Sermon #38 Leviticus Sermons

Title: “Ye Shall Be Holy”

Text: Leviticus 19:1-37

Subject: Holiness Required

Date: Sunday Morning—June 2, 2002

Tape # X-5

Reading: Leviticus 19:1-37

Introduction:

(Leviticus 19:1-2) "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy."

This is God’s word to us today. – “Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.”

Proposition: Because the Lord our God is holy, he requires that we also be holy.

(Hebrews 12:14) "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."

Look at God’s command again. – “Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.” I want to show you three things contained in this text. May God the Holy Spirit be our Teacher and graciously inscribe these words upon our hearts.

I. First, I want you to see that this is a declaration of grace.

The Lord God is here declaring to his chosen, covenant people that they shall be a holy people—not partially holy—not mostly holy—but entirely holy. This is not a recommendation, but a declaration. It is a declaration of grace made to a specific people.

The word “holy” has two distinct meanings. Both definitions of the word must be understood and applied here.

· To be holy is to be separate, distinct, peculiar, separated and severed from all others.

· To be holy is to be pure or purified.

The Lord God here declares to his Israel, to all who stand before him as his covenant people, “You shall be separate, distinct, peculiar, separated and severed from all others, pure and purified before me.”

We know that this is the intent and meaning of this statement by comparing Scripture with Scripture.

(Exodus 19:6) "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

(Leviticus 11:44) "For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

(Leviticus 20:7) "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God."

(Leviticus 20:26) "And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine."

(1 Thessalonians 4:7) "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

The Lord God almighty, by the work of his sovereign, free, distinguishing grace, takes such things as us, such things as he finds in the dung heap of fallen humanity and makes them holy.

· By the Precious Blood of Christ!

· By Divine Regeneration!

· In Resurrection Glory!

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11) "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

(Titus 2:11-14) "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

(1 Peter 2:7-10) "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."

(Ephesians 5:25-26) "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

(Jude 1:24-25) "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen."

II. Look at our text again. – “Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.” Here is the second thing I want you to see. This is a call to holiness.

(Leviticus 19:2) "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy."

(Leviticus 19:37) "Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD."

The Lord God here calls you and me to holiness, godliness, and righteous behavior in our daily lives. He here calls us to be separate, distinct, peculiar, separated and severed from all others, pure and purified before men in our conduct.

We know that this is also the intent and meaning of these words because they are so used by the Spirit of God in the inspired writings of both the apostle Paul and the apostle Peter.

(1 Thessalonians 4:1-7) "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

(1 Peter 1:13-16) "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

Back here in Leviticus 19 the holy Lord God calls for you and me to be holy as we live in this world; and he does not leave it for us to decide what he means. He tells us specifically how we are to live in this world as his holy people in these thirty-seven verses.

I can hear some say, “But, Pastor, these verses are found in Old Testament law, and we are not under the law.” You are exactly right on both counts. You have heard your pastor well. But the fact that we are free from the law in Christ does not mean that we are without law, not at all. The believer’s law, the believer’s rule of life is the whole Revelation of God in Holy Scripture. That which is here written is addressed to you and me and is just as authoritative as Ephesians 1 or Romans 9. True, it must be understood and applied in gospel terms; but it must be both understood and applied.

Here the Lord God tells us specifically how we are to live in this world in a way that honors God.

Illustration: “Red Hat—Green Hat”

· We please God by faith in Christ. Without faith it is impossible to please him (Heb. 11:6).

· But we must never imagine that if we believe in Christ it does not matter how we live. Did we not read in 1 Thessalonians 4:1 that we must take care as to how we “ought to walk and to please God”?

Illustration: “Don’t forget who you are and whose you are.”

(1 Corinthians 10:31) "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

Are you interested in the honor and glory of God? Would you like to know exactly how to live in this world for the honor of God? I know you would. So give me your attention. If you and I would live in this world for the glory of God we must…

A. Give honor to whom honor is due (v. 3; Rom. 13:7).

(Leviticus 19:3) "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God."

We have a saying, “Charity begins at home.” We need to learn that reverence, respect, and honor begins at home. How desperately this generation needs to learn this.

· Children, honor your parents. Obey, yes; but there is more to honor than obedience. Honor is on the inside and shows itself on the outside.

· Men and women, honor your parents.

· Parents, if they are truly parents, are more than the people through whom you were born. They are people who have nourished, nurtured and trained you in the knowledge of Christ.

