DCLM ADULT STS LESSON 79 THE CALL TO HOLINESS
MEMORY VERSE: “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” (Leviticus 20:20).
TEXT: Leviticus Chapters 20 to 22
God is holy and desires that His people be holy. He does not leave them in doubt of the details of the standard lifestyle He expects of them. In the text, He prescribes the relationships He expects among the children of Israel and constantly warns them against imbibing the evil practices of the Canaanites. The higher standard of physical, social and moral perfection for the priesthood is also highlighted. So, a high standard of purity is demanded from everyone, both the ordinary Israelites and the priests. God’s laws prescribe severe punishments for those who indulge in idolatry, Spiritism and unlawful sexual relations. Aside from punishment for individual deviants, the entire nation risked being disinherited of the Promised Land if they lived like the Canaanites or adopt their ungodly customs. Considering the variety of things that could render a person liable to divine judgment or disqualify him from ministry, there is no room for profanity and uncleanness in our walk with God.
1. PUNISHMENT FOR VIOLATING GOD’S COMMAND
Leviticus 20:1-27; 11:44; 18:4,5; Deuteronomy 13:10,11: 17:2-5: 22:22-24; 23:17; 2 Samuel 12:5-13; Matthew 5:19: 15:4; Mark 7:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3,7
God calls His people to abstain from the religious practices of the heathen and to maintain sexual purity. He highlighted some specific heathen practices the children of Israel must avoid and stipulated capital punishment for those who disobey by engaging in false worship, idolatry, occultism, adultery, incest, sodomy and bestiality. He warned that if the people failed to execute the culprits, He would do it Himself and judge those who aid and abet sin. This is a great warning to believers not to commit sin or cover up those who live in sin. The Canaanites practiced human sacrifice and spiritism as part of their religion, so the Israelites needed to be warned against the adoption of such wicked and abominable practices. In modern times, people get involved in spiritism out of ignorance, sheer curiosity or desperation. Some are interested in knowing what the future holds; others seek information about missing items or concerning the dead.
There are others who seek guidance, favour, healing, protection and power from evil sources through the use of talisman, palmistry, crystal ball, star gazing, clairvoyance, Ouija board, water divining, magic, Aquarian gospel, charms, amulets, fortune telling, horoscope, tarot cards, seances, astral projection, witchcraft, spell casting, extra sensory perception and superstition. All these are prohibited by God in His word (Leviticus 19:31; 20:2-6,26,27; Deuteronomy 18:9-12). Those who get involved in them must repent or they would be cut off from God forever (1 Chronicles 10:13, 14). As believers, we must avoid these practices because they open the door of our lives to Satan. They violate God’s command and ascribe His glory to other gods. The call of believers to holiness is based on the revelation of God’s holy nature. He is holy and His children must be holy. The Fall brought Satan’s unholy nature into man. However, God, in His mercy, gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as a remedy for sin inherited and committed. While repentance and faith in Christ are the conditions for pardon for sin committed, the believer needs the second work of grace, subsequent to salvation, to be free from the adamic nature of inbred sin. This is called sanctification or heart circumcision.
The believer who seeks to be sanctified must consecrate or set himself apart unto God. If there is an known impurity in his life, he must cleanse himself from them (2 Corinthians 7:1; Leviticus 27:14,16; Numbers 8:17; 2 Chronicles 7:16). After a believer has done his part, he or she can then pray in faith to God who sanctifies. These two aspects of sanctification are clearly shown in our text. “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD Which sanctify you” (Leviticus 20:7,8). God stipulated harsh penalties for unlawful sexual relations. This portrays how He detests and has zero tolerance for immorality. Adultery, incest, same-sex union and bestiality were to be punished by death. This was intended to promote sexual purity and safeguard the family. Unlawful sexual relations damage the sanctity of marriage and distort the picture of the union between Christ and the Church, which the institution of marriage was intended to portray (Ephesians 5:25-32). Those who indulge in sexual sins expose themselves to sexually transmitted infections (STI) like HIV/AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea and herpes that bring disgrace, shame and untimely death. They also expose themselves to eternal damnation in hell. Sexual perversions are now so prevalent in many societies, aided with the advent of the Internet where obscenity is glamorized. In some countries and religious denominations, people who disobey God’s word on proper sexual orientation and decorum like lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders are defended and protected by law. The ugly trend will, however, not alter divine judgment of those who choose immoral lifestyle. “Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).
2. PURITY AND PHYSICAL FITNESS OF PRIESTS: A MODEL OF THE BELIEVER’S PERFECTION
Leviticus 21:1-24: 10:6,13,15; 19:27,28; Deuteronomy 14:1:23:1-3: 1 Peter 2:9; 5:10; Matthew 5:48; Luke 6:40; Colossians 1:28: Hebrews 7:26; 13:21
God gave specific rules to govern the priesthood. The priest must be free from physical defects, moral or ceremonial pollutions and social entanglements. Those things which could disqualify a priest or mar his ministry give us a hint of what believers must avoid in order to serve God acceptably. This is because believers are New Testament priests (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). The standard of holiness God expects of all His people is essentially the same in terms of moral perfection. He, however, expects that those in position of leadership go the extra mile to become models of moral excellence and self-denial. This is to be expected because a higher privilege demands higher responsibility. Those who are privileged to occupy leadership positions in the church are also under a special obligation to maintain a higher standard of devotion to God in character and service. God commanded that both the priest and the animals for sacrifice must be perfect; they must not have any missing, deformed or extra parts. Physically challenged priests were disqualified from offering sacrifices. This was not intended to demean or unfairly discriminate against them as they could eat of the holy things.
