A dough bowl, also called a kneading trough, is a wooden vessel traditionally used for mixing, raising, and kneading yeast dough for making bread. It was hand-carved from a single piece of wood. It could be oval, round, or rectangular, and vary in size and width.
The requirements for mixing bread are typically flour, yeast, salt, water, or milk, and a pinch of sugar or perhaps an egg. These ingredients were kneaded into dough in the bowl, then covered with a damp cloth and left to ferment and rise. Wooden bowls were preferred as the wood held the heat generated by the fermentation of the yeast. The wood itself would hold on to some of the particles of yeast from previous use, aiding in the acceleration of the rising of the dough. (Dr. Jerry Hedrick)
So, here’s the question: “If you are required to not have any yeast in your home for the feast of Unleavened, do you throw out the bowl?” I believe we might find answers in the study of Shemini.
Leviticus 9-11 seems to show pictures of improper mixing before Yahweh. There are specific details about what should be included in a sin offering. There is the recording of the tragic consequence of bringing “strange fire” into the Sanctuary’s holy place. And of course, we read about dietary laws outlining what is clean and not clean. All of these teachings seem pretty clear, but are they? In our current culture, things can become unclear. How does this happen?
May I propose that we forget current culture and convenience and gaze upon the Creator! A dear friend of mine reminded me that we begin to move away from Yah’s instructions when we focus on the “what” in Scripture rather than the “who.” Once we realize that Yehshua is the story of our redemption, then the convenience of cultural norms will become secondary. Putting our focus on “Who” begins the process of freedom over bondage. It clarifies arguments. And it makes a crooked road straight. Putting a focus on “what” creates a moral relativism of sorts, due to our human tendency to rationalize a belief system built on cultural custom (the what) rather than focusing on “Who” is changing our hearts.
Another friend of mine is a devout Catholic. He chooses Catholicism due to limited time. Consequently, he relies on an educated and authoritative priest to tell him what to do or think. He puts value in certain practices in that he can count on these things to always remain the same. Is his faith less than another’s faith? Maybe you know of a Jewish friend who holds onto Judaic custom that is not outlined in Scripture. Is their faith less because they believe in customs? Most likely not. But there is a danger of mixing truth with error if the authoritative structure begins to place itself over Yahweh.
An example of misguided authority that mixes truth falls at the very steps of the White House. Most of us saw and heard President Biden’s presidential orders to announce a transgender visibility day on Easter Sunday. He also gave orders for all religious symbols to be erased during the White House Easter event. Now most of you are probably saying this should be a wake-up call to churches who have invited the celebration of Easter to become pagan. And yes, I would agree. But when you hear Biden’s words as to why he made this announcement it should give us all concern. His focus is to eliminate a confession of sin and deny the power of Yahshua. His focus is to stand up proudly in front of Yah and declare the “pride” of men over Yah’s laws and creation. In short, this administration is forgetting the real “Who” and wants you to worship decrees of “what” man wants or “what” man feels.
As many of you know, the eighth Hebrew letter is Chet. Which means fence or to protect. Chet can represent spiritual protection as well as physical one. For instance, males were circumcised on the eighth day as a sign of belonging to Yah’s Kingdom, similarly, the work of YHWH circumcises our hearts for a spiritual change within us so we can naturally walk in His life-giving commands of Truth.
(Deuteronomy 30:6 and Romans 2:28).
Other spiritual representations of eight include Israel’s high priest carrying eight vestments to do spiritual works for Israel in the Tabernacle. Eight poles were used to carry the sanctuary’s spiritual vessels; 2 for the ark, 2 for the table, 2 for the golden altar, and 2 for the copper altar (Exodus 25). The High Priest would change his garments 8 times during Yom Kippur. After 8 days from birth, an animal is accepted as a spiritual sacrifice unto the Lord (Leviticus 22:27). Eight is also the beginning of a new cycle after the fullness of 7 days as demonstrated in the feast of Sukkot (Leviticus 23). And of course, there were 8 people saved at the time of the flood to bring in a new world.
