Nougat 9

There is a project being undertaken by the All Africa Conference of Churches that addresses ‘Misleading Theologies’. This group of Christian churches from across the continent seek to unpack Christian traditions that may be rooted in culture rather than the Gospel. It’s a very rich undertaking, and relevant our time. But it’s restricted to Africa. When chewing on today’s Holy Nougat, I had to break chew – this nougat is some serious chewing.

“This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Unexposed

There is no such thing as ‘just a little yeast’ in unleavened bread. Because unleavened bread is intended to be made without rising agents. Thus baking soda or powder, and also yeast are totally removed from the baking space long before the bread making begins. Before like ng, yeast had become a metaphor for impurity.

It is no wonder that unleavened bread was also included in the Passover ritual. We recognize that one aspect of the original Passover was the anticipation and speed of departing Egypt, leaving bondage behind. In that rush, fancy bread making was not feasible or practical. For yeast breads require time for the yeast (leaven) to pass through the lump. And they had only enough time for the angel to pass over the door.

Moreover, the journey was undetermined in duration – it became 40 years in the long run. Leavened bread has a shorter shelf life (even with using additives and preservatives nowadays) than unleavened bread. They would have to throw out food if it was unused. Not practical to pack what would be thrown out (remember the manna escapade? When they stored overnight and instead found worms in the morning due to rotting). Leaven was not a good idea.

From a spiritual perspective, the Egyptians, most often credited with creating leavened bread, were believed to have thought that the rising bread was proof that spirits were in the bread. With that they voluntarily left the dough open to infiltration of yeast spores and used that leftover ‘contaminated’ dough to magically transform the loaf. That was anathema to the worship of God. The only Spirit in the bread would be God’s Spirit in the Lord’s Supper!

If we consider the spiritual thought and link it to the issue of purity, we may note that our God Who seeks a bride without spot or blemish (see Ephesians 5:26-27), would also seek to rescue a people who were souled out to God’s grace and mercy. In this instance, untainted by the spirituality that negated God’s sovereignty. (Of course, this is my untested hypothesis, so please don’t go getting mad at God for my assumptions.)

So here is the application for our own lives. I know none is perfect but yielding to outside pressures is like laying ourselves as dough waiting to be leavened. If God doesn’t desire that we retain blemishes in our faith; where are the stray spores coming from? Is there contaminated dough lurking around? Have we intentionally left our spirits exposed to the elements for too long, that it we’re not as ‘pure’ as we ought?

In this season of Hope, we must resolve to pin our hopes to the redemptive power of Jesus, taking care to be unexposed to contamination. I pray God’s Spirit seals us so that though we interact and work with other faiths, we know who and whose we are, and why we hold steadfast in faith.

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May all we seek be found in Christ