There were other Levites who, without physical defects, were disallowed from the priesthood. It was a question of divine choice and appointment to typify the perfection of Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice. God loves and cares for the physically challenged. As a matter of fact, He made provision to defend and protect their rights (Leviticus 19:14; Deuteronomy 27:18). In the New Testament, physical defect does not disqualify anyone from approaching God or ministering at His altar. All Israelites, but priests in particular, were prohibited from pagan funeral customs such as rounding the corners of the head or beard, cutting and making tattoos on the body for the dead. The priests were to avoid Ceremonial uncleanness by reason of contact with a corpse or participating in mourning. Being present when someone died, entering a house where someone just died, taking part in a funeral, making lamentation had for a dead person or touching a dead body would render a person ceremonially unclean in Israel. This also disqualified a priest from ministry until he got purified.
God disallowed the priests from defiling themselves for the dead, except for very close blood relations Such as father, mother, child, brother and unmarried sister This command indicates the priority of work of the ministry over less important assignments. A minister must not allow lesser duties, such as funeral, to distract or hinder or him from performing the more important work of the ministry. A priest was rendered ceremonially unclean for seven days each time he was defiled for the dead. Consider the kind of hindrance that would bring to the tabernacle ministry if the priests were allowed to get defiled indiscriminately. As believers, gospel preaching is our primary duty. We must not allow our preoccupation with burial programmes or other social activities to distract us from this assignment ordained by God. We must keep in mind the principle of moderation during funeral rites for our departed loved ones. There should be no imitation of the world: neither should we sorrow like those who have no hope. Believers must not sin simply because they want to give their departed loved ones a befitting burial. God calls His people unto holiness both in times of joy and sorrow. The priests were also required to maintain holiness in their marriage relationship and family life. They were not allowed to marry promiscuous or irreligious persons. Also, they were forbidden from marrying divorcees. A substandard marriage or scandalous children rendered a priest unfit to minister at God’s altar. As New Testament priests, believers must pray for God’s guidance and be discreet in choosing a marriage partner. Being married to a wrong spouse can disqualify of seriously limit a person in God’s service. A priest who flouted God’s standard on marriage was dismissed from service (Nehemiah 13:23-28).
3. PRECEPTS CONCERNING THE PRIESTS AND THE ANIMALS FOR SACRIFICE
Leviticus 22:1-33:7:20,21; 13:2.3.44-46; 15:2,3; Exodus 12:5: Numbers 19:11-16: 2 Corinthians 5:21: Hebrews 9:14: 1 Peter 1-18.19,22,23
God warned the priests against profanity in handling holy things by presumptuously carrying on in ministry with ceremonial uncleanness. “Say unto the them, whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 22:3). Aside from physical defects, leprosy or bodily discharge, contact with a carcass or unclean animal rendered a priest unfit for service. Such priests who were defiled must undergo the prescribed purification rites before they could come back to service. This is a clear rebuke to believers who are conscious of definite impurity in their lives but continue in service without seeking God for cleansing. God warned that such people would be cut off from His presence. Israelites who were not of the family of Aaron, visitors in the priest’s family or hired servants were not permitted to eat of the holy portion. Even a priest’s daughter who married outside the priestly clan was prohibited from eating the holy things, except she became a widow or divorced, having no child and returned to her father’s house. If anyone ate the holy things without knowing, such a person was required to return what was eaten with a twenty percent fine.
This precept indicates that those who do not know the Lord have no inheritance in His kingdom; they are strangers and aliens to the commonwealth of true believers in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9,10; Ephesians 5:3-5; Acts 8:20-23). The sacrifices the priests offered must also comply with God’s prescription. To be acceptable, the sacrifice must be perfect, a male animal and offered willingly. Animals that had defects were not acceptable. This informs believers to offer their best unto God. We should give God the best of our time, talent and treasure, The temptation to give God things of little value should be avoided. Considering the fact that God gave His only begotten Son to redeem us from our sins, it is expected that the least we can do is offer Him the best we have. God’s demand for holiness is timeless. Ail men everywhere and in every age are expected to live in holiness. This means to separate from the ungodly lifestyle of sinners and be totally pure in spirit, soul and body. He is holy and anyone who will walk with Him must be holy. He places a high premium on holy living “…without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW
- Why is holiness compulsory for everyone?
- Mention some heathen practices God prohibited in our text.
- How can believers experience sanctification and what are the benefits?
- What are the consequences of unlawful sexual relations?
- What model does the old priesthood pose to contemporary believers?
- What can believers learn from the instruction that priests should not defile themselves for the dead?
- What is the basis for God’s demand for holiness from His people?