Leviticus 17-22 ~ Be Holy For I Am Holy

Leviticus 19:2 spells out the main theme for this section of this book: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. It is this theme that gives us the big picture motivation for our living: translating our faith in God's salvation in Jesus into love, which fulfills all laws. Essentially in principle, there is no need for us to follow the laws that have explicitly been claimed as outdated by the apostles e.g. food laws, priests and sacrifices, etc. but we should still follow those that are still repeatedly instructed by the apostles in the New Testament. Some of the Levitical laws mentioned in chapters 17 to 22 cover the following grounds:

• Worshiping other gods: To safeguard the Israelites from sacrificing to the demons, they were instructed to present their offering to the priest instead. Today, we're still instructed to flee from idolatry.
• Eating blood: Blood symbolizes life and the atonement for our sin, hence, why the act of eating blood was forbidden.
• Forbidden sexual and marriage relations: Having relations with close relatives, committing adultery and practising homosexuality are improper acts for God's holy people.
• Parents and children: Children are instructed to honour their parents and not curse them. Parents, on the other hand, are not to offer their child up for prostitution or child sacrifice, and neither are they to exasperate their children.
• Love thy neighbour: Love after orphans and widows. Do not withhold wages of hired hands or oppress the disabled nor do injustice in court.
• Mixing two kinds: This reinforces the idea of keeping things distinct. 1 Peter 3:3-4 tells us that it's not the outward clothing (e.g. two different types of fibres) but the inner beauty that matters more.
• Tattoos etc.: These were prohibited as narratives such as 1 Kings 18:27-28 tell us that these are paganistic rituals performed to gain Baal's protection.
• Priest's marriage partner, children and food: Church leaders are to marry women of respect and be able to manage God's church (how can they do so if they can't even manage their own household?). 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 also explains that those who preach the gospel should receive living from the gospel.
• Freewill offering: We are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) and to offer a sacrifice of praise as we do good and share with others (Hebrews 13:11-16)

It is through these Levitical laws that we are reminded to be distinctive and not to mix the holy with the unholy. The call for holiness is not to be compartmentalized (e.g. restricted to just Friday Bible studies or Sunday services) but should be one we heed to all of life. We need to live as how He calls us to live, because He is our God, and not because of anyone else. So brothers and sisters, let us be holy for He is holy...