In the Parable of the Leaven, found in Matthew 13:33, Jesus likens the Kingdom of God to something hidden, where a woman hides leaven in three measures of meal, causing the leaven to spread throughout. This imagery of three measures first appears in Genesis 18:6 during the meeting of Abraham, Sarah, and the Lord, when He foretold the birth of Isaac. Over time, the covenantal relationship between God and Abraham's descendants degraded, and by the time of Christ's ministry, their accord had become completely debased. The symbolism of leaven in the parable represents false beliefs that lead people astray from God, creating an environment hospitable to demons within the nation, as seen in the spiritual decline from Abraham's faithful beginning.

In the parable of the leaven, as presented in Matthew 13:33, Jesus spoke to the multitudes, saying the kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it was all leavened. The reference to three measures of meal first appears in Genesis 18:6, where Abraham instructed Sarah to quickly make three measures of fine meal to prepare cakes during their meeting with the Lord. This event marked a miraculous step in the growth of the family kingdom, symbolizing the fellowship between God and Abraham's family. However, the introduction of leaven in the parable represents corruption, particularly of beliefs. Israel incorporated pagan belief systems from surrounding nations, debasing the pure relationship with God. By the time of Christ's ministry, the peaceful accord with God had become completely corrupted, reflecting a noxious blend of some scripture with traditions and practices from Babylonian captivity and Greek thought, which rendered the word of God ineffective.

In the Parable of the Leaven, Jesus spoke to the multitude, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened' (Matthew 13:33). These three measures of meal first appear in Genesis 18:6, when Abraham instructed Sarah to prepare them for cakes during God's visit to promise them a son, symbolizing the fellowship between God and Abraham's family. The Jews in Jesus' audience readily claimed Abraham as their father, recognizing the historical significance of the three measures. However, Jesus introduces a subversive element, indicating that over time, the fellowship between God and the expanding house of Abraham became entirely leavened, reflecting a corrupted covenantal relationship due to the incorporation of pagan beliefs and practices from surrounding nations.

In Matthew 13:33, Jesus presents a parable stating, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." This imagery of leaven, often symbolizing corruption in Scripture, appears contradictory since the church, being in Christ, is considered unleavened. However, when understood as referring to the physical nation under heaven's dominion, the parable warns of corruption overtaking it. The three measures of meal connect to Genesis 18:6, where Abraham instructed Sarah to prepare three measures of fine meal for a meal with the pre-incarnate Christ, symbolizing fellowship between God and Abraham's family. Over time, this fellowship degenerated as Israel adopted corrupted beliefs from surrounding nations, introducing leaven into their relationship with God. By Christ's time, the nation had become fully leavened with corrupted teachings and traditions, resulting in spiritual bondage despite their physical presence in the Promised Land. This illustrates how leavening can symbolize slavery, contrasting with unleavened bread as a symbol of deliverance from the house of bondage.