The Call
Stephan Kirby, Pastor, House of Prayer Baptist Church, Louisville KY
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy: I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. Leviticus 20:7-8
Sanctify – to bless, to consecrate, to dedicate, to purify, to anoint
Now that God has established with us a new place of worship, He is now calling us to Holiness – consecrating ourselves and living our lives acceptable to Him. In order to achieve this, it means that we must change, change our way of thinking, change our attitudes, change our lifestyles, and change whatever is not in accordance with God’s way. Not only ourselves, but also our families. They too must live in accordance with God’s way. We must be examples for those in our households. We who are parents must teach our children the ways of the Lord and not allow our children to participate in ungodly activities.
In the 20th Chapter of Leviticus, the Lord is speaking to Moses and saying, again, the children of Israel are not to live as the heathen do and are not to give their children to false gods. That’s our problem today, we want to do what the world is doing, instead of what God is calling us to do. We find acceptable the ways of the world; compromise has become second nature. But God clearly says that this type of living leads to destruction and exclusion from Him, “he shall be put to death…stone him with stones…I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off…” (verses 2-3).
The Israelites were worshipping an idol god by the name of Molech. Molech also called “Moloch” and “Milcom” was an idol god of the national god of the Ammonites, to whom children were sacrificed by fire. He was the so-called consuming and destroying fire and also at the same time, the purifying fire. A god worshiped by the wives of Solomon, and by Solomon himself (1 Kings 11:1-8). Molech means, “king”, and when you place anything before God it becomes your king. In Amos 5:26, “your Moloch” of the King James Version is “your king” in the Revised Version. When we allow our children and even ourselves become part of worldly pleasures, and compromise God’s goodness, we sacrifice to Molech. Again, that is the quickest way to separation from God (verses 4, 5, and 6).
So God offers us help, refuge, sanctity and calls us… “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy!”
Make up in your mind that you are going to stop allowing Molech to devastate your life. Make up in your mind that you are going to stop allowing Molech to ruin your home. Make up in your mind that you are going to stop allowing Molech to devour your children. Molech did not create you. Molech did not wake you up this morning. Molech did not feed, clothe, and protect you. Stop giving Molech your time! Therefore sanctify yourself – therefore bless yourself, therefore consecrate yourself, therefore dedicate yourself, therefore purify yourself, therefore anoint yourself and become what God is calling you to be…HOLY!
“I am the Lord your God!” I am the one who delivered you from bondage… I am to be respected and revered! I am the Lord your God, I am the one who provides and protects you… I am to be praised and adored! I am the Lord your God, I am the one who created everything out of nothing… I am to be honored and exhalted…
“And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them:” The call to be obedient underlies two or more key verses of the Pentateuch. One is Leviticus 19:2: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." Obedience should emanate from a commitment to live a holy life before God and others in the covenant community. A second key passage is Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This is a divine call, urging a total love for God that results in unhesitating obedience to his will.
The new covenant was portrayed in Jesus’ supreme example of obedience to the heavenly Father, when he gave himself as the ultimate sacrifice for atonement of sin. Jesus also stated in John 14:15“If ye love me keep my commandments…” And when you obey him He sends for us help… “another Comforter” verse 16. The Holy Spirit is provided to all who believe in Jesus. The Spirit’s abiding presence enables all God’s people to carry out God’s will and to live obediently before him.
“I am the Lord which sanctify you.” Can’t anybody bless you like me? No, No, No! Can’t anybody sustain you like me? No, No, No! I am the Lord who can sanctify you! I am the Lord who can bless you! I am the Lord who can consecrate you! I am the Lord who can dedicate you! I am the Lord who can purify you! I am the Lord who can anoint you! Be ye holy, for I am Holy…
