Leviticus 20:7-8 “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”
To be made clean in the sight of God is the Hebrew term qadash. For the one who has been made clean by the Lord, they have been set apart by Him, consecrated by His name, to proclaim His glory.
There are many false religions that attempt to consecrate themselves. They practice all forms of ritual, thinking that by abstaining from food during the day will somehow procure favor from God is the hope of a fool. They worship before an obelisk, they deem rocks and monuments as holy, while the Creator of the Heavens and Earth looks down in sadness and disappointment.
Why do so many people look to rites and ritual as a means to satisfy their soul?
For one, people believe that if they have something to do with their salvation, they can tangibly measure their level of holiness. The greater the service, the more holy they become…at least in theory. For the religion that bases salvation on service, the security is never there, the hope of doing enough is never satisfied, and so they are compelled to become zealots—driven by fear.
The Call
During the time of the Exodus, Israel had been set apart to declare the glory of God, and were given specific instructions in civil, ceremonial, and moral laws. The civil laws which governed the nation of Israel encompassed not only behaviors but also punishments for crimes. The civil laws were established so the nation could thrive. The laws were all tied into the moral law but only two sets were specific to Israel…the civil and ceremonial laws.
God called Israel to holiness. To be set apart from the idolatrous nations surrounding them required following the instructions of the Lord and many of the laws specific at the time were a rebuke of the pagan practices of evil nations. In another sense, the civil laws protected the people in relation to one another. Learning how to co-exist was key to unity, while keeping the people from self-destruction and harm showed the wisdom of a loving Heavenly Father.
Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
The laws of the Lord were intended to make Israel holy but at the heart of the law is the heart of God. The character of God is revealed by the laws He gave His people.
Israel was a religious nation and therefore the civil laws of the day were specific to that nation. Today, those civil laws do not apply to God’s people since they comprise people from every nation, although there are principles that still apply today. The ceremonial laws that were designed for the temple were all fulfilled in Christ and also do not apply. The moral law (10 commandments) are universal, they reflect the character of God directly and are the standard by which sin is measured, these never change.
Many people who mock the old laws of blended garments or tattoos, lack the understanding of why they were applied ceremonially to Israel. Today they sound ridiculous, but back then they made perfect sense. Israel was surrounded by idolatrous nations who practiced all forms of evil practice, the Lord wanted His people separate from them, therefore He sanctified them by His laws.
Today, the moral law is how God reveals sin. All who have ever broken the moral law has been separated from God. The call to repent of sin is a call toward holiness. People cannot make themselves holy by practicing the law, because they cannot atone for past sins. They could live perfect lives from this point onward and still have their past offenses hold them guilty before God.
When God calls people toward holiness today, He calls them toward the perfect sacrifice.
Sin Atoned
The blood of bulls and goats in the old ceremonial sacrifice was for Israel. The Lord set them apart as they worshipped Him at the Tabernacle and Temple. When Jesus came, then came the perfect sacrifice and the ceremony was completed.
Hebrews 9:11-12 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
Jesus sanctifies His people today. When the repentant turn from their sins and turn toward Jesus, they make a decision to accept His sacrifice for sin. They cannot be free from the consequence of sin apart from Him.
All false religions seek justification apart from Christ. They try to live “good” lives, they try to please their gods, and they seek through civil and ceremonial laws for a way to appease the focus of their faith.
The reason why they will never succeed in satisfying their sin is simply because they seek justification through works. There is no other perfect sacrifice. There is no other way to appease God’s wrath than through the perfect blood given by the Lamb of God.
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
Hebrews 9:24 “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”
We must be patient with those who hold onto salvation by works. Many try very hard to appease God’s wrath and God’s people should show them compassion.
Thank God that we no longer have to prove ourselves. The proof is found within the heart. God’s people will still stumble, they still wrestle with a sinful nature, and they are tested daily in their faith. But they are not condemned—Jesus took that upon Himself so we don’t have to.
He is Yahweh Mekoddishkem…the Lord who sanctifies.
U.T. 