One of the more concerning and disturbing events in the Bible is found in Leviticus 10:1-3, involving the two eldest sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu. They had recently been consecrated, set apart by God as priests who would intercede for the people of Israel, offering prayer and sacrifices according to God’s specific instructions found in Leviticus, Chapters 7-9. In this instance, they disobeyed those instructions, and God, who had previously displayed His glory by sending down fire from Heaven to consume sacrifices offered in the way God had commanded (Leviticus 9:22-24), now would send fire down to consume/kill the disobedient sons. God immediately speaks through Moses to Aaron of the reason for His summary execution of Aaron’s sons when He says, “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.” This is God’s just requirement of all mankind if we are to have the glorious life with Him for which we were created (Psalm 99:1-9). To not do so is sin, the wages of which is death, the forfeiture of that life forever in Hell (Romans 3:23) (Matthew 10:28).
The Old Testament book of Leviticus is part of what is referred to as the Pentateuch, one of the first five books of the Bible, which is also referred to by the Jewish people as Torah or Law. These five books present God’s calling, deliverance and establishment of the nation Israel as His people, set apart from the rest of the fallen world and consecrated to God as the means by which He will reveal His vision for human flourishing and individual happiness, in Him. Israel was to be the immediate beneficiary of that vision and were to witness to the other nations of it (Deuteronomy 7:6) (Isaiah 43:10-12). This would be in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, that through his offspring all the families/nations of the earth would be blessed, with the ultimate fulfillment of that promise being found in the person and work of God the Son, Jesus Christ (Genesis 12:1-3) (Genesis 22:18) (Galatians 3:26-29).
God would settle Israel in the land promised to Abraham, a land flowing with milk and honey, symbolizing a place where all of their basic needs would be abundantly provided as well as all that would bring them pleasure and delight. It would essentially be a place as close to being like the Garden of Eden where God and man would dwell together in intimate love, as much as is possible in a sin corrupted, sin cursed world (Leviticus 20:24-26) (Jeremiah 31:3).
God would establish with Israel a covenant in which their obedience to the conditions of the covenant would bring innumerable blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). He would essentially lift the curse that is on the earth as a result of Adams’s sin and graciously begin to restore the blessings He intended mankind to enjoy in relationship with Him in the beginning (Genesis 3:17-18) (Genesis 1:31).
Conversely, disobedience would result in the curse coming back upon them even worse than it was before they entered into the covenant, and their ultimate exile from the land of promise (Deuteronomy 28:15-67).
The book of Leviticus provides specific instruction for their conduct, both as individuals and members of God’s covenant community, particularly in regard to the ten laws they previously received in Exodus 20:1-17. It details the ways in which the sacrifices and the priesthood were to be carried out as God’ gracious provision for His people’s anticipated failures in regard to these laws, providing a pattern for how they were to approach and live as a holy people before a holy God (Leviticus 11:44-45).
The term holy in its simplest form means that which is set apart or separate from, uniquely distinct. It is thus the term given to us by God throughout the Bible to differentiate Him from, yet at the same time identify Him with His good creation (Deuteronomy 4:7-8) (Isaiah 55:8-9) (Psalm 50:21).
We are told in Psalm 111:9 and Isaiah 57:15, in reference to God, that His name is Holy. This name designation describes the incomparable and infinite perfections of His eternal being as well as His exalted position as the eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient creator and sovereign ruler of the universe and all that is in it. It represents all of the excellencies of His being – His transcendent goodness, His infinite wisdom and majestic power, His moral purity; all of the excellencies of His being that make Him God – and us not God. It describes His glorious otherness– that which should make Him the object of our awe and adoration, fear and dread, as well as of our deepest love, desire and devotion (1 Samuel 2:1-2).
Christian pastor, theologian and writer, John Piper defines God’s holiness in this way:
“God is holy means that God is in a class of perfection and greatness and value by Himself. He is incomparable. His holiness is His utterly unique and perfect divine essence. It determines all that He is and all the He does and is determined by nothing and no one outside of Himself. His holiness is what He is as God, which no one else will ever be and it signifies his intrinsic, infinite worth.”
However, even though God exists as wholly other, above and apart from His creation in the infinite perfections of His eternal being, it was always and ultimately is His intention to live among the beings He gloriously created in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26) such that He would be known intimately, loved passionately/supremely, trusted explicitly, obeyed perfectly, worshiped exclusively, glorified unashamedly and enjoyed eternally as the most glorious, most desirable and most necessary being in the universe, the object of our deepest love and the source of our eternal joy (Isaiah 43:7) (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) (Psalm 43:4).
Just as holiness is the defining characteristic or identifying trait of God, it must be the defining characteristic or identifying trait of all God’s people, not as His divine equals, but His beloved children, set apart from this present evil world in our affections, desires and actions, that we may know, love and be loved personally and intimately by God (Leviticus 19:2) (1 Peter 1:13-16). As His image bearers we were/are to display His divine nature and character, most importantly His moral purity, as only holy beings are welcomed into His presence and made capable of enjoying the infinite and ever diverse pleasures and delights God created us to enjoy in Him (Psalm 24:3-6) (Psalm 16:11). Thus, only holy men and women can please, honor and delight God in our eternal enjoyment and delight of Him (Habakkuk 3:17-18) (Zephaniah 3:17) (Psalm 37:3-6).
More on our Holy God in my next post.
Grace and Peace ×
But as He who hath called ye is Holy, so be ye Holy as He is Holy as in all manner of conversation.
Great post to meditate on during “Holy Week”
I pray many will. Thank you.