· This command extends to all divinely appointed authority.—In general, the Lord commands us to simply be respectful to our superiors (v. 32).

(Leviticus 19:32) "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD."

B. If we would live in this world for the honor of our God, we must worship him (vv. 3-8).

Watch this. In these verses the Lord deals with outward things. Though true worship is essentially an inward, heart work, where there is heart worship there is also outward, public worship.

(Leviticus 19:3-8) "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. 4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. 5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will. 6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire. 7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted. 8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people."

1. In verse 3 he tells us to keep his sabbaths. Without question, the Old Testament sabbath days were pictures of faith in Christ, pictures of resting our souls in and upon Christ. But those Old Testament sabbaths were divinely appointed times of worship.—If we would live in this world for the honor of God, we must never neglect the worship of God in his house (Heb. 10:25).

2. In verse 4, the Lord tells us to worship him as God alone. We must not turn aside to idols.—Brethren, let nothing take the place of our God in our hearts’ affection. Set your affection on Christ.

(1 Corinthians 10:14-15) "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say."

3. Verse 5 demands that our worship of our God be willing and free.

(Leviticus 19:5) "And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will."

Yes, the Lord God demands that we worship him; but we must do so because we want to, willingly.

(2 Corinthians 8:12) "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not."

(2 Corinthians 9:7) "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

4. Yet, our worship of God must be in accordance with his Word. Our ordinances of divine worship must be divinely prescribed and the divine order observed (vv. 6-8, 30).

(Leviticus 19:6-8) "It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire. 7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted. 8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people."

(Leviticus 19:30) "Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD."

· All sacrifices must be willing sacrifices.

· All that is given is to be used immediately.

· Every sacrifice, be it great or small, is to be treated as a “hallowed thing,” as that which belongs to God.

C. If we would live in this world for the honor of our God, we must avoid every appearance of greed and ever care for those in need (vv. 9-10). – “The Poor and the Stranger!”

(Leviticus 19:9-10) "And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God."

· We are not the owners of anything.

· We are God’s stewards.

· We ought never get all we can for ourselves.

· In a word, we ought to constantly go out of our way to be kind, generous, thoughtful and caring, especially to those who are most likely to be neglected and abused (vv. 33-34).

(Leviticus 19:33-34) "And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. 34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."

D. Living for the glory of God means living in honesty, dealing with people honestly (vv. 11, 13, 35-36).

(Leviticus 19:11) "Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another."

(Leviticus 19:13) "Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning."

(Leviticus 19:35-36) "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. 36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt."

E. Let us, for the glory of our great God cherish and reverence his name (v. 12).

(Leviticus 19:12) "And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD."

F. Honoring God means treating men and women with respect and tenderness, rather than with the harsh, beastly cruelty that is so wickedly natural to our proud hearts (v. 14).

It might seem that this 14^th verse should be properly addressed to children, but never to adults. It is, however, addressed to you and me, from whom our children learn how to be mean and cruel.

(Leviticus 19:14) "Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD."

How base, how depraved, how cruel we are! God doesn’t build a damn where there is no water. He gives us this word because we need to hear it.

1. Take the command as it stands.—Do not curse, or get upset with a person because he is deaf and you have to repeat everything you say to him. He can’t hear you.—Do not put a stumbling block before a blind man so that you can laugh at his hurt.

2. Take the command spiritually.—Do not curse the deaf. You were just as deaf not very long ago.—Do not put a stumbling block before the blind.—A stumbling block is anything put between the sinner and the Savior!

(Romans 14:13) "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."

(Deuteronomy 27:18) "Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen."

3. He who fears God honors all men, showing neither contempt for the poor nor preference for the mighty (v. 15).

(Leviticus 19:15) "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour."

G. If we would honor our God, we must learn to bridle our tongues (v. 16).

(Leviticus 19:16) "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD."

(Proverbs 11:13) "A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."

· Paul describes the ungodly as talebearers.

(1 Timothy 5:13) "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not."

· If gossip enters your ear, let your ear be its grave.

· To stand against the blood of a man is to falsely accuse him, if even by insinuation, of evil. – “Speak evil of no man” (Tit. 3:2).

