I love bread. I love kneading, baking, and allowing the aroma to fill the house. Unfortunately, I can’t eat most of it now due to a gluten sensitivity. Gluten is significant in creating the texture that makes bread so delicious. I have experimented with European wheat (soft wheat, lower in gluten) and can tolerate it better. But let’s not get sidetracked—the point is bread is incredibly delicious and a staple of life!
Interestingly, the Scripture has much to say about bread as well. One might call it a theology of bread, traced from Genesis to Revelation, revealing how bread is sustenance, life, provision, sacrifice, and ultimately communion with God.
Let’s examine a few sample passages.
Bread is first mentioned in Genesis 3:19. God tells Adam that by the sweat of his face, he will eat bread until he returns to the ground. Many versions of Scripture translate the Hebrew as food there; either way, the idea is that bread (or food) symbolizes the difficulty of toil and human labor.
Also, in the book of Genesis, there is a curious mention of Melchizedek. Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem (probably Jerusalem), received Abram warmly after a battle and hosted a banquet for him, offering bread and wine. Melchizedek then blessed Abram in the name of God Most High, the Creator of heaven and earth. Bread is sustenance and also a gift.
Of course, we get to Exodus, where bread—specifically an unleavened version—is highlighted in the rescue from Egypt, the Passover. Later, as the Israelites grumble, wishing they had never left Egypt, God rains Manna from heaven, providing heavenly sustenance for their daily lives. I often think of Manna when I pray the model prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
We also read about the significance of bread in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. In the temple, it was the “bread of the presence.” In Leviticus, it was the “feast of unleavened bread.” Then, the well-known verse in Deuteronomy says, “… man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” While I might long to live on bread and butter, it alone will not satisfy!
In the Book of Ruth, dipping bread in vinegar is given as a ritual that brings Boaz and Ruth together. It is a marital bonding ritual.
The author of Proverbs writes about Wisdom personified. She offers bread and wine, symbolizing the spiritual nourishment that comes from pursuing Wisdom: “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.”
Isaiah calls people to seek true bread, symbolizing spiritual sustenance:
“Why do you spend money for what is not bread? And your wages for what does not satisfy?”
In the New Testament we see the early church devoting themselves to breaking bread with one another. They met often, in fellowship, sharing meals together. In the Epistles, we learn more about the Lord’s Table, sharing bread and wine in remembering the Lord’s death and completing our redemption. Bread in the Lord’s Supper represents the body of Christ and unity within the church. Paul says this: “Because there is one loaf, our many-ness becomes one-ness—Christ doesn’t become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in him (1 Corinthians 10:17 MSG).
I’ll conclude with Jesus’ words when He speaks of Himself, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” He is our Savior, giving us life – abundantly now and eternal in our future.
Throughout the Bible, bread transitions from symbolizing physical nourishment to spiritual sustenance and communion, ultimately representing life, salvation, and God’s enduring presence with His people.
A Hymn of Tribute
Break now the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
as once you broke the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page I seek you, Lord;
my spirit waits for you, O living Word.Bless your own word of truth, dear Lord, to me,
as when you blessed the bread by Galilee.
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
and I shall find my peace, my All in all!You are the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
your holy word the truth that rescues me.
Give me to eat and live with you above;
teach me to love your truth, for you are love.Mary A Lathbury (1877)
