Commonly understood as bread made in haste (as close to a TV dinner as you could get)
Lot bakes it for the angels of destruction of Sodom (Gen. 19:3).
Also 1 Samuel 28:24
Part of the Passover meal (Exod. 12); “You shall eat it in haste” (11).
Used for more than just the Passover
Leaven not permitted in any of the sacrifices (Exod. 23:18)
Exception: The Feast of Pentecost
Two loaves of leavened bread made from two tenths of leavened fine flour for the feast of Pentecost (Lev. 23:16ff).
Consecration of priests (Exod. 29), where it is also noted that this is wheat bread (“bread” in the Bible is wheat unless specified otherwise).
Cf. The call of Gideon in Judges 6.19ff
Grain offerings (given in thankgiving for daily bread (Lev. 2) “and for the sustentation of life, and therefore its material was taken only from the fruits of the earth. Its five kinds are listed in Leviticus 2. The first was a material of fine {[wheat]} flour with oil poured in and frankincense added. The second kind was either unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers from fine flour spread with oil. Both were baked in an oven. The third kind was unleavened fine flour mixed with oil and baked on a griddle; later it was broken into pieces and had oil poured on it. The fourth kind was unleavened fine flour baked in a pan with oil. The fifth kind was ears of the firstfruits of grain roasted on the fire, crushed, with oil and frankincense poured over them.” (Gerhard).
Biblically, leaven symbolized the impurity and contamination of sin
What does this show us about what sin really is?
Lev. 6:14-17: The unleavened bread offering “is a thing most holy.”
Amos 4:4-5 God speaks sarcastically of “leavened sacrifices”
On one purpose of excommunication: 1 Cor. 5.1-13 (What is Paul saying here?)
Matt. 16:6-12: Of false doctrine (What does this tell us about false doctrine?)
Also of the Judaizers’ false doctrine in Galatia (5.9)
Though with some exceptions:
Matt. 13:33 Christ and the Gospel spread like leaven
Passover = Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exod. 12:14ff)
Lev. 23:6; Luke 22:1 (the two were seen as a whole, not unlike how Holy Week and the Triduum is all one event)
Deut. 16:5-6: Very specific commands. Certain rituals in certain places at certain times.
Why? What’s the big deal?
What does the continuing use of unleavened wheat bread mean for our celebration of the Sacrament of the Altar?
a) our offerings are pure through faith in Christ
b) Christ is the pure sin-offering we need: Passion week he says Jn 12 a grain of wheat (unleavened, that is un-added to) all sufficiency
c) we should not bring divisions, but “sincerity and truth”
d) wheat a symbol of resurrection 1 Cor. 15.20, 36-37; this is the resurrected Christ
e) others?