Leviticus 2:7-11

We are going to go back to the very roots of how God shows sin's destructive powers.

Both honey and leaven, are of themselves, normally good food; however, the symbolism contained within each is what is important in the context, because both, as they are spread through the flour, have, or contribute to having a fermenting, putrefying affect; thus God is teaching us what sin does. It putrefies. It corrupts those who commit it. Maybe the definition of the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, under the article "leaven," will have a little more force if you understand how liberal the Interpreter's Bible and the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible can normally be understood. The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, under the article "leaven" defines leaven as "any substance added to dough which produces fermentation." "Any substance" is pretty conservative.

The leaven referred to here is actually a fungus that breaks down carbohydrates in the flour, and as it spreads it produces a gas that causes the doughy mixture to puff up. Honey speeds and accelerates this completely natural process, and thus they are a perfect combination for portraying what sin does to a human. Sin expresses pride, and sin promotes more sin.