Moses had announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. [Exodus 11.4-7]
The LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
As will be seen following this time in the Old Testament, Egypt becomes symbolic of slavery and idolatry.
Israel is symbolic of God's Chosen People, the Church.
In plainest language, God makes a distinction between the slavery of idolatry and His people.
Why don't we see this distinction today? Why do God's people pretty much look like everyone else today? Why do they borrow the same money, experience the same losses, suffer the same diseases, and follow the same fads as the world? Does not God make a distinction today between those who are His and those who are the world's?
For our answers, let's look deeper...
While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. [Exodus 12.1-3]
The sacrificial lamb represents none other than Jesus. The Lamb of God distinguishes between those who are God's from those who are not. It should be furthermore noticed that the symbolic sacrificial lamb was chosen. Notice that choosing God means rejecting idols from Joshua's words:
But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” [Joshua 24.15]
Besides choosing a sacrificial lamb, there was another significant symbolic factor:
That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. [Exodus 12.8]
Bread without yeast. Let me say it again: bread without yeast.
Jesus said:
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. [John 6.35]
Jesus identified Himself as the Bread of Life pointing to Himself as the direct and unmistakable fulfillment of the symbolic Passover bread. But there is much more to this than first meets the eye! In another setting, Jesus talked about yeast!
Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” [Matthew 16.5-11]
In comparison to the two unexplainable, distinct miracles of the loaves and fish, Jesus warned the disciples of the yeast of the teaching of Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus does not define what the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees is, but the context of Jesus' warning tells us what the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees is not. The teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees is the opposite of (the nemesis of) the unmistakable, highly distinguishable miracle-working power of God that needs no help from man! Jesus brought this subject up in the context of the daily need of food. Just as yeast helps bread to rise, the worldly teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees helps the bread... except that Jesus, the Bread of Life needs no help!
So adamant was Jesus about the subject of not needing help - yeast - that He elsewhere made a further distinguishing mandate:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]
What is presented here does not take away from widespread teachings about yeast representing sin. In fact, it only brings greater understanding that it is a sin to even think we could help God in any way. And this comes from the first three of the Ten Commandments:
“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]
Man's idols are yeast. Man's idols are sin. Idolatry starts with "self" and from there presumptuously proceeds to help God do what God promised He alone would do... Think about what Jesus also said regarding daily sustenance (which God promises) and how the "yeast" of another master plays a detrimental role in it:
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]
Now, think about needs and the roles played by debt, insurance, medicine and technology... These (and other idols of man) are all yeast that Jesus warns against! To God's people, they are worldly religion, the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees that denies the miracle-working power of God by substituting man's help. Oh they claim association with God, but is that not exactly what the Pharisees and Sadducees did too?
If God makes a distinction between those who are His and those who are not, then we must cooperate with God! We must avoid yeast! We must avoid the idols (the ways) of man insisting that what we receive is from God and God alone without aid from any other source. We must understand that idolatry is slavery - it is Egypt - and God will not have His people mistaken for Egypt!
God's distinct people today MUST get rid of idols and must choose the Bread of Life without yeast.
Father, help us to see and understand that giving up our own way is in fact getting rid of yeast. Help us to see that taking up our cross is in fact dying to that sin. Help us to see that following Jesus is a simple obedience of faith requiring no help from us whatsoever. So be it.
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