Daily Love Walk: A NEW LUMP OF DOUGH / Unleavened

This devotion is for the 4^th day of “Pesach”
And the first day of
"The Feast of Unleavened Bread"

A NEW LUMP OF DOUGH
by
Kent Clifford Cooley

(Adapted from 1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

Purge out therefore the old leaven,
that you may be a new lump,

as you are unleavened.

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Therefore let us keep the feast,

not with old leaven,

neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness;

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Leaven is a substance used to produce fermentation in dough. Fermentation is really the beginning of the process of rotting. Leaven in scripture is a type of sin. Sin begins a process of decay and puffs us up with pride.

As you read the whole fifth chapter of 1 Corinthians, you will see that Paul actually uses the term ‘puffed up.’ Because it is not possible to remove leaven from bread, Paul suggests that they become a new lump. The term lump indicates that he is suggesting that they start the process over with repentance. As you read this chapter, and also the seventh chapter of 2 Corinthians, you will see that they humbled themselves, took sin more seriously, came out of denial, and had godly sorrow that lead to repentance unto salvation.

He mentions two kinds of leaven - malice and wickedness. Many believers are good at identifying what is wicked and they would not involve themselves in any such thing. However, malice can slip in because of pride. A believer may not be guilty of a dark sin such as lying, stealing or adultery yet there could be malice under the disguise of unforgiveness. After we purge ourselves from wickedness, we should also purge ourselves of all malice and unforgiveness and become a new lump of unleavened dough.

Search me o God and know my thoughts. Search my heart for any wickedness or uncleanness that may be there. Cleanse me from every sin and set me free. I forgive everyone for every wrong, fully and completely even as You have forgiven me, fully and completely. I keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Devotion Authored by KentCliffordCooley