Why Holiness Matters

When I think about the books in the Bible that encourage and inspire me, the Old Testament book of Leviticus would rank near the bottom. Not kidding. It’s a tough read.

But it’s important to approach God’s Word holistically, so I have to take the good with the bad… the easy-to-read chapters with the hard-to-get-through chapters. And I’ve found that in doing so, God reveals powerful, life-changing lessons.

Here’s a doozy He taught me recently that will change the way you approach your day.

Leviticus is a historical narrative that reveals God’s holiness in ways large and small. It’s intense. Full of complex instructions (detail upon detail, instruction upon instruction) given from God to Moses so the sins of the Israelites could be covered through a sacrificial system. So that God’s people would learn to recognize, respect, and revere His power, righteousness, and majesty.

The long and short of it is this, offerings were to be brought to God on behalf of the Israelites, mainly: Burnt Offerings, Grain Offerings, Fellowship Offerings, Sin Offerings and Guilt Offerings. The priests made these offerings, in strict adherence to the law established by God himself, so that the Israelites could be forgiven and restored in God’s sight.

As New Testament believers, we are free of these requirements. Jesus died for all mankind so our sins could be forgiven, making these offerings no longer mandatory. He poured out his love and life for us in crimson sacrifice. The Bible tells us that when we confess our sins and place our faith in the finished work of Christ, we are fully forgiven and restored to the heart of God.

After Moses told his brother Aaron all that God had instructed, the Israelites gathered to worship the Lord and present their offerings according to the Lord’s instructions. (Leviticus 9) The ceremonies of sacrifice began near the Tent of Meetings and God met them there with fire.

After the sacrificial ceremony was well underway, Aaron’s sons decided to do their own thing. They stepped outside of God’s revealed will and brought offerings in a way that they wanted to.

And God consumed them with fire.

On the spot.

Struck them dead before all of the people.

Oh. My. Heart. Knowing how often I set aside God’s will for my own, I read this and struggle to process.

Following the deaths of Nadab and Abihu the Lord gave further directives to His people. The one that stopped me in my tracks was found in verse 10.

“And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, “…You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses” (Leviticus 10:8-11).

Distinguish between the holy and the common.

Between the unclean and the clean.

I read this chapter and am gripped with a fresh awareness of God’s holiness. His words ring loud in my ears. Holiness is important to God, so it needs to be important to me.

I’m left wondering how I can distinguish the holy from the common today.

How can I sift through the mundane and dust off the majestic in practical ways?

What would it look like for me to separate and set aside the common from the holy in my marriage and mothering, at my workplace, in my friendships, on social media…?

Some answers rise in my soul as obvious. Others loom nebulous. I want all to align my street-level-life with God’s sacred will, so I turn to Him in prayer and ask Him to show me.

I ask Him to help me to see the holy and the common for what it is. To choose the best. His best.

I ask Him to help me turn from the unclean toward the clean. I hand over my limited perspective, selfish intentions, and stubbornness.

Pray with me?

Dear Lord, You are holy and worthy of all praise and honor. I’m sorry for the times I bend toward the common over the holy. Lead me in Your ways today. Guide me with Your Spirit to choose words, thoughts and deeds that bring you glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

FOR YOUR REFLECTION and RESPONSE
When you quiet your heart before God and ask Him to reveal the common things, behaviors, thoughts, and relationships you’ve been settling for, what does He reveal?

Make a fresh commitment to pursue holiness and ask the Holy One to lead you in the pursuit.

Let’s pray together today. Meet us in the comments section to share your heart and pray for one another.