The Holiness of God
The God who is Holy
Leviticus 11:41-47
“Be holy, for I am holy.”
Of all the books of the Bible, Leviticus seems the most unfamiliar and confusing to the modern reader. We drudgingly read through the book to fulfill our commitment to reading the Bible in the year, yet as we delve into its message, we find it strange. For us, the book of Leviticus seems outdated and unrelated to our world. We are left confused about how the book relates to us with its focus on ritualistic sacrifices, strange laws regarding dietary regulations, and the rules of what is clean and unclean. Yet, in our hast to get through the book, we discover an invaluable jewel that becomes the cornerstone of God’s ethical and moral standards in which we live.
The theme of the book of Leviticus is the Holiness of God. The word “holiness” is found about 150 times in the book (more than twice as many times as any other book in the Bible). This word sets the foundation for not only understanding the theme of the book but also for our understanding of God and his redemptive purpose. So often, we focus on what we are saved from: sin. However, the Bible is more focused on what we are saved to: to be a holy people dedicated to serving God.
The word “holy” means being separated from sin and what is ordinary and set apart for God. This is grounded in the Holiness of God. God is transcendent from everything common and is absolutely pure and free from any taint of sin. Within the pages of Scripture, Holiness is the core quality of God’s nature that becomes the basis for all his moral attributes. To encounter God is first to face his Holiness and moral perfection. Because he is holy, for us to be in a relationship with him, we also must be holy. Thus we find four times God specifically calls his people “to be holy for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8).
But Holiness is not some abstract, esoteric attribute of God that has no implications for us. On the contrary, the Holiness of God is the starting point and the ending point in our quest for moral and ethical truth. Apart from being transformed by his Holiness, our journey will lead to destruction.
The Holiness of God is concrete and transformative. Holiness is inherently practical, and it is to govern every aspect of our life. It dictates how we approach God in our worship (ch. 20). It is to govern what we eat. It determines our views of sexual behavior (ch. 18). It influences our view of marriage and how we are to interact as a family. It challenges us to treat people differently (ch. 19). Holiness is not just an ethical quality exhibited by God; it is a way of life for our daily conduct. To be in a covenantal relationship with a holy God is to reject the world and its ethics/morality that is inherently tainted by sin.
Of all his attributes, it is his Holiness that we cannot fathom. We can express his love through our love for others. We can understand grace by being gracious to others. But the one attribute fallen humanity cannot manifest apart from the transformational work of God is his Holiness. Consequently instead of embracing his Holiness, we attempt to bring God down to our level by making him more like us: flawed and imperfect.
This is why Leviticus is so crucial today, for it is a message to look around our daily life and events and see them through the Holiness of God. It is to reject the world's morality and ethos, seek God, and be set apart for him. So as you read the book of Leviticus, scrutinize it and ask God to reveal to you how you can then reveal his Holiness in the mundane daily affairs of life.
Leviticus 11:41-47
“Be holy, for I am holy.”
Of all the books of the Bible, Leviticus seems the most unfamiliar and confusing to the modern reader. We drudgingly read through the book to fulfill our commitment to reading the Bible in the year, yet as we delve into its message, we find it strange. For us, the book of Leviticus seems outdated and unrelated to our world. We are left confused about how the book relates to us with its focus on ritualistic sacrifices, strange laws regarding dietary regulations, and the rules of what is clean and unclean. Yet, in our hast to get through the book, we discover an invaluable jewel that becomes the cornerstone of God’s ethical and moral standards in which we live.
The theme of the book of Leviticus is the Holiness of God. The word “holiness” is found about 150 times in the book (more than twice as many times as any other book in the Bible). This word sets the foundation for not only understanding the theme of the book but also for our understanding of God and his redemptive purpose. So often, we focus on what we are saved from: sin. However, the Bible is more focused on what we are saved to: to be a holy people dedicated to serving God.
The word “holy” means being separated from sin and what is ordinary and set apart for God. This is grounded in the Holiness of God. God is transcendent from everything common and is absolutely pure and free from any taint of sin. Within the pages of Scripture, Holiness is the core quality of God’s nature that becomes the basis for all his moral attributes. To encounter God is first to face his Holiness and moral perfection. Because he is holy, for us to be in a relationship with him, we also must be holy. Thus we find four times God specifically calls his people “to be holy for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8).
But Holiness is not some abstract, esoteric attribute of God that has no implications for us. On the contrary, the Holiness of God is the starting point and the ending point in our quest for moral and ethical truth. Apart from being transformed by his Holiness, our journey will lead to destruction.
The Holiness of God is concrete and transformative. Holiness is inherently practical, and it is to govern every aspect of our life. It dictates how we approach God in our worship (ch. 20). It is to govern what we eat. It determines our views of sexual behavior (ch. 18). It influences our view of marriage and how we are to interact as a family. It challenges us to treat people differently (ch. 19). Holiness is not just an ethical quality exhibited by God; it is a way of life for our daily conduct. To be in a covenantal relationship with a holy God is to reject the world and its ethics/morality that is inherently tainted by sin.
Of all his attributes, it is his Holiness that we cannot fathom. We can express his love through our love for others. We can understand grace by being gracious to others. But the one attribute fallen humanity cannot manifest apart from the transformational work of God is his Holiness. Consequently instead of embracing his Holiness, we attempt to bring God down to our level by making him more like us: flawed and imperfect.
This is why Leviticus is so crucial today, for it is a message to look around our daily life and events and see them through the Holiness of God. It is to reject the world's morality and ethos, seek God, and be set apart for him. So as you read the book of Leviticus, scrutinize it and ask God to reveal to you how you can then reveal his Holiness in the mundane daily affairs of life.
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