Leviticus 19_1s Heavy Devotion

Leviticus 19:1 “Be Holy”

Intro: Quarterback come ESPN commentator Joe Theismann, allegedly explained to his soon-to-be-ex second wife why he had an affair: "God wants Joe Theismann to be happy."

For many of us happiness in life is our greatest desire but what does our creator, sustainer, and savior desire for us. The answer is found here in this text. “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

I have heard it said that God does not care about our happiness He only cares about our holiness. But we forget that God created us to be relational. He cares about our relationship with Him and our relationship with others. In fact, the basis of the Law is relational… how to have a relationship with God and how to have a relationship with others. The person who has the right relationship with God and man is truly happy!

The context of Leviticus 19 is relational, God had chosen a certain people, those born of Abraham, his son Isaac, and his son Jacob. He saved them form a severe famine bringing Jacob’s family to Egypt where God had been preparing provisions for them. God kept them there so they would not scatter over the face of the earth and at the right time during a time of great oppression God delivered his people. Now they are in the wilderness and through Moses God teaches them how to approach the one true living God who will be living in their midst.

In fact, Leviticus 19 teaches the very theme of this O.T. book the holiness of God and his desire to have a relationship with his people and the basis of this relationship is the holiness of his people. As we look at Leviticus we see one is able to have a relationship with God through blood sacrifice. But the furthering intimacy of this relationship is based on personal holiness.

If you were to read Lev. 19 and compare it to Exodus 20 you would see that entire 10 commandments are addressed here. As I have taught many times before, the 1st 4 commandants deal with one’s relationship with God….

Thou shall have no other God before me.

Thou shall not have any graven images.

Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

The next 6 commandments deal with one’s relationship with others…

Honor thy father and mother

Thou shall not kill

Thou shall not commit adultery

Thou shall not steal

Thou shall not bear false witness

Thou shall not covet they neighbors house

This is not a teaching that is limited to the Old Testament, Jesus when asked what was the greatest command, He answered “Love the Lord thy God will all thy heart, soul, mind, and might. And, the second is like it, love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments depend the whole law.” (Matt. 22: 37-40, Mark 12: 28-34) Interesting enough we see that Moses not only covers all 10 Commandants in Leviticus 19 but if you look in Verse 18 we read and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

God’s desire for his people is to be holy and Jesus taught the same principle in His sermon on the mount, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48)

Why is this important, God had initiated a relationship with His people one that He want to flourish and grow into perfect intimacy as possible on earth. God was about to bring His people into a land that they had not labored for. A good land, fertile and spacious, and they would be tempted in that land to follow after the heathen people around them. God new when times were God for mankind, mankind would drift away from Him and depend upon their selves, they would make a wreck of their lives and their relationships by the falling for the temptations of the flesh around them. So God commanded them to be holy just as He is holy.

As Israel encountered temptation 4000 years ago so do His people today… now we are not His chosen people Israel, born physically of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob but by grace through faith in Jesus we have been grafted into the family of God. We live in a day of great temptation, a day when everyman goes after his own, worrying only with himself, relying on people, possessions, and positions to do for us what only God can do for us. AND, our relationship with God and man are left hanging in the balance.

But God commands us to be holy as He is holy!!!!

What does holy mean… Holy (qâdôwsh, kaw-doshe´) = to be removed from common use, being unique and pure, to posses essential divine qualities in contrast with what is human in nature. For the Christian holiness should be our desire while here on earth… a desire to be pure like Jesus the only begotten of God who revealed the Father to humanity and suffered the sin of the world to secure an eternal relationship for mankind with His loving creator.

CPS: Today I want you to pursue personal holiness because it is God’s desire for you and is needful in all human interaction.

The command to be holy is a universal command. (2a)

All the Congregation

This is the only time when God tells Moses to speak directly to the entire Israelite community. God did not exclude anyone in the congregation form this command. This is a timeless truth which should be engraved the hearts of all of God’s people

The command to be holy is a unique command. (2b)

“Ye” shall be holy

God may be speaking to the entire congregation but He addresses every man, woman, and child personally commanding them to be holy. You (personally) be holy. If by grace through faith in Jesus you have become a child a God the personal holiness is in your best interest. In order to have a close intimate relationship with “God BE YE HOLY!” To walk with man is a way pleasing to God and beneficial to your spiritual health “BE YE HOLY! You….. be holy!

The command to be holy is unequaled command. (2c)

for I the Lord your God am holy

There is nothing common about our God… There is none like God. He is the only God. True and living that has no origins but because He is! I am convinced that God’s greatest unequaled attribute is His self existence and His second is His holiness. As the seraphim of Is. 6 sang “holy, holy, holy is the Lord of host.” As the 4 living creatures in Rev. 4 sing “holy, holy, holy is the LORD almighty! God is holy! AND IT IS OUR DUTY TO STRIVE AFTER HIS HOLINESS!

Con: Will we ever reach perfect holiness while here on earth? No but it should be our desire so that we can walk in the best relationship with God and man until we hear our name called from the throne room of God and we see our Lord Jesus face to face. But how do we accomplish this feat?

After a violent storm one night, a large tree, which over the years had become a stately giant, was found lying across the pathway in a park. Nothing but a splintered stump was left. Closer examination showed that is was rotten at the core because thousands of tiny insects had eaten away at its heart. The weakness of that tree was not brought on by the sudden storm; it began the very moment the first insect nested within its bark.

So it is with us… even a saint of God falls prey to sin and our relationship with God and man are hindered, so what do we do about it. We safe guard ourselves! - from temptation to sin…. – from sin itself…. – we meditate on the wondrous commands of God and bow our will to obedience in Him.