviticus 23:4 plainly includes Passover as one of God’s festivals, recall that Numbers 28:17 said, “And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast.”



Exodus 12:14-16 makes a critical distinction about the importance to God of the Feast kept on the 15th: “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses…the first day [15th] there shall be a holy convocation, and in the seventh day [21st] there shall be a holy convocation…”



This passage makes plain that the Feast on the 15th was a memorial to God. He intended that this day (not the 14th as some claim) be a memorial—an annual reminder—that God had delivered Israel from Egypt. It was to be an “ordinance forever”—“throughout your generations.” The Days of Unleavened Bread are important to God, and this repeats what He said in Leviticus 23 about the permanence of this and His other Feasts. Remember that “holy convocation” means commanded assembly. God commanded that His people assemble on this day perpetually, throughout all generations—forever!



In verse 17, God drives home His purpose that this day be kept “forever.” But this verse also begins to explain why: “For in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall you observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever.” Some translations reflect that God intended this entire “period” as “an everlasting institution.” (Verse 24 also repeats the word “forever” in regard to the Passover.)



This ordinance was established before the law of Moses had been given. But why was it established?



Why the Days of Unleavened Bread?

Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread stand or fall together. Here is why. Passover depicts Christ’s sacrifice so that sin can be forgiven and removed. The Feast of Unleavened Bread does not foreshadow Christ’s sacrifice.



We ask: What point would there be in observing Passover if those who are cleansed turn right around and go back into sin? Egypt is a type of sin. The Days of Unleavened Bread picture God’s people being taken out of sin—and putting it away from their lives through obedience to God’s Law. This is a vitally important point. Consider. Passover is a one-day Feast. In one sense, it pictures a single event: The forgiveness of sin by the blood of Christ. The Days of Unleavened Bread are a seven-day period. They reflect duration of time, rather than a moment in time. The Christian practices putting sin out of his life as a way of life. God, through Moses, presented all of this institution to Israel before He ever gave a single word of the ceremonial and ritual washings and sacrificial laws referenced earlier!



No honest person can believe that God did not intend all those who serve Him to keep the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread as a perpetual, permanent institution. But why would God do this?



Eating unleavened bread pictures putting leaven—sin—from people’s lives. How do we know this? Does the Bible state this plainly? First notice: “And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day [15th], in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage…” (Ex. 13:3). This verse sets the stage.



Now we are ready to understand God’s great purpose for this Feast. Let’s see it clearly: “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord…And you shall show your son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me [any Israelite parent talking to his child] when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s LAW may be in your mouth…You shall therefore keep this ordinance in His season from year to year [memorials are annual]” (vs. 6, 8-10).



This is an extraordinary and powerful verse! Keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread has to do with God’s Law being actively at work in our minds and hearts. Again, what is the purpose of Christ’s forgiveness for past sins if one continues practicing sin as a way of life? Of course God had to establish the ordinanc

Answer 7

It symbolizes purification. In regards to the first passover; there was no time for the bread to rise, because of the Isaraelites hurry to flee Egypt. It is symbolic of, and associated with that which is evil.

Answer 8

Because yeast is a symbol of sin. Jesus is the Bread of Life, so there should be no yeast in the Communion Bread, just as there was no sin in Jesus' life.

Answer 9

bc leaven represents sin.

unleavened bread represents purity.

Answer 10

I've never seen as many ignorant answers in my entire life.



The few people that knew about the fleeing Egypt without time to allow their bread to rise are the only ones that are correct.



And for anyone comparing this to any reference of sin, Jesus, or the New Testament, you must not know anything about the Torah so you're advised to keep your traps shut.

Answer 11

The respiratory activity of yeast releases gas which causes bread to rise. If you eat leavened bread (especially homemade) the gas will continue to form in your intestines and will cause you to fart. Although the Bible commands us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, farting is not generally seen as being appropriate, especially when celebrating the Eucharist.

Answer 12

Unleavened bread represents humility. Leavened bread presents pride. Like Jesus said, "A little leaven leavens the whole loaf. A little bit of pride in our life is just as bad as a lot of pride in our life. May God Bless you.

