Holy

“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” ~ Leviticus 19:2

The simplest definition of the word holy is “to be set apart.” In the Book of Leviticus, the call to be holy dominates the themes and movements of the book. Often we get caught up in the number of laws, rules, and regulations that we find in the Book of Leviticus. We get a little confused about when things should happen or how people should act. Clean and unclean, feast days and sacrifices, priests and Levites, can all become trees on which we concentrate that may cause us to miss the beauty of the forest. The reality is that Leviticus is a book that paints a glorious picture of God.

Over and over we are called to be holy. The reason you and I are to be holy is because God is holy. Stop and think about it. God’s character is supposed to define my character. God’s heart is supposed to shape my heart. God’s holiness is supposed to be at work in my life, transforming how I think, feel, and act. This is the picture that we get from Leviticus. Leviticus teaches us that cleanliness is about valuing purity and wholeness. Feast days remind us to celebrate the movement and power of God. The sacrificial system teaches us to let go of the world and experience the grace and forgiveness that God provides His people.

There is nothing in the world, or the universe, that is like God. He is distinct from anything and everything else. He is set apart. Though there is nothing like Him, He is in the process of transforming us to mirror Him. He is calling you and I to be holy. To live His love, His passion, His grace, His will, His direction, His character in each moment of our lives. As you read Leviticus this week, don’t “miss the forest for the trees.” Watch for the character of our holy God.