Holiness (Leviticus 19)

Was Israel to live holy lives? Did holiness include how they treated parents, Sabbath, idolatry, peace offerings, the poor, telling the truth, immigrants, stock breeding, clothing quality, sex, harvesting fruit, pagan practices, the elderly, foreigners, and honesty in business? How holy are our lives? Let’s look at a discussion of holiness in Leviticus 19.

How important was holiness to God under the old covenant?

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, for I the Lord your God am holy.’” (Leviticus 19:1-2 NKJV)

How did honoring parents, Sabbath keeping and avoiding idolatry make for holy living?

Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God. Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:3-4 NLT)

How were peace offerings to be holy? Was it also a meal?

When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. If anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire. If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted; but everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of Yahweh, and that soul shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 19:5-8 WEB)

How could they treat the poor and immigrants in a holy manner?

When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather up every remaining bit of your harvest. Also do not pick your vineyard clean or gather up all the grapes that have fallen there. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:9-10 CEB)

How were truth telling and fulfilling promises holy living?

Do not steal or tell lies or cheat others. Do not misuse my name by making promises you don't intend to keep. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:11-12 CEV)

What were some practical ways to be holy in showing love to a neighbor?

You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:13-18 ESV)

Are quality stock breeding and clothing ways to be holy?

You are to keep My statutes. You must not crossbreed two different kinds of your livestock, sow your fields with two kinds of seed, or put on a garment made of two kinds of material. (Leviticus 19:19 HCSB)

Can an engaged person be both holy and sexually unfaithful?

When a person has sexual relations with a woman servant who is engaged to another man, but she has not been completely redeemed nor has her freedom been granted to her, there is to be an inquiry, but they won’t be put to death, since she has not been freed. The perpetrator is to bring his guilt offering to the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting—that is, a ram as a guilt offering. Then the priest is to make atonement for him with the ram as a guilt offering in the Lord’s presence on account of his sin which he has committed, but which will be forgiven him. (Leviticus 19:20-22 ISV)

Was holiness applicable even to harvesting fruit only when the tree was ready?

And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the Lord withal. And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:23-25 KJV)