Are we ready to put a fence around “in Whom” we believe?
Nadab and Abihu were consecrated priests and sons of Aaron. They were called to serve in the spiritual realm. They were among the 70 elders to see Elohim in vision (Ex. 24:9-11). They were to offer sacrifices for Israel. However, in doing so, their approach to the Mighty One was careless in regard to YHWH’s commands. They offered what was right in their own eyes and mostly likely did so while drunk (Lev.10:1-9), thereby forgetting “who” they represented and “who” they worshipped.
Likewise, Uzzah, who also belonged to a family of priests had grown familiar with the Ark of Covenant being in his hometown for 20 years (I Sam 7:1-2). He too, did not follow the proper instructions (Num 4:15 & 7:9) in carrying the spiritual weight of the Ark. He failed to heed Yah’s instruction to not touch the ark, but chose his effort to keep Yah’s Ark upright rather than allowing the “who” to carry the weight.
Fast speed forward to the “New Testament” church, where Peter one of Yeshua’s disciples has an encounter with holiness. At that time, many of the circumcised believers felt that Gentiles were unworthy due to their cultural customs. But Yah sends Peter a dream and a Roman to correct this way of thinking. Shortly after, Peter becomes witness to the infusing of the Ruach (the Holy Spirit) to people deemed undeserving of Yah’s mercy. (Acts 10) Later, in defense of “Who,” Peter protects the Gentiles against misguided truth (Acts 11:1-18) garnered over years by the religious leadership.
So why did I bring up the mixing bowl example from Exodus 12? For me, it has to do with the Passover season we have come into. When reading verse 15, my wife and I were drawn to the phrase “You shall remove leaven from your house.” At first glance, this coincides with the “what” of Passover. It’s what we do. Consequently, we can many times judge others as well as ourselves in the area of, “Did we find every piece of leaven.” But two very important concepts jump out in this verse:
- “You Shall Remove” in verse 15 directly correlates to a Sabbath rest, first referred to in the phrase found in Gen. 2:2 “And He rested.” H7673 the primary root for cease, desist, or rest.
- In the Exodus text the person that is cut off from Israel is the person who eats leaven, but does not refer to the person who gets every bit of leaven out of the house.
I am aware that the custom of searching and tossing out leaven makes valid points in getting rid of sin. But in doing so, have we “mixed” a tad bit of error in our mixing bowl? Is our focus on what we do versus what Yahshua does for us? Let’s look more carefully:
“For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove (give a Sabbath rest H7673) dough with yeast from your houses; for whoever eats anything with yeast from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.” Exodus 12: 15
In this text, we see that Yah wants us to only partake of Him and to give our yeast a rest.
In Exodus 13:7-9 we read, “Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days, and nothing with yeast shall be seen among you, nor shall any dough with yeast be seen among you in all your borders. 8 And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ Exodus 13:7-8
In this text, the leaven is not seen due to what He did for us. We give testimony as what Yah does and not what we have done.
Before Yeshua the Lamb is slaughtered, He reclines with His disciples, to partake of the Passover. That Passover is Him–the unleavened bread and the wine. For this is what He gave up for us–His body and His blood. When we partake of Him, The Spirit infuses us to speak only of Him and not our works.
As stated in the mixing bowl example, the action from leaven diffuses throughout a whole lump of dough. It can be for good or for bad. In Scripture, leaven is not always directed solely towards sin, but we can surely recognize sin for Yahshua said,
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6
What should this tell us about mixing? Our flesh would like to boost about we have done in cleaning our house. For the most part, we can recognize sin and even try to remove it. But when all is said and done it is more about Who directs the cleaning. Consequently, I want to look for “who” the event is about and not what an event becomes. If we are only about the event, we begin to mix the wrong type of dough.
As Yahweh makes things more and more clear in this world. I sincerely hope that we continue to focus on The One who redeems and sets us apart from man.
Be Blessed this Sabbath,
Rollyn
Rollyn