Answer 13

Such a good question.



If we understand what the yeast symbolizes in the bible, then we would appreciate that this bread, which was offered up to God, was unleavened.



Leaven is not a positive thing in the bible. It symbolizes evil things and evil doctrines/ teachings.



Matthew 16:12

Then they understood that He did not say beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharises and Sadducees.





Hosea 7:4

All of them practice adultry. They are like an oven heated by the baker. He ceases from stirring the fire, After kneading the dough, until it is leavened.



The bread that was offered to God in the Old Testament is also the kind of bread that we should be breaking at the Lord's table each time we gather together to declare the Lord's death and remember Him in love.



To just bring any kind of bread to this table is an insult to the memory of the Lord.

This unleavened bread is the symbol of His Body. To put leaven in this bread is to tell the Lord that He is made up of evil things, of evil teachings and doctrines.

It is to put an evil mixture to the Lord. To add things to Christ that do not match Him.



Paul, in his epistle to the saints in Corinth to " Purge out the old leaven"

1Cor 5:7

Purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened, for our Passover Christ, also has been sacrificed.



( Exo 12 http://online.recoveryversion.org/BibleChapters.asp?fcid=322&lcid=322 << look at how many times " leaven " is mentioned ), Our Passover, Christ is not only the Passover Lamb, but the entire passover. He is our Passover. He was sacrificed on the cross that we might be redeemed and reconciled to God. Thus sister, we may enjoy Him as a feast before God. In this feast, no leaven is allowed to be present. Sin and the Redeeming Christ cannot go together.



The Lord prophesied in Matthew 13:33, that leaven would be added to the Kingdom.





Another Parable He spoke to them, The Kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened."



That the leaven would be added by a " woman"

She would add things to the Church that was evil and tainted. What the Lord was prophesying is the raising up of the Apostate Roman Catholic Church symbolized by the " Woman' in Matthew 13. She added many evil teachings, doctrines of Jezebel ( Rev 2:20) and " hid " it in the Church.



Even after the Reformation, and the Lord raised up our brother Martin Luther to recover the Church back to the fellowship and teaching of the Apostles, there were many " leavened teachings" that stayed within the church. Many we still practice and preach from our pulpits without realizing it.



Things like Easter, Christmas, going to heaven when you die, of One man preaching and everyone else sitting and not functioning in the Body of Christ,thus losing their function, Praying to saints and Mary, baby baptisms, that the Bread and Wine are not symbols but the literal body and blood of Christ are just among some of the leavened teachings the Apostate Catholic Church as the Woman has HIDDEN in the bread.





So praise the Lord for the unleavened bread and that today we can hold to what the Lord desires, not bread that is tainted with leaven of hypocrisy or of evil doctrines and evil things, but of the pure unleavened bread, made of the fine flour, of the oil, the salt and frankenscense.

As we gather to love the Lord by eating the bread and drinking the wine, this is our way of telling the Lord that we are here for Him, as His Body and Bride, we will eat of Him and drink of Him until He comes back.

Praise His name forever.



Your sister

sandy

Answer 14

unleavened bread can be made over a fire. Leavened bread must be baked for a long time.



When the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, they were instructed to leave quickly.



From then on it was done in remembrance of what God did for them.

Answer 15

Didn't wanna give people the impression of a common meal. Just as when we partake of the Lord's supper today the fruit of the vine and the unleavened bread. Their are scriptures in the Bible were people forgot it's significance and they were having a regular meal with a loaf of bread and fermented wine. WRONG it was meant to reflect back on our Lord and his great sacrifice.

Answer 16

the bread with yeast tasted to good to just be left at the alter

Answer 17

yeast is represented as sin



it was to be left out of the bread



a example that when a person was to come before God they must be with out sin.

Answer 18

All bread needs to be leavened. So it can rise.



It also needs to be knead-ed, cook-ed, butter-ed and eat-ed.

Answer 19

Because yeast is evil.

