Holy

The word "Holy" brings to mind different things to different people. Some things or activities that others in the world call holy, might seem strange to us. There was a man who was called a holy man in his country. He faithfully traveled a far distance to a shrine every day. However, instead of walking the miles to the shrine from his village, he would roll on the ground all the way to the shrine. This, in his countrymen's eyes, made him "holy". There was an account written of a man who was considered by all to be a devout Christian. One thing that made others consider him to be holy was that he ate and drank only bread and water. Some think being holy requires a certain outward appearance, and certain religious practices that indicate that the person has separated himself from the world, and dedicated himself to God. Many think that to be holy requires that one doesn't sin, or is sincerely repentant of sin. This would seem to reflect what the Word of God requires for holiness. We have the Word of God to teach us, yet there are still many interpretations of what it means to be holy, or to live a holy life. The fact that we are confused is evidenced by the inevitable questions about holiness that continually arise, such as: "But can I still watch TV? What about cable?" or "Can I play video games and still be holy?". "Can I drink alcohol and be holy?" People are unsure about the subject. There is one thing that is certain: God has called His people to be holy to the same measure that He is holy: "For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, as I am holy." (Lev. 11:43-45). Also, "I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples...And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine." (Lev. 20:24, 26). In those last verses from Lev. 20, it seems that the LORD has made the people holy because He has taken them specifically as a possession for Himself. Here is another command from God: "And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: "You shall be holy (kadosh/kadash- holy, sacred, pure, clean, free from defilement, saint; sanctify, hallow, dedicate, purified, to set apart, to be consecrated, to make or pronounce clean, used of God), for I the LORD your God am holy." (Lev. 19:1-2). This last command from Lev. 19 is also part of the Torah portion for this Sabbath. The title of this Sabbath's portion is K'doshim, meaning "Holy ones". I think this section from Lev. 19 offers some interesting ideas that the LORD adds to the discussion of holiness. Perhaps they are points that some might never have connected to holiness, but God connects them. The first point made after the command of the LORD from Lev. 19 for His people to be holy is the instruction, "Every one of you shall fear/revere (yawray- revere, stand in awe of, reverence, honor, respect, to cause astonishment and awe, to make afraid, to tremble, venerable, august, in a wonderful manner) his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God." (v. 2). Revering parents and keeping Sabbaths seem to be two different instructions, but the LORD has paired them together. The commandment regarding our parents tells us that holiness begins at home, in this intimate family relationship. The LORD regards our parents in a manner that we may not. By using the word fear/revere and its meaning in Hebrew, God regards them as deserving the same reverence as one would give God Himself. Our connection to our parents is a sovereign work of the will of God, and therefore holy, and should be viewed by us as such. This is the beginning of holiness. The LORD makes clear in His Word that it is He who opens and closes the womb. He knows us even before we are formed in the womb. It is no accident or happenstance regarding to whom we are born. In the same verse, the LORD commands that we keep (samar- observe, heed, preserve, beware, watchman, wait, save, guard, retain, treasure up (in memory), protect, celebrate) His Sabbaths. The Sabbaths are not just days of religious observance to some, but the concept of the Sabbath that is so holy, so worthy to be guarded and protected, is that it is a day that proclaims the finish, the conclusion, of all of God's work, past, present and future. It represents and contains the completion of the restoration and reconciliation of all creation back to the One who created it. It is the finished work ordained over each of our individual lives as stated in Jer. 29:11, "For I know the thoughts/plans that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." It is the planned work of the Father, completed by and through His Son, Jesus, for each of us, and for the heavens and the earth, which makes the Sabbath so holy to God, and holy to us. Our own salvation was finished and memorialized in the Sabbath. This is all that is expressed in the Sabbath (Heb. 4:3-4,10-12). Understanding and guarding the holy concept represented by the Sabbath is a place of holiness for us. Our faith exhibited in our God is represented by our understanding of the holiness of the Sabbath, and our faith is something that is very holy and precious to God. The LORD's holiness contained in these two principles makes us holy as well when we receive and understand. As we read on in Lev. 19, the LORD continues His unusual glimpse into His idea of holiness. He discusses our holiness in terms of how we treat others, not only in regards to our brethren, but strangers as well. These instructions include: leaving the corners and gleanings of fields and vineyards for the poor and the stranger. Do not steal nor lie to one another. Do not cheat nor rob your neighbor, nor pay wages late to your workers, thereby doing them harm. Do not mock nor hinder those who have a handicap. Make just judgments, not favoring the wealthy nor disfavoring the poor. Do not be a talebearer (rawkeel- scandal-monger, slanderer, informer, detraction) among your people. Do not hate your brother in your heart. Do not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but "love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." (Lev. 19:9-18). Of the last statement in this week's Sabbath reading portion, "...love your neighbor as yourself", Jesus also taught as being one of the two principles that make up all the law and the prophets. It carries the same weight as "The LORD is one, and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind and strength." (Mt. 22:36-40). Paul also pointed to this statement, "Love thy neighbor as thyself", as summing up all of the commandments of God (Rom. 13:9-10, Gal. 5:14). Paul adds to the thought: "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed." (Rom. 13:11). "Loving your neighbor as yourself", therefore, is not only the fulfillment of all of the (holy) commandments, but is a requirement in preparation for the return of Christ, according to Paul. The Apostle James wrote: "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well." (James 2:8). Jesus made sure that we understood that "our neighbor" is not limited to those close to us, or to those with whom we share an acquaintance. "Our neighbor", in God's expectation of holiness, also includes those who are sometimes avoided by "religious" people in an effort to keep their "holiness" (Lk. 10:25-37). Holiness isn't found only in a list of things to do, or acts to perform. It isn't measured, for example, by how far we can roll on the ground to church. It does not depend upon how we dress, or wear our hair. Holiness, I believe, is found in a Person, God, and discovering our inseparable existence in Him, and in our revering what is in the heart of God towards ourselves and others. If we can understand this, then we are holy, because He is holy. May we be holy for our God is holy, and our Father has called us to be like Him. If you would like to become part of God, and His holiness, you can pray: "Heavenly Father, in Your love, and in Your commandments to be holy, You have provided Your only Son, Jesus, Your Living Word, to call us to Your holiness. I believe that Jesus became sin, so I could be reconciled with You and Your holiness. I believe He died and was raised from the dead, because Your Word says that Your Holy One will not see corruption, and as a result we also are passed from death unto life in Your Son. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, who leads me into the deep things, even the holiness, of God. I thank You that You have separated me unto Yourself as Your holy possession. I receive Your provision of holiness in my body, soul, nd spirit, in Jesus' name, AMEN."