Laws of Holiness

INTRO

You made it through another day of Moses’ writings about how the Israelites should live. Yesterday we studied Leviticus 18 and a list of who you can and cannot have sexual relations with. God set the Israelites apart as a special treasure, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood.

Here we have the heart of Leviticus: Leviticus 20:26, “You are to be holy to Me because I, Yahweh, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be Mine.”

The way this took place was through Atonement. They were to offer sacrifices to receive forgiveness. In Leviticus 19, we are going to look at how this nation was to walk in holiness. I’m going to give you a list today of what the Israelites were to do to experience holiness.

TEACHING

Leviticus 19:1–2: I want to make sure everyone understands! This message was not just for the priests, it was for all of the Israelites: “Be holy as I am holy!”

Leviticus 19:3–34:

1. Respect your parents (v. 3): See Exodus 20:12.

Keep Sabbaths (v. 3): No work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8). “I am Yahweh your God!” Why did the Israelites have to keep these laws? Because He is Yahweh, their God. He is holy, and He is to be the standard.

Forsake idols (v. 4): Why? This was part of the culture they had lived in (Exodus 20:4).

Fellowship/peace offerings (vv. 5–8): This was to be eaten on the first or second day. Remember the thanksgiving offerings, vow offerings, and freewill offerings? God was supposed to get the fatty portions. The priest got the breast and waved it, and then got the right thigh and heaved it. The offerer participated and ate as well. If it was eaten on the third day, it was repulsive. That would be going against the guardrails God had set.

Have concern for the poor (vv. 9–10): Moses wrote to not reap all the way to the very edge of the fields. This had to be a strange concept because the Israelites were wandering around the wilderness and didn’t have any fields yet. But it was coming, and God was preparing them. In Ruth 2:8–23, Ruth got to experience this very thing.

Show honesty and integrity even in regards to business (vv. 11–13): More guidelines: don’t steal, don’t cheat people, and don’t lie or swear falsely (James 5:4; Matthew 20:1). We always want to be the ones who are going above and beyond, not short-changing people.

Protect the physically challenged (vv. 14–15): Judge fairly! Our culture labels people based upon what we wear or how much money we have. God says not to judge based on those things. We have to be different from the world.

Justice and truth in speech (vv. 16–17): Don’t spread slander. This can be one of the hardest things for us. We want to talk to our friends about it when someone wrongs us.

Love your neighbor as yourself (v. 18): is the most quoted Old Testament text in the New Testament. Vengeance does not belong to us; it belongs to the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35). Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37–40). God’s standard is that we love Him so that we can love our neighbors. Don’t blend worlds. God says He doesn’t want things to mix. Why? Deuteronomy 7:3–6 says when we blend these worlds, it turns us away from God. This included a law regarding intercourse with a slave (vv. 20–22).

Five-year fruit tree (vv. 23–25): Some commentators say it takes three years to overcome the uncleanliness. The fourth year, the firstfruits are to be offered to the Lord as a praise offering. In the fifth year the fruit could be eaten. This is a picture of the Lord’s patience with us as He transforms us. Relax if you don’t see instant fruit right away. Have the five-year fruit tree perspective. As you praise Him, the fruit is going to come.

Dignified mourning (v. 28): There were unethical ways to mourn, like gashing or cutting their skin and marking their bodies (Jeremiah 16:6; Jeremiah 47:5). Ethical mourning is seen in Isaiah 22:12.

Forsake magic and witchcraft (v. 31)

Respect for elderly (v. 32)

Loving treatment of aliens (vv. 33–34): We all were, at one point, foreigners (v. 34b).

CLOSING

We’re going through these standards because this is how God wants us to live. But even more so, Jesus wants us to live like this. Jesus said, “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

Jesus came to fulfill Leviticus 19. At least seven different times, Jesus referenced Leviticus 19 in His teaching throughout the New Testament, such as:

Leviticus 19:2: “Be holy because I am Holy.”

Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Leviticus 19:3: “Respect your mother and father.”

Matthew 19:19: “Honor your father and your mother!”

There’s this constant correlation between the Old Testament Law and Jesus’ teaching. Jesus didn’t come to wipe it out; He came to fulfill everything that was spoken in Leviticus 19.