#040
חלה – XALA
FROM TRASH TO TREASURE
 
You probably thought I had walked away from the Xala Bread. But, no, for some time now, my mind has been fascinated about a custom that was once used in making Xala Bread. I read it on the Internet but thought I had lost it when my computer crashed. However, I found something that Melvyn sent to me and it explains it to a degree.
From what I remember, they would bake a small piece of dough, …actually burn it. Then they (I thought) would place it in the rest of the dough before baking the loaf. (Feel free to correct me here.)
Once the loaf was baked, they would remove the burnt piece and throw it away. Surely this was symbolic of the leaven (sin) that must be done away with.
ש
While looking at my vocabulary of Hebrew Words and letters, I began to notice the letter “shin” which you will see in my final drawing. It has a small dot to the right of it. The next letter is just like it except it has a dot to the left of the letter which gives it the English sound of “sin”. .
DRAW US A PICTURE, LORD
OF “SIN” AND “SHIN”
Where is the black dot?
BACK TO THE LEAVEN
Once again, I was led to the scriptures I Corinthians 5: 7 & 6…in that order.
KNOW YE NOT THAT A LITTLE LEAVEN LEAVENETH THE WHOLE LUMP (loaf)?
“Purge out the old leaven (evil of any kind), that ye may be a New Lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” Praise God!
If we are the unleavened, why are we still digging in the trash, bringing trash back into our lives and homes? We don’t seem to know the difference between trash and treasures.
I felt our Lord remind me that I have called evil good…. that, too often I have not accepted trash for what it is. He said: I’m telling you NOW to DUMP it.
If you have dug for many years in the same trash can and are still finding trash, isn’t it time to stop digging? If there is a treasure there, a diamond in the rough…it could show up after you dump it.
POTENTIAL IN TRASH
Many of us often see potential in what looks like trash. So does our Father. And He can turn any trash into a treasure if it is willing to let Him.
If there is leaven (trash) in your house it will affect everyone in your home. It will rub off on you and you’ll begin to look like, act like, and smell like trash, too. That is what leaven (sin) does to its environment.
STUDY BIBLE SHOWS US HOW TO
TELL THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN
TRASH AND TREASURE
It says a man in his sin is compared to a:
SNAKE: whose venon is poisonous? (Job 20:16, Psalm 140:3)
DONKEY: Stubbornness (Job 11:12)
BEAR: Cruelty – devours the flesh (Daniel 7:5)
DOG: Uncleanness – dog returns to his vomit-folly (Proverbs 26:11)
MOTH: Appetite…never satisfied with bread (Job 27:18,14)
SHEEP: Stupidity…like sheep gone astray…turned own way. (Isa.53:6)
SPIDER’S WEB: Flimsiness (unstable)– (Isaiah 59:5) [Isaiah 59:1-8] lies, etc. They hatch cockatrice (vipers – snake) eggs, and weave the spiders web: He that eats of their eggs dies and that which is crushed breaks out into vipers (snakes).
PIG: Filthiness – returns to wallow in mire (2 Peter 2:22) [2 Peter 2:18b says: Those that were clean escaped from them that live in error.]
WOLF: Ferociousness – wolf catches the sheep and scatters them (John 10:12,13) And the HIRELING fits right in here too because he is a Coward; does not love the sheep; lets wolves devour them.
THIEF/LIAR: Deceiver – comes to steal, kill, destroy. (John 10:10)
      
    
NOT WELCOME
 
I know we usually judge ourselves first and try to make sure we are not in the trash cans, but there are times we must also be aware when we are entertaining others who have the characteristics of these aggressive animals listed above. When we are not sure who we are inviting into our lives, let’s just review these pictures.
We may all exhibit some of these characteristics at some time, but when someone exhibits many of these on a regular basis, perhaps that is the time to Dump the Trash; to stop digging, wash our hands, move to a cleaner environment and turn this one over to God. If there is a Treasure there…HE is the One who will find it.
AND REMEMBER:
If we have received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, then He has received us. And, in His Eyes we are His Special Treasures…even when WE may look like trash cans to the world. HE is the One who makes the difference between:
TRASH
AND
TREASURE
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Xala Bread 2008
