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Hi,
CON posted this in another thread and I think it deserves one of it's own.”
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.” Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.The woman in the Parable of the Leaven is interesting because in all the other parables a man is the main character.
What is “a woman” in Scripture?
In Revelation 12, a woman is symbolic of the nation of Israel, and in Revelation 17 and 18 she represents the false system of Babylon.
In Isaiah 47, a woman is again symbolic of Babylon (whether the nation or the system of Babylon).
In Galations 4:21-31, Paul uses “women” to symbolize the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
In Ezekiel 16, God uses a woman to symbolize Israel: “Aholah” is the kingdom of Israel and “Aholibah” is the kingdom of Judah.
What can we understand from this?
Every time a woman is used as a symbol, the common denominator is the idea of a system of beliefs and practices that influence other people.
A church or religion is a system of beliefs and practices.
A nation has a character and way of doing things.
This world as a whole has a system of beliefs and practices that go contrary to 'Elohim.
To find out what kind of system is being referred to, we must look at the context to see how the system works, how it reacts, and what it does.
What are the characteristics of this woman in the parable?
First, she took leaven.
This is the common word used to mean “to come into possession of.”
It is a common Greek word, but it can also have the connotation of “to seize,” “to take by force.”
The text does not say which connotation is correct here.
The next verb is “hid” (Greek, enkrupto), an interesting word.
It means “to hide in” or “to mix.”
Enkrupto is used only this way here.
Enkrupto is the same word from which we get our word “encrypt.”
A general tells his lieutenant, “Encrypt this message and take it to the colonel at the front line.”
What does the lieutenant do when he encrypts it?
He mixes up the letters according to a code, and only a person with the key to the encryption knows what the message is saying.
The root word for enkrupto is krupto, which means “to cover, to conceal, to keep secret.”
Its major connotation is “to be sneaky” or “to be secret, covert, or surreptitious.”
It seems from the usage of these words that this woman is up to no good whatsoever.
First, she takes something, then she hides it.
She is a bad lady, a bad system.
She hides the leaven “in three measures of meal.”
That Yeshua uses the very phrase “three measures of meal” is quite interesting, and it is a key, because this told His Jewish audience something that He did not have to explain, as they were familiar with it.
It was a normal practice and meant something to them.
It has been suggested that He used this amount because it is the average quantity of meal a housewife would employ in her daily baking.
This suggestion is pretty ridiculous when we consider that three measures of meal equal about two gallons of meal (7.3 liters)!
That seems like a lot of bread each day.
An average loaf of bread contains about three cups of flour.
Two gallons of meal, which is the equivalent of about eight quarts or thirty two cups, would make nearly eleven loaves!
Even the most bread gorging family on this earth would not eat eleven loaves each day.
Normally, one loaf would suffice for one person for a day, if he ate nothing else.
Yeshua, then, is probably speaking of a special occasion.
Genesis 18 contains the first biblical usage of “three measures of meal.”
This is the occasion when two angels came to Abraham, and he made them a meal.
Verse 5, “Go ahead and make a meal.” “So Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal'” (Genesis 18:6).
What was “three measures of meal”?
There is a principle of Bible study (the law of first mention) that says, “The first time a thing a word, a phrase is mentioned in the Bible influences how it should be interpreted throughout.”
Here, “three measures of meal” is used in the context of a fellowship meal giving hospitality, in this case, to 'Elohim so it has a spiritual connotation.
The law of grain offerings in Numbers 15:8-9 provides some instruction.
We need to learn a little bit about Israelite measures.
The smallest unit of measure is an omer.
Three omers equal one seah.
This seah is what is translated “measure” in Matthew 13:33, except it is in Greek saton.
There is also the ephah, which is ten omers.
Three omers equal one seah.
Three seahs made up of three omers equal one ephah.
These verses show that the smallest meal offering that could be given was one seah three tenths of an ephah.
It had to be of fine flour.
Abraham gave three seahs three measures.
He went above and beyond what was required for the meal offering.
Judges 6:18-19 shows Gideon's offering to the Lord.
