09/20/2022 – Day 205 – Leviticus 19 – 21 – “…’Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19: 1 – 2. // (Haven’t we crisscrossed this just recently…haha. We’ll call it a “good” start)
Is anyone out there still reading and praying through Leviticus, God’s Law, in our seventh Monday? Well, if we follow this one verse , we would discover never ending connections to God’s Truth and unfathomable joy. “To be holy” – Imagine what that would be like… Can you imagine what it would be like to love a fellow soul perfectly?; the agape love of our Triune God! Can we stop a moment just to reflect on that.
We connect here with our ongoing book study of: “How to be Holy” by Peter Kreeft, most recently the review of Chapter four posted just two days ago. We left off with the question: How can I be holy and be still sinful at the same time, recall Paul writing on the frustration of yearning to do what he knew what was right. I would suggest we could follow the path from the study of just one word: “Sanctification”.
For this morning, I am going to lean on Matthew Henry and his commentary, a brother who has gone before us:
“Moses is ordered to deliver the summary of the laws to all the congregation of the children of Israel (v. 2). Many of the precepts here given they had received before, but it was a requisite that they should be repeated, that they might remembered. (Jimmy insert: See Deuteronomy 6: 6 – 9) In these verses it is required.
- That Israel be a holy people , because the God of Israel is a holy God, v.2. And this is now the law of Christ. You shall be holy, for I am holy, 1 Peter 1: 15 – 16. Israel was sanctified by the types and shadows (Leviticus 20:8), but we are sanctified by the truth, or substance of all those shadows, John 17, 17; Titus 2:14.
And, I encourage y’all to look up these connecting New Testament verses (note – the Bible is one book, not two!). If you don’t have a commentary handy, use John Gill’s free commentary on the web, which includes every verse in the entire Bible. It is not about the messenger, but how did the man preach a congregation every Sunday , raise a family, and still have time to right a commentary on every verse in the Bible. Technically, Matthew Henry’s commentary is not down to verse specific, but yet it still runs 1,986 pages in length.
Check out Hebrews 12:14, under the section titled: “Warning Against Refusing God”:
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
And John Gill’s commentary on this verse, regarding “holiness”:
“this being added to peace, shows that peace is no further to be followed than is consistent with holiness; and holiness here does not design any particular branch of holiness, as chastity of the body and mind, but the whole of holiness, inward and outward; and intends true holiness, in opposition to ceremonial holiness, which the Hebrews were fond of, and pursued after: it means even perfect holiness; for though holiness is not perfect in this life, yet it will be in heaven; and there is a perfection of it in Christ; and it is to be followed after, by going to Christ for more grace, and exercising faith upon him, as our sanctification; and by eager desires that the Spirit of God would sanctify us more and more, and enable us, by his grace and strength, to walk in the way of holiness, till we get safe to heaven:…”
Soli Deo Gloria! Always connected through prayer and by His grace! I would like to stay here awhile but I have to run to daily chores… I wonder if John Gill left a book for me on time management….