Be Ye Holy, for I AM Holy (Lev 19:2) What does that mean for us?

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

Leviticus 19:2     "BE YE HOLY FOR I, THE LORD YOUR GOD AM HOLY" 

   To take an original look at this verse, we need to go back to the Hebrew, which reads;  

"Kad_shim ti-heyu Ki Kadosh Ani YHVH Eloheikhem"  

  This is Adonai's command to the Children of Israel during their time in the wilderness.  It is a strong statement, yet it also is a message and a command to us all.  We are all commanded to be HOLY because our LORD and God is HOLY. 

   But what does it mean to be HOLY?  The word Holy means "set apart" for a certain reason, the reason being to serve our LORD and God while we are on this planet called earth.  Yet firstly, to come into a personal relationship with Adonai through Yeshua/Jesus.  From this point, we are commanded to be HOLY, set apart to study his WORD, his TORAH (instructions) and obey them, putting them into action throughout the days of our life.

    But, there is a difference between the Holiness of God and the holiness of redeemed mankind.  In the original Hebrew, the word "Kadoshim" means "holy ones" (us) yet, it is spelled in the original Hebrew without the "o".  The letter "o" in Hebrew is called "Vav" It looks like an upside-down hockey stick looking to the left.    But when we see the word "Kadosh" meaning "God's Holiness, it DOES have a VAV.  Why the missing "Vav" in our holiness?  

     Our holiness is incomplete.  It is lacking perfection.  Adam was created "perfect" being the "Shadow' (Tzelem) of Elohim.  Yet when he sinned, the creation was marred, and now, the creation is imperfect.  We are born with a sin nature and therefore, our "holiness" is lacking that which God has.  

     The "Vav" also symbolizes the "nail".  Adonai in human form, in the person of Yeshua received the "nails" in his hands and feet.  He received the nails in our place.  When he lifted himself up as a sacrifice for sin, his holiness was given to us, and our sins given to Him.  Yet our holiness can not be complete while on earth, only after we get to Heaven, and in our new bodies can we be beings of perfect holiness.  In the meanwhile, we need to live each day perfecting and maturing in our holiness (without the "o')  or  "h_liness" and become more Christ-like in our daily walk, putting into practice the commandments that YHVH left us.  

     The word "will be" or "be" in the Hebrew is  "ti-heyu"  it is very interesting that the spelling in Hebrew has 4 letters.  "Tav" "Hey" ""Yod" and "Vav" 
Each letter has symbolism.  The "Tav" symbolizes "Covenant" the "Hey" symbolizes "revelation" the "Yod" = hand, and the "Vav" = nail.  The infallible name of God has the letters  Yod, Hey, and Vav, and the "Tav" is the covenant.   

     What might this tell us?  That Adonai wants us to be like HIM, yet He was the one who fulfilled the covenant with his own blood.  We are given His holiness through our faith and through the blood of Yeshua.  So,  "Ti-heyu" can tell us;  "Revealed is the covenant of the hand which received the nail"
Even though our "holiness" is still full of "holes" Adonai looks upon us as if we had never sinned, being imputed His righteousness.  

   Also, the word  "Eloheikhem" means the "God of all of you."  Sometimes, the word "Eloheikha" is used meaning "Your God" in which Adonai is speaking to the nation of Israel as ONE unity.  Together as ONE.  Here, the word "Eloheikhem" means the "God of all of you individually" In Texan it would be  "Ya'all"  

    What can we understand by this?  God is saying that each and every one of us is responsible for his or her holiness.  It is an individual relationship that we have before our creator God.  We will each be judged separately.  My holiness is different from your holiness.  It might be more or less.  We each have our own individual spiritual maturity in the faith, which, is our "k_desh" 

   So, let us grow in our holiness, in our spiritual maturity, that is our goal to be more Christ-like.  As our days progress, may our "holiness" have fewer "holes" until when we get to the World to Come, when there will not be ANY holes.  

Shalom  

Ben Avraham  

Let our light shine forth so that the whole world will see Yeshua in our life