The Design for God's People to be Holy has not Changed Between Testaments

INTERESTING FACTS : According to statistics from Wycliffe International, the Society of Gideons, and the International Bible Society, the number of new Bibles that are sold, given away, or otherwise distributed in the United States is about 168,000 per day.[1]

Daily Reading : [LEVITICUS 11 - 13]

TEXT : Lev 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. Lev 11:45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

THEME : HOLINESS

As we read Leviticus, we continue to see the intricacy of the laws applied to a variety of circumstances. It should be noticed that not all laws refer to sin. Such is the case with the law about the birth of a child. Notice also, the difference in the time a new mother was unclean, depending on the sex of the child - male or female. The same can be said of the laws on leprosy. Although there is no sin involved, there are instructions for quarantine.

Further, the leper has to announce his or her leprosy in order to not contaminate others who otherwise might be unaware the person has the disease. Until the arrival of modern treatments for leprosy, the disease was communicable probably by respiratory droplets. Still, even though treatment for leprosy has made it less of a threat than in the times of Moses and the children of Israel, we see the wisdom of God in setting up methods of quarantine - including instructions for the house the leper lived in. The Law also included similar controls for touching dead bodies, women during their menstrual cycle, washing of hands under running water, etc. In short, we see modern practices of medicine given thousands of years before the discovery of bacteria, germs, viruses and other deadly microscopic or destructive organisms.

For instance - "Joseph Lister, British surgeon and medical scientist was the founder of antiseptic medicine and a pioneer in preventive medicine. While his method, based on the use of antiseptics, is no longer employed, his principle that bacteria must never gain entry to an operation wound remains the basis of surgery to this day. He was made a baronet in 1883 and raised to the peerage in 1897."[2] There are many instances of these types of discoveries in medicine over the centuries, but God gave them to Moses and the children of Israel about 1, 400 years before the birth of Christ.

Although we do not need to keep the Law to be saved, nevertheless the Bible tells us it is holy and good. "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully." "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." [1 Tim 1:8; Rom 7:12]

Another example is provided by medical doctor S.I. McMillan concerning circumcision on the eight day. In his book - "None of These Diseases," he writes -

"November, 1946, an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association listed the reasons why circumcision of the newborn male is advisable. Three months later a letter from another specialist appeared in the same journal. He agreed heartily with the writer of the article on the advantages of circumcision, because the available prothrombin is higher than on any other day in its entire life. Thus one observes that from a consideration of vitamin K and prothrombin determinations the perfect day to perform a circumcision is the eighth day. We should commend the many hundreds of workers who labored at great expense over a number of years to discover that the safest day to perform circumcision is the eighth. Yet, as we congratulate medical science for this recent finding, we can almost hear the leaves of the Bible rustling. They would like to remind us that four thousand years ago, when God initiated circumcision with Abraham, He said, "And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised. . . "[3][4]

TRUTH FOR TODAY : THE DESIGN FOR GOD'S PEOPLE TO BE HOLY HAS NOT CHANGED BETWEEN TESTAMENTS.

It is clear in the New Testament that Gentiles are not under "The Law." This of course refers to the ceremonial and Levitical Law, not the Moral Law as we find in the Ten Commandments. The Apostle Peter had a vision in which he was shown the species of animals and sea creatures we just read about.

"On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. [Acts 10:9 - 16]

From this we learn that Peter kept the Levitical Law - ceremonies and dietary. Yet, God uses His own Law as a metaphor of the Jew versus the Gentile. You may know that an orthodox Jew had little or no contact with a Gentile. However, it was God's plan from the start to "cleanse" the Gentile in the Blood of His Son, and this was revealed to Peter in the vision. In time, all the Church - all Jews in the beginning would learn that God engrafted the Gentiles nations into His Church, the "Israel of God."

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." [Gal 6:15 - 16] This reference to the "Israel of God" means the Church.

Now, though the Law - ceremonial and dietary, does not apply to the Christian, holiness does. This has not changed. It is clear from the life of Christ, and the exhortations of the apostles that the Church - the Israel of God, is to walk in the Spirit of God. Since God' Spirit is Holy, we likewise must be holy.

"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; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." [1 Pe 1"13 - 19]

Much has changed between the Old and the New Covenants. Holiness to the Lord has not changed. God's design for His people is still the same. Let us all pray God will continue to give us the grace to live a life pleasing to Him; a life of faith, hope and charity, all of which equals holiness.