In the third similitude of the kingdom of heaven, we have another negative aspect of man’s responsibility brought before us, but this time the perpetrator is pictured as a woman.
Leaven in Scripture speaks of evil, and especially the subtle working of sin; this is consistent throughout the Word of God. In the feasts of Jehovah in Israel, the feast of unleavened bread immediately followed the Passover. During the entire week of the feast, not only were they not to eat unleavened bread, but leaven was not even to be found in their houses (Ex. 12:15,1915Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. (Exodus 12:15)
19Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. (Exodus 12:19)). Likewise, no leaven was to be offered with any sacrifice (Ex. 34:3535And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (Exodus 34:35)). In the New Testament, Paul uses the same metaphor to describe the working of moral evil (1 Cor. 5:66Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (1 Corinthians 5:6)) and doctrinal evil (Gal. 5:99A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. (Galatians 5:9)). Many other scriptures could be mentioned to show clearly that leaven is unfailingly a picture of evil in the Word of God.
Insidious Evil
Here then we have a woman introducing that which is evil into “three measures of meal.” The woman in Scripture pictures something either very blessed or very evil, depending on the context. The fact that a woman does it speaks of that which is done in secret — that which works insidiously. What man does is in public; what the woman does is in secret. Satan sometimes does his evil work publicly, but other things he does privately, so that men are not aware of it. The spread of evil doctrine and practice in the profession of Christianity has taken place in that character — slowly, over a period of time, so that its effects were not immediately noticed. Doubtless there were faithful ones who saw the evil and spoke up against it, but in the main, bad teaching was introduced slowly until the leaven had spread to a large extent. Then it was tolerated and eventually accepted.
Corrupt Christianity
When we read the phrase, “until the whole was leavened,” this does not mean that everything in Christendom has been completely spoiled. If this were true, there would be nothing left but mere profession, characterized by bad doctrine and practice. Rather, it means that wherever there is a profession of Christianity, evil doctrine and practice can be found, for Satan has been clever enough to spread it throughout the kingdom of heaven. To the casual observer, Christendom appears totally leavened. Sadly, this condition of things has turned many away from Christianity. Mohandas Gandhi, the father of modern India, is alleged to have said, “If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.” In his History of Civilization in Europe, Guizot remarks, “No society ever made such efforts as did the Christian church, from the fifth to the tenth century, to extend its sphere and smooth the external world to its own likeness.” This was the leavening process going on under the hand of the “woman,” for it was the spread of corrupt Christianity. When the main thrust is the desire of extending influence, doctrine itself does not remain sound. Thus, throughout Christendom, systematic Judaizing became the rule, often accommodating heathen rites and practices, and all in order to please the multitude and facilitate their so-called conversion. While this is surely no excuse for those who reject Christ, yet we who are Christians should be ashamed of this bad testimony.
We can be thankful for those who, in walking with the Lord, have clearly recognized this condition of things and have separated from it. But the fact remains that, in the sense which we have described, the whole has been leavened. In a coming day, after the Lord has come and taken every true believer home to be with Himself, there will be nothing left but empty profession. At that time, in an absolute sense, the whole will be leavened, for there will be no reality left.
The Three Measures of Meal
But the most serious aspect of all this is the fact that the leaven was introduced into “three measures of meal.” Meal in Scripture speaks of Christ, and especially of His perfect manhood, while still retaining all of that which pertained to His deity. “In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:99For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)). This is brought out in type in the meat (or meal) offering, where Christ in manhood is typified by the fine flour that was to be offered as a “sweet savor unto the Lord.” The same type is used in the time of Elisha, when he and the sons of the prophets were making pottage. When one gathered wild gourds, which were poisonous, and shred them into the pot, Elisha’s remedy was, “Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot ... and there was no harm in the pot” (2 Kings 4:4141But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot. (2 Kings 4:41)). So the antidote to the bad doctrine (pictured in the wild gourd) was to bring in Christ (pictured by the meal).
There can be different interpretations of the number three, for sometimes it speaks of abundant testimony. (Two is adequate testimony, while three is complete or abundant testimony.) Some have thought that here, in our parable, it could speak of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I would also suggest that three speaks of death and resurrection, for our Lord was in the tomb three days, and then He rose the third day.
Bad Teaching
When bad teaching is circulated amid the profession of Christianity, it is generally camouflaged under discussions of peripheral issues that are less objectionable. But Satan is not content with these lesser issues; what He wants is a direct shaft at either the Person of Christ or the work of Christ, and often both. I would suggest that this is what is pictured by the leaven being introduced into “three measures of meal.” Many false systems, at least initially, occupy souls with the importance of the keeping of certain days, or, otherwise, discussions about subjects such as details of prophecy, questions about keeping the law of Moses, or rules about dietary matters, but all the while they are undergirded by serious false teachings about the Person and work of Christ. These latter teachings are not seen at first, so that souls are taken off guard. Truly the leaven has been hidden in the three measures of meal and allowed to work unseen. By the time souls become aware of the bad teachings, they are already ensnared.
The leaven began to work early in the church, for even in Paul’s day, in Corinth, there were those who denied the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:12-1912Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (1 Corinthians 15:12‑19)). Later, when things had progressed further, John had to warn believers that “many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:11Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)). In his second epistle, he had to warn the elect lady and her children that “whosoever ... abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.” He told them, “Receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed” (2 John 5,9-105And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. (2 John 5)
9Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: (2 John 9‑10)). The Arian heresy, which came later, was a natural outgrowth of the Gnosticism which was already extant in John’s day. It actually began in the third century A.D., but was championed by Arius in the fourth century, and essentially denied the deity of Christ. As we well know, many other heresies have followed down through the years, as the leaven spread.
All of this has been written for our instruction and warning, in order that we may discern the condition of the kingdom of heaven today. The multitude, in whose presence these first three similitudes were spoken, did not understand, but the Lord expects His own to be spiritually intelligent and to recognize what has become of the Christian profession under man’s responsibility. This spiritual intelligence causes us to be sober and watchful, on the one hand, but also at peace, as we see that God is over all, has told us all beforehand, and also shown us the end of it all.
W. J. Prost