H. If we would live in this world for the honor of our God, we must love our neighbors as ourselves (vv. 17-19).

(Leviticus 19:17-18) "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

This is not, as many would like, a command to point out your brother’s sins, but just the opposite. The Lord is telling us here to rebuke our brother’s sin by refusing to let it affect us. The words, “and not suffer sin upon him,” would be better translated, “that thou bear not sin for him.” If you bear a grudge for an evil done to you, you are party to the evil done. Leave it alone. God will avenge his own. The thing for us to do is love the offender.

(Proverbs 20:22) "Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee."

(Romans 14:19) "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."

I. For the honor of our God we must distinguish things that differ (v. 19).

(Leviticus 19:19) "Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee."[1]

(2 Corinthians 6:14-18) "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

(2 Corinthians 7:1) "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

J. Living for the honor of our God means that we confess our sins and find forgiveness through Christ’s sin-atoning blood (vv. 20-22; 1 John 1:9-2:2).

(Leviticus 19:20-22) "And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. 22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him."

(1 John 1:9-10) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

(1 John 2:1-2) "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

K. Living for God’s glory means that his will and his honor takes priority over everything else (vv. 23-26).

(Leviticus 19:23-26) "And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. 24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal. 25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God. 26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times."

L. The honor of the Lord our God demands that we have nothing to do with, give no approval to, and studiously avoid the practices of the idolatry and superstitions of the world (vv. 26-28).

(Leviticus 19:26-28) "Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times. 27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. 28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."

All these things were pagan religious rites, by which ignorant barbarians hoped to gain great strength, or good luck, or drive away evil spirits.—Drinking Blood—Using Enchantments—Observing Times—Shaping The Hair and/or Beard—Cutting the Flesh (Funerals)—Tattoos.—In a word, we are not to act like the heathen.

(Leviticus 19:31) "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God."

M. If we would honor our God we must teach and train our children to worship and serve him (v. 29).

(Leviticus 19:29) "Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness."

· This is prohibition against giving one’s daughter to be a prostitute for Baal!

· It is also a prohibition against leaving a child to her own devices, without restraint, as Eli did his sons.

III. Third, the Lord our God gives us an irresistible motive for honoring him in our lives.—No less than fifteen times in this chapter, he says, “For I am the Lord your God.”

As such he has a rightful claim upon us. We are not our own. We have been bought with the price of Christ’s precious blood. Therefore, let us glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits, which are God’s.

(Colossians 1:10) "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."

(1 Peter 1:13-16) "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

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[1] Gill—“This was to lead Israel to the simplicity and sincerity of religion, and of all the parts and doctrines of the law and Gospel in their distinct kinds, as faith and works, to mingle which together in our justification before God is forbidden; or rather to teach the saints not to mix with the men of the world, in evil conversation, or in superstitious worship; to which may be added, to show that spiritual regeneration is not partly of corruptible and partly of incorruptible seed, nor partly of the will of man, and partly of the will of God; nor partly of the power of man, and partly of the power of God, but wholly of the Spirit and grace of God.

As to the mystical sense, the "field" may represent the church of God, which is not an open but an enclosed field, enclosed by the grace of God, and separated from others by it, well manured and cultivated by the Spirit of God, and through the word and ordinances, as means, in which manner of fruit and flowers grow, and is the property of Christ; see #So 4:12-14 Mt 13:44; the seed may signify the word or doctrine of the Gospel, sown by the ministers of it, skilfully and plentifully, which should be pure and unmixed, not contradictory, nor inconsistent, but all of a piece; the doctrines of it, as those of election, justification, peace, pardon, and salvation, are to be represented, not as partly of works and partly of grace, but as entirely of the grace of God through Christ: or good and bad men may be signified by the mingled seed; good men, who are made so by the grace of God, and are the good seed, or the good ground which receives it, which hear the word, understand it, and bring forth fruit; bad men, such as are of bad principles and practices, these are not to be mixed together in a church state; bad men are neither to be received nor retained.

The design of this, as of the other, seems to be in general to caution against unnatural lusts and impure mixtures, and all communion of good and bad men, and particularly against joining the righteousness of Christ with the works of men, in the business of justification: Christ’s righteousness is often compared to a garment, and sometimes to line linen, clean and white; and men’s righteousness to filthy rags, #Re 19:8 Isa 64:6; which are by no means to be put together in the said affair; such who believe in Christ are justified by the obedience of one and not of more, and by faith in that obedience and righteousness, without the works of the law, #Ro 5:19 #Ro 3:28 4:6; to join them together is needless, disagreeable, and dangerous.”