Holiness in Leviticus.

Preface: Here is another theme study dealing with the idea of holiness in Leviticus and once again the most important part of these studies is the end result now that we see these themes how does this shape our understanding of the book and how the book fits into the metanarrative of scripture most importantly how do we respond to them and impact our lives. 

Holiness in Leviticus 

It is most holy

2:3, 2:10, 6:16-17, 6:25-26, 6:27, 6:29, 7:1, 7:6, 10:12, 10:13, 10:17, 14:13, 16:24, 19:24, 21:22, 24:9, 27:28, 27:30, 27:32-33

“The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire.” 2:3

"'But nothing that a man owns and devotes to the LORD -whether man or animal or family land—may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD” 27:28

The Holy Place

6:30, 10:18, 16:2, 16:16-17, 16:20, 16:23, 16:27, 16:33

“Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." 10:18

“The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.” 16:2

Holy to God

5:15, 10:10, 19:8, 25:12, 27:14, 27:23

“Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has desecrated what is holy to the LORD; that person must be cut off from his people.” 19:8

Made holy/is holy

6:18, 6:27, 27:9-10, 21:8, 21:15, 21:23, 22:9, 22:16, 22:32

“Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy—I who make you holy.” 21:8

“So he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the LORD, who makes him holy” 21:15

God is Holy

10:3, 19:2, 20:26, 21:8, 22:32

"Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” 9:2

“You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” 20:26

Be Holy

11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7-8, 20:26, 21:6, 21:7, 27:21

This

“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” 11:44-45

"Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” 9:2

Profane the Holy Name

20:3, 21:6, 22:2, 22:32,

“I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.” 20:3

“They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the LORD by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy.” 21:6

Theological Conclusions

            The message of holiness in Leviticus is as follows: continue in holiness because God is holy and has made you holy. Holiness is a command from God and a way of life.

            The first question is what is holiness. In Leviticus it is presented as being set apart. We see that specific portions of sacrifices are to be set aside and these are called holy to God. There is also a physical boundary that makes things holy. There is a most holy place and then the Holy Place. These two places are set aside for specific people and to enter and perform rights as specific times. The Holy Place is more holy then the most holy place and therefore it is set further apart and there are greater restrictions on who can enter and what they can do there. These things demonstrate the idea that holiness has to do with being set apart. 

            The second questions is so what? The answer to this question is that God has chosen to make this people holy. He has set apart Israel and he has commanded them to be holy. He say to them be holy because I am holy and I have made you holy. God then tells them specifically in 20:26 that He has set them apart for Himself.  The people should respond to God’s choosing them and making them holy by being holy themselves. This is our response to his making us holy. We don’t deserve to be holy and we can’t be holy on our own but after God has made us holy we should continue in that holiness by following his commands.

            Holiness in Leviticus is the fact that we are set apart by God for his own purpose and we should respond to his making us holy by continuing to be holy and following his commands.

Application

1.    1) I will set aside time every day that is only for God. This is a specific time in which I will seek him through confession of sin and prayer. This is to be a holy time between him and me.

2.    2)  I will find time to be with other believers to pray and seek God in a community. Not only were the Israelites commanded to be holy as individuals but as a nations. This leads me to the conviction that in my desire to be holy there must be a community aspect. 

3.     3) I will meditate on what it means for a Christian to be holy. This is a concept that has to take in to account that I no longer have the law over me head what is it that I can do to be holy? How do I show my holiness to God? Is it through my obedience to his commands? Is that all is there more to it? These are questions that I have had and need more time to study.

4.     4) I will memorize one verse from each division.