Answer 20

they like it's bland inoffensiveness

Answer 21

This is a great question, all of the things that were a part of the first tabernacle were patterns of the heavenly, and have spiritual significance to us. I would like to share some of the things about unleavened bread, but the first place I would like to start is some verses that show us that God did command that the offerings that were made be made with unleavened bread, and there are others that God told them to offer with leavened bread, I believe this is important too. Even though leavening is often used to show us how something that is bad or wicked can affect the whole, it is also used to show us how something that is good and pure affects the whole, praise God!



Leviticus 2:4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.



Leviticus 7:12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.

13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.



Notice that in those two verses they were to offer both unleavened and leavened bread, I love that the leavened bread was offered with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, one of the things that I see in this how when we begin to give thanks to the Lord how it may start off small in our hearts, but it quickly fills our entire being, much like leavening does bread. Praise God!



But I see how for many offerings the Lord commanded them to offer unleavened bread.



Leviticus 8:2 Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;



Numbers 6:13 And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

14And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,

15 And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.

16 And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering:

17 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering.



Leavening is a yeast, it is alive, and there are spores all around us of different kinds that can be, and has been used for this.

People would make a mixture ( could differ depending on the time and culture ) of water, flour, perhaps sugar of some kind, and capture the airborne yeast spores in this mixture, this mixture is known as the " mother " sugars, have to be added to this from time to time to keep it alive and growing, it was from this " mother " that the leavening is added to dough , by taking small amounts from the " mother " and adding to the mother from time to time, it was kept and used for as long as needed. There are people who boast of having the same " mother " for decades, I believe a bakery in San Francisco claims to use the same " mother " for their sour dough bread that they used since the 1800's.



I see the spiritual significance in this, because when the children of Israel were delivered from the Egyptians God commanded them to put away the leavening from out of their houses, and they ate unleavened bread the night of passover, and when they left that night, they took unleavened dough with them.



Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.



Look at how the Lord began speaking to them in this chapter,



Exodus 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.



This was a new beginning for them, it was to them from this point on the first month of the first year. I love this about God, He is the God of new beginnings, when we are in Christ old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.



2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.



Remember that the leavening was taken from the air, it was from Egypt. This same place that they had been in bondage, this place that God had to rescue them from and set them free with a mighty and outstretched hand. They were called by His name now, their identity was in the Lord, God was freeing them from all the things in Egypt that tried to cling to them, the things that they couldn't free themselves from, but that God did for them, because He loved them. We can see spiritually that Egypt was the place of their bondage, and God was freeing them from all of these things that had power over them, so that they could serve Him in liberty and in truth. They didn't need to have those things from Egypt still clinging to them, those things that only worked death, and bondage to them, they were a new creation in Him, and this is where their identity should be.



We know that even after the Lord delivered them out of Egypt that there was some that were unthankful, they become murmurers and complainers, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt desiring the way their life was, they desired and went back in their hearts after wicked things, even the things that God set them free from.( Numbers chapter 11)

They even despised what the Lord provided for them to eat, what they called manna, their hearts were hardened, and they didn't consider in their hearts all of the great things that God had done for them.

And many of them died in the wilderness because of this, and these things are written for our benefit so that we wouldn't be like them.



Acts 7: 37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.



1 Corinthians 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.



So spiritually they didn't need to keep eating from the things that were of Egypt, because it only worked death to them, as all sin does when it is finished. They needed to be nourished from the Lord, and what He provided them to eat was the same thing that many were complaining about. I doubt that they become so unthankful and blind in one day, they were probably glad to be out of Egypt at the first, but something happened in their hearts that changed that. Just like leavening, these things that start out small can grow in us if we are not purged by the Lord, these feelings of resentment, selfishness, hypocrisy, insincerity, hate, malice, can grow in us if we choose to eat of it, instead of what God has given us. Jesus Christ is the True Bread from Heaven, the Manna that God has given to us.



John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

48 I am that bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.



Hypocrisy is one of the things in God's word that leaven is compared too, and Jesus told us to beware of this.



Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.