Saturday, May 06, 2006

You Shall Be Holy

This morning, as I read the Torah portion for this Sabbath, I realized something. Torah teaches us how to walk in holiness, how to be holy; it's about santification and being set-apart unto God. I know that there are those in the church who tell you that desiring to follow the Torah commandments means that you are falling away from grace and are trying to earn your salvation, denying the blood of the Messiah by which we are saved. But I disagree with that. I desire to follow the Torah commandments because I am saved and because I want to be obedient, to be holy as He is holy, as He has commanded all of us who follow Him to be.

1Peter 1:14-16 (Amplified) [Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel]. But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. [Lev. 11:44, 45.]

Hebrews 12:14 (Amplified) Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.

Leviticus 20:26 (Complete Jewish Bible) Rather, you people are to be holy for me; because I, ADONAI, am holy; and I have set you apart from the other peoples, so that you can belong to me.

The following Torah commentary comes from First Fruits of Zion, from their e-Drash mailing. I felt that I should share it with you here.

Parashat Hashavuah
Kedoshim - קדשים :

“Holy”Torah : Leviticus 19:1–20:27
Haftarah : Amos 9:7–15
Gospel : Luke 16–17

The Holy One of God

Thought for the Week:
The commandments of Leviticus 19 are called the commandments of holiness. God is the source of holiness, and He is the definer of holiness. These commandments are the definitions of holiness.


Commentary:
All of the commandments of Torah, in some aspect or another, reveal Messiah. They each reveal some essential element of His person or character. The commandments are the very will and wisdom of God. Messiah speaks, saying, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) In another place He says, “I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.” (John 8:28) And again he says, “I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10) Therefore, in that Messiah keeps the commandments, the commandments teach us about His behavior.


There is a direct relationship between the commandments and the person of Messiah, because the commandments are a direct revelation from God. They are a revelation of godliness. To see a commandment performed is to see something of God. Therefore, the Master tells his disciple Philip, “He who has seen me, has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

When Yeshua came to us, He came as the Holy One of God. The disciples of Yeshua called Him by this title. (John 6:69) Even the demons recognized Him as the Holy One of God. (Mark 1:24)
Yeshua is called the Holy One of God because His holiness is derived directly from God. He is holy by virtue of His divine nature. His essential being, beyond the flesh, is the eternal Word of God, the very essence of God. In this respect, He is utterly unique, utterly different, utterly set apart, and holy. In addition to this, the holiness of Yeshua results from His conception and birth. No other man has been born of a virgin. Yeshua is different, even on a flesh level. His holiness is also manifest in the complete anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Him.

We have already learned that the Dwelling Presence of God will reside only in a holy place. The Master’s power was derived directly from the Holy Spirit; that is, the Spirit of the Holy God, which rested upon Him and moved through Him without measure. Finally, the Master’s holiness is derived from His imitation of the Father. Inasmuch as the commandments are the definitions of holiness, Messiah is likewise defined by the commandments because He kept them.

Therefore, He is able to fulfill the commandment “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2) His holiness is a complete holiness. There are no holes in his holiness. For us, sin is a hole in the holiness. Each sin is an area of life where we have failed to uphold the standard of separation from the world.

Shavuah Tov! Have a Good Week!

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