The Lord is Holy - by Richard Neufeld

Observe:

                Chapters 19-20 of Leviticus lay out more specifications as to how the Israelites are to conduct themselves before the Lord, and while this contains many laws on practical purity, it also spells out proper attitudes of the heart. Chapter 19 covers the commandments given to keep the Sabbath, revere mother and father, and the all-encompassing rule to be holy as the Lord is holy. It goes on to say that the Israelites must love their neighbours as themselves and shows what that means in practical ways.
                It then goes on in and through chapter 20 to break down some particularly important do-s and don’t-s such as proper sexual relations, the mixing of breeds of cattle, fabric types, and more. Child sacrifice is strongly condemned as well as sexual immorality and breaks down exactly what that constitutes. At the end of the twentieth chapter, we see again the commandment to be holy, just as the Lord is holy.
 
                Interpret:

                The Lord lays out His thesis, so to speak, for these two chapters; “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” bookends this segment of Leviticus. That is the overarching theme of the Law itself – the Lord shows us what He requires of His people but also shows them exactly what that means and how to achieve it, for He so desired to be with His people. At the end of virtually every paragraph in the nineteenth chapter following a set of laws is the phrase “I am the Lord” which is a way of saying “this is what my holiness requires.” How does this apply to us nowadays? How are we to keep this law and be holy as Christians today? As always, let us look to Jesus, who by no means lessened this requirement of holiness (Matt. 5:8).

                I think Christians tend to consider Old Covenant law more binding in its completeness as opposed to the New Covenant which has been fulfilled in Christ, but I believe the opposite is true. You see, we as Christians have several things that the Israelites did not:

1. Christians have a power given them whereby they can be holy which the Israelites did not. The Holy Spirit has been given anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ as a down payment, securing our inheritance in Him (Eph. 1:14-16), convicts the word of sin (John 16:8), sanctifies us (2 Thess. 2:13), and enables us to please God (Philp. 2:13). 1 Corinthians 6:11 spells it out perfectly – “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” We see here that it is God, through Christ and by the Holy Spirit, who perfects us!

 

1. Christians have in Christ an example of Divine holiness which the Israelites did not. We can see exactly how to be holy, for the Lord your God is holy. We see in Him the perfect example of One who is God who emptied Himself of His glory, was made man, and lived a life of perfect holiness. We therefor have the perfect model upon which to build our life! Though we cannot hope to achieve perfection here on earth, we are given the Holy Spirit who vouches for us, and even though our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts (1 John 3:20). We can live “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” (Phil. 1:6).

 

1. Christians are the Temple of the Living God which the Israelites were not. 1 Cor. 6:19 tells us “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” With Christ as the Cornerstone and the head of the spiritual body, we have His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).

 
As Christians we have not only the commandment but the provision to keep this most sacred commandment – and thanks be to God Almighty for doing for us what we could have never done on our own!

                Application:
 
                 I find that I have not always let the truth of the Gospel impact me in the way it ought. By reading carefully through the bible and seeing how the Lord has brought His people along, by observing life under the Law, and by taking time to absorb just what Christ did by coming to earth as a man, we can all have a greater understanding and appreciation for the goodness of our God. This will lead us inevitably to the most wondrous thing – worship! As Leviticus can easily slip us by, let us take care to observe life under the Law and how that Law was fulfilled in Christ!

                Application question:

                As Leviticus draws to a close, what has stood out to you? How has reading it impacted your impression of the Biblical narrative overall?
 
                Prayer:

                Lord Jesus, we thank you that we can have perfect freedom in you. We are so grateful that we can have your very Spirit living in us and are hidden away in your righteousness. Show us in the depths of our hearts the awesome thing you did for us on the cross, and help us to worship you in everything we do! Amen.

                Song: 

                 Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor (Matt Boswell & Boyce College Choir)