Our Divine Daily Manna to Study Always

SATURDAY, 22 APRIL 2023

TEXT: Leviticus 19:1-37

1: The Lord said to Moses,

2: “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

3: “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.

4: “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.

5: “‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.

6: It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.

7: If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted.

8: Whoever eats it will be held responsible because they have desecrated what is holy to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people.

9: “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.

10: Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

11: “‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another.

12: “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

13: “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. “‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.

14: “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.

15: “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

16: “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.

17: “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

18: “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

19: “‘Keep my decrees. “‘Do not mate different kinds of animals. “‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. “‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.

20: “‘If a man sleeps with a female slave who is promised to another man but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.

21: The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the tent of meeting for a guilt offering to the Lord.

22: With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.

23: “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.

24: In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord.

25: But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.

26: “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. “‘Do not practice divination or seek omens.

27: “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.

28: “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.

29: “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.

30: “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.

31: “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

32: “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.

33: “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them.

34: The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

35: “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.

36: Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.

37: “‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord.’”

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: BE HOLY BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY

Today's text opens with God instructing Moses to charge the Israelites to "be holy because I [God], the Lord your God, am holy" (verse 1). This same instruction is repeated in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:16).

From verse 2 of our text, God presents several laws which also serve as a guide to the Israelites on how they should demonstrate their holiness which shows that God is interested in their lives holistically. 1 Peter chapter 1 from verse 13 shows that God's standard for His children should be constant from the old to the new testaments.

Peter calls on us to note that "just as He who called you [all Christians] is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ''Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15).

Peter also connects holiness to living in obedience to the Word of God and not conforming to the evil desires of their former way of living.

A holy life is very easy to live as long as you commit to seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) in every aspect of your life.

QUESTION: Holiness is not a call to perfection. Therefore, can you say that you are obeying the command to be holy?

PRAYER: I come to You, dear Lord Jesus, for grace to help me live a holy life daily. Amen.