How much did he give?
Gideon gave an ephah three measures of meal.
I Samuel 1:24 tells of Hannah's thank offering.
How much?
Hannah's offering was one ephah three measures of meal.
In Ezekiel 45:24 and 46:5, 7, 11 are the offerings given at the Feast during the Millennium.
How much is given?
An ephah three measures of meal is given.
With these examples in mind, we can understand that the Messiah's use of this phrase would have made His Jewish audience think immediately of the meal offering in Leviticus 2 and they would have been absolutely shocked out of their shoes to find that someone had the audacity, the blasphemy, to put leaven in a meal offering!
That was not kosher!
It simply was not done!
A person who did so could expect to be zapped by the next lightning bolt out of heaven.
It was sin.
What, then, would the normal Jew have thought?
He would have understood immediately that the Kingdom of Heaven would be subverted.
Something good had been corrupted.
“Three measures of meal,” the meal offering, represents the offerer's service and devotion to fellowman, and it is typified by what the Messiah did throughout His whole life by offering Himself in service to fellowman.
Symbolically, it represents the second great commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
It is devoted service toward all others. Inside and outside your gates.
If “three measures of meal” represents our love, service, and devotion to fellowman, this parable warns us that the false system will make a concerted and covert effort to corrupt the true church through false doctrine aimed at how we treat each other.
It will lunge directly at the church's jugular how we treat one another.
The “three measures of meal” represents the church's teachings.
This squares with our understanding of what the Messiah is.
He is the Word, and one of His titles is “the Bread of life.”
The church's teachings come from the Word of 'Elohim, which is our daily bread.
Fine meal is the major component of bread.
Satan would try to corrupt the word, the teaching, so that church members would not treat other's well, offend one another, and maybe some would lose their salvation, or would not find salvation. For outcasting others.
And the woman succeeds!
Yeshua says, “. . . till it was all leavened!”
Sobering, is it not?
The church has been fairly successful in guarding the major
doctrines that have to do with its identity: the Sabbath, the nature of 'Elohim, the identity of Israel, the holy days, 'Elohim's plan.Where has the church shown its greatest weakness?
In the area of personal relationships with all others.
What do we hear about among and within the congregations about others?
Distrust, offense, marriage problems, disunity, selfishness, gossip, rumor, tale-bearing, judging and condemning, comparing ourselves among ourselves, giving place to wrath, etc.
These are the works of the flesh they reflect how we treat others.
All of these are part of the meal offering our service and devotion to each other.
In these areas we need to focus our greatest attention, overcoming how we treat each other, growing in our devotion and service.
We must get along with one another as 'Elohim intends, or we might not be around to enter His Kingdom.
Meditaite on this. “
Hi CON,
Who are the US you speak of here?
Surely the members of the huge false church are of the world and not among them?Hi CON,
All of God's creation is very good.
Flour is good.
Leaven is good.
Leaven mixed with flour is good.
Women are also good and a great blessing to mankind.
A women working to prepare a meal for mankind is serving God in her way.
All it takes is the addition of water and some heat and the plan is complete and very useful.Hi:
I am not sure what the meaning of the parable is at this point, but I know who has the answer, and so, I will ask.
Jesus also uses “leaven” in the following scriptures relative to the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Saducees.
Quote Mat 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mat 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake [it] not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
Mat 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade [them] not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.But one thing come to mind, He said the Kingdom of God is like Leaven (perhaps doctrine) which is hidden but revealed to humanity in three steps or revelations, from Adam to Noah, from Abraham to Moses, and from Moses to Jesus.
Love in Christ,
MartyTo all;
Quote 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.” Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. The woman is the church; for the reason the church has the mission to make disciples of all nations.
The leaven is the doctrine of the new covenant; for the church teaches everything Jesus taught them.
The meal is the whole world; for all are descended from the three sons of Noah.
Hi,
The good leaven is the Spirit of God.
It is hidden as the true Spiritual church is hidden in this world.
When Jesus returns that leaven will be shown as the church is lifted up to meet the King.
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