Day 4 - 40 Days in the Old Testament
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days in the Old Testament
Day 4 | BE HOLY
40 Days in the Old Testament
Day 4 | BE HOLY
BE HOLY
Leviticus 11:44-45
“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. I am the LORD , who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” (NIV)
In many ways, Leviticus is a puzzling book to those of us living under the New Covenant (aka Testament) of Jesus. Even in seminary, when we studied Leviticus, many of us asked, WHY are we studying this book?
But God was teaching His people then – who had been enslaved for 400 years – how to live, how to eat, how to care for themselves, and how to be HOLY, separated from, and different than the other people who were NOT God’s “Chosen people.”
I think of stories I’ve read and heard about people training for things like the Ironman competition. Proper eating, living, and exercise are paramount in the preparation stage. You wouldn’t be considered a serious competitor if you ate poorly, exercised poorly, and lived like a derelict.
Similarly, God taught His people how necessary obedience was in their sacrifices, rituals, and diets. God ordered even clothing and cooking to teach His children how to live differently from others, illustrating the separation from the world that He expected.
God also says “I am the LORD your God” or the shorter “I am the Lord” nearly 50 times in Leviticus, along with this statement, “I am Holy.”
Ponder why, for a moment, God would say, “I am HOLY.”
Because God is HOLY and their God, the people were to be holy in their outward ceremonial behavior, hopefully translating into internal, personal holiness.
How about you?
Our God today is still HOLY. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed (which means HOLY) be Thy name.” Our God is, still today, holy.
Prayer: LORD, YOU are holy. Your name is hallowed. Help me live up to my name and the privilege of being one of your children. Amen.
Leviticus 11:44-45
“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. I am the LORD , who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” (NIV)
In many ways, Leviticus is a puzzling book to those of us living under the New Covenant (aka Testament) of Jesus. Even in seminary, when we studied Leviticus, many of us asked, WHY are we studying this book?
But God was teaching His people then – who had been enslaved for 400 years – how to live, how to eat, how to care for themselves, and how to be HOLY, separated from, and different than the other people who were NOT God’s “Chosen people.”
I think of stories I’ve read and heard about people training for things like the Ironman competition. Proper eating, living, and exercise are paramount in the preparation stage. You wouldn’t be considered a serious competitor if you ate poorly, exercised poorly, and lived like a derelict.
Similarly, God taught His people how necessary obedience was in their sacrifices, rituals, and diets. God ordered even clothing and cooking to teach His children how to live differently from others, illustrating the separation from the world that He expected.
God also says “I am the LORD your God” or the shorter “I am the Lord” nearly 50 times in Leviticus, along with this statement, “I am Holy.”
Ponder why, for a moment, God would say, “I am HOLY.”
Because God is HOLY and their God, the people were to be holy in their outward ceremonial behavior, hopefully translating into internal, personal holiness.
How about you?
Our God today is still HOLY. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed (which means HOLY) be Thy name.” Our God is, still today, holy.
Prayer: LORD, YOU are holy. Your name is hallowed. Help me live up to my name and the privilege of being one of your children. Amen.
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