Lesson 5 – Leaven

“Another parable spake He unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” Matthew 13:33.

“… From all our institutions literature containing the science of Satan is excluded. We are brought into connection with the world, not that we may be leavened with the world’s falsehood, but that as God’s agencies we may leaven the world with His truth.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 168.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE LEAVEN OF WICKEDNESS AND THAT OF TRUTH

1.Yeast is a unicellular, inactive fungus. With whom did the leaven of sin begin? Where was he cast?

1 John 3:8. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Revelation 12:3, 4, 9. “And there ap- peared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and sev- en crowns upon his heads. ⁴And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth…. ⁹And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

“The very first effort of Satan to overthrow God’s law–undertaken among the sinless inhabitants of heaven–seemed for a time to be crowned with success. A vast number of the angels were seduced; but Satan’s apparent triumph resulted in defeat and loss, separation from God, and banishment from heaven.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 331.

2.Where was the leaven of sin established? What was the result?

Ecclesiastes 7:29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Romans 5:12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

“When the conflict was renewed upon the earth, Satan again won a seem- ing advantage. By transgression, man became his captive, and man’s kingdom also was betrayed into the hands of the archrebel. Now the way seemed open for Satan to establish an independent kingdom, and to defy the authority of God and His Son. But the plan of salvation made it possible for man again to be brought into harmony with God, and to render obe- dience to His law, and for both man and the earth to be finally redeemed from the power of the wicked one.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 331.

3.Just as fermentation takes place easily in grapes in the presence of water and

Job 12:25. They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

Romans 3:11, 12, 23. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹²They are all gone out of the way, they are to- gether become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one…. ²³For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

“In this great throng all classes of society were represented. There were the poor, the illiterate, the ragged beggar, the robber with the seal of guilt upon his face, the maimed, the dissipated, the merchant and the man of leisure, high and low, rich and poor, all crowding upon one another for a place to stand and hear the words of Christ. As these cultured men gazed upon the strange assembly, they asked themselves, Is the kingdom of God composed of such material as this? Again the Saviour replied by a para- ble.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 95.

4.What does fermented wine do to new wineskins? What did Jesus urge His hearers to do?

Job 32:19. Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.

Proverbs 20:1. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoev- er is deceived thereby is not wise.

Luke 21:34. And take heed to your- selves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you un- awares.

“Among the Jews leaven was sometimes used as an emblem of sin. At the time of the Passover the people were directed to remove all the leaven from their houses as they were to put away sin from their hearts. Christ warned His disciples, ‘Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’ Luke 12:1. And the apostle Paul speaks of the ‘leaven of malice and wickedness.’ 1 Corinthians 5:8.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 95.

DESIRE FOR SALVATION

5.What great desire is aroused in the human heart through Heaven’s work? What lies ahead of the carnal person?

Jeremiah 2:22; 13:23. For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. ^13:23Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accus- tomed to do evil.

Ezekiel 36:25-27. Then will I sprin- kle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. ²⁶A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put with- in you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

“As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works from within outward, so it is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God works to transform the life. No mere external change is sufficient to bring us into harmony with God. There are many who try to reform by correcting this or that bad habit, and they hope in this way to become Christians, but they are beginning in the wrong place. Our first work is with the heart.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 97.

THE LEAVEN OF TRUTH

6.In contrast to the fermentation that takes place in grapes, what acts as leaven in dough that contains grain? How does the leaven of truth operate in the soul?

Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will per- form it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:8. But ye shall receive pow- er, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Matthew 13:33. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three mea- sures of meal, till the whole was leav- ened.

“None are so vile, none have fallen so low, as to be beyond the working of this power. In all who will submit themselves to the Holy Spirit a new prin- ciple of life is to be implanted; the lost image of God is to be restored in humanity.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 96.

7.In the process of fermentation, leaven is activated through water in an energy source, such as flour in bread. What conditions are needed for this to work? What process takes place in three measures of flour, and how does this apply in a spiritual sense?

Mark 9:23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

1 Thessalonians 5:23. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blame- less unto the coming of our Lord Je- sus Christ.

“The leaven hidden in the flour works invisibly to bring the whole mass under its leavening process; so the leaven of truth works secretly, silently, steadily, to transform the soul. The natural inclinations are softened and subdued. New thoughts, new feelings, new motives, are implanted. A new standard of character is set up–the life of Christ. The mind is changed; the faculties are roused to action in new lines. Man is not endowed with new faculties, but the faculties he has are sanctified. The conscience is awak- ened. We are endowed with traits of character that enable us to do service for God.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 98.

For additional study

“Often the question arises, Why, then, are there so many, claiming to believe God’s word, in whom there is not seen a reformation in words, in spirit, and in character? Why are there so many who cannot bear opposition to their purposes and plans, who manifest an unholy temper, and whose words are harsh, overbearing, and passionate? There is seen in their lives the same love of self, the same selfish indulgence, the same temper and hasty speech, that is seen in the life of the worldling. There is the same sensitive pride, the same yielding to natural inclination,
the same perversity of character, as if the truth were wholly unknown to them. The reason is that they are not converted. They have not hidden the leaven of truth in the heart. It has not had opportunity to do its work. Their natural and cultivated tendencies to evil have not been submitted to its transforming power. Their lives reveal the absence of the grace of Christ, an unbelief in His power to transform the character.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 99.