Holiness Laws Series

The Skipped over Books of the Bible

Skipped over b/c:

- Too hard to understand

- Too difficult to read

- Too embarrassing to think about

Laws given:

-To show us how to LOVE our Savior, who brought us out of Egypt

- To keep us SAFE under His protective wings

Absolute Laws are laws that were to be obeyed then and OBEYED NOW

- Grammar of text tells us they are Absolute

- Imperative mood: THOU SHALT…

- Imperfect tense: Thou shalt ALWAYS or NEVER …

- Re-affirmed in New Testament

- Context of the Commands

- Putting yourself into the ANE to apply the laws

- Does the same context apply today? How does it translate today

Holiness Laws in the Skipped over Books

What does it mean to be holy? Separate, set apart, special, pure

Opposite of holy? Same as, no different, NOT special, impure

God is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY (Isaiah 6)

421 times in Exodus, Lev, Num, Deut. Is the word HOLY used!

- Holiness, separate, special, pure, set apart, etc.

- The Tabernacle and Future Temple

- A “separate place” for just the Jews

- A “more separate place” for male heads of the family

- A “holy place” for just priests

- A “Holy of Holies” or “MOST holy place” for one priest, once a year

We are to be HOLY because:

- God is Holy

- 23 times it says “Be holy because I AM HOLY”

- You have been CHOSEN

- Ex. 19:4-6 “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

- Deut. 14: 1-2 “You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession”

- You have been commanded to be (out of love, protection and relationship)

- BE holy!

- ALL these laws establish holiness

- Shows “fear of the Lord” or awe, respect

- You will receive the promised HOLY LAND!

- This is a story of a people leaving slavery and entering the Promised Land

A Sampling of Holiness Laws: Lev. 19-22

NOTICE:

- I AM the I AM = Yahweh = Holy, Holy, Holy

- “Cut OFF” = no longer special, sent back to the ordinary world

Do these laws apply today? Are they Absolute?

Some are: 10 commands are also holiness laws

Most are NOT:

- Context doesn’t fit today

- Grammar tells us “IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU …”

NOT THOU SHALT …

- New Testament doesn’t re-affirm

Does the concept of HOLINESS apply today? ABSOLUTELY!

We are to be HOLY because God is HOLY to stay in relationship with HIM

We are to be HOLY because we have been CHOSEN by God’s grace and love

We are to be HOLY because we have been commanded to for our protection and relationship with God

We are to be HOLY because we have been taken from Slavery to the Promised Land

Summary: We are to be HOLY because of what Christ has done for us!

Ephesians 4:17-25

Are you separate, set apart, pure, HOLY

Or are you the same, ordinary, impure, unHOLY?