Leviticus 19: "Be Ye Holy for I AM HOLY"

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

  LEVITICUS Chapter 19 

This chapter starts with the words; “Ye shall be Holy for I am Holy”.  When we look at the original Hebrew we read; “Amarta Aleichem Kadoshim ti’hiyu Ki Kadosh Ani”  But there is something different in the two words; “Kadoshim” (ones who are holy) and Kadosh (Holy ONE).  The word “Be ye Holy” in the original Hebrew has 5 letters, and the word “Kadosh” has 4 letters.  The biggest difference is that the “o” in “Kadoshim” is not present, but it IS present in “Kadosh”.  If we write these words in English, they would be “Kadshim” and “Kadosh” Why? There is a missing letter “Vav”  

     The “vav” is pronounced as either “v” “o” or “u”.  It symbolizes the “nail”.  Perfect Holiness without sin is only Adonai! He alone has the “vav” He took the “nail” for our sins.  Our Holiness is lacking, we are not perfect as we have a sinful nature, therefore, our Holiness can not carry the “Vav” 
 
     Chapter 19 deals with quite a variety of commandments; “You shall not profane the name of the LORD thy YHVH; You shall love thy neighbor as thyself, I AM YHVH”.  All of the 613 commandments of HaShem have to do with honoring YHVH and our relationship with our fellow man.  When we honor and love the LORD with all of our heart, we are honoring and not profaning the Name YHVH, and when we honor and treat our fellow man well and try to establish a good relationship with him or her, we are, in a matter of sense, keeping the whole Torah, (in a general sense).  When we are a bad witness before our fellow man, when we are an embarrassment because our sins are brought into the light, then, we are profaning the name of YHVH.  
 
     ” you shall not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blind” (19:14) When one talks about another in a negative sense or spreads an “untruth” the “other” cannot hear what is being said, it is as if that person is “deaf”.  When we misrepresent the Truth of God, teach or spread false teaching whether on purpose or by error, we are in a way a “stumbling block” before someone that does not know Yeshua “The blind” (spiritually). 

 “You shall not sow your field with mixed seed”   (19:19) because each plant takes away from the soil nutrients, planting a mixture of crops will very soon deplete the soil of all of its nutrients, making the soil useless. 

 “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor TATTOO any marks on you I AM YHVH! 

 That is quite a statement.  I am of the opinion that if God wanted us to have tattoos on our bodies, we would have been born with them.  Why can’t people be happy with the bodies God gave them? Why do they have to alter them with drawings and markings? But such was the custom of the pagan cultures like the Canaanites, Moabites, etc., and it continues today.  However, the blood of Yeshua covers, cleanses and forgives ALL sins, even the sin of tattooing, yet tattooing is one sin that will leave its mark forever! (unless it is somehow removed)  

     ” uncovering the nakedness of ….” Is another way of saying, “having sex” Chapter 20 takes up that topic again along with other topics.  Adultery, under Torah's command, resulted in the death penalty, if this were effective today, how many couples would be true to each other, really? Perhaps many more than we imagine. It seems like sexuality is a serious issue with our creator.  If it is serious with Him, it should be with us as well. 

When we follow the Torah of Adonai and put his commandments into practice with all of our heart, we are consecrating ourselves to Him, as “Kedoshim and Tzadikim” (holy and righteous ones) however always remember, that “SALVATION” comes ONLY through FAITH IN YESHUA! It is our faith in HIM that makes us Holy and Righteous, and this relationship leads us to Holy and Righteous works, which are obedience to his mitzvoth (commandments) 

   I always try to make this clear.  We are not saved by following/obeying God's commandments, we are saved by faith in the complete work of Yeshua on the cross of Calvary.  Yet we are saved in order to walk in HIS ways and follow HIS guidelines in his Book of Instruction Before Leaving Earth, (B.I.B.L.E.) 

Ben Avraham

[Desopixi Seilynam]

If anyone disobeys the Torah, and does not abide in the teachings of Christ, he does not have God.
He that abides in the teachings of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
2 John 1:9

 

He that has my commands and keeps them, he it is that loves me.
John 14:21-24  (His commands: Luke 6:27-49, not every command in the Bible, it's good news)

 

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let that person be Anathema, Oh Lord Come!
1 Corinthians 16:22

 

And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me,
to give every man according as his work shall be.
I am Alpha an Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Blessed are they that do His commands, that they may have right to the tree of life,
and may enter through the gates into the city.

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify these things in the Churches.
Revelation 22:12-16 kjv

[1to3]

2 Peter 3:14-18

14) Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; (15) and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, (16) as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. (17) You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; (18) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Verse 14 mentions peace, yet when Christ returns as the Captain of heaven's armies—as the chapter proclaims—there will be war. The iniquity of the world will be full, and He will fight against those opposed to Him. Peter counsels us to ensure that when He returns, He finds us at peace with Him rather than in opposition.

That may sound obvious, but consider how it might apply. If we are opposed to the requirements of God's law, then we are not at peace with the Lawgiver. If we are angry with God for some reason, we are not at peace. If we disagree with God's reaction or non-reaction or overall management of His creation, then we are not at peace with Him.

There can be as many applications as there are individuals, because wherever carnality exists, a measure of enmity remains (Romans 8:7). Peace with God depends on our trusting Him absolutely with our lives. Only then will we not take His words and actions as being hostile toward us, and we will not be hostile toward Him because we trust Him to have our best interests in mind. If our faith—trust—slips, then peace with God begins to fracture.

Peter observes that some of the things Paul writes are hard to understand and that people tend to use Paul's writings in particular in a destructive way. Even today, Paul is falsely known as a champion of a no-works theology, and his writings are cited to say that God's law has been abolished. Twisting Paul's writings in that way is what will cause destruction, because when the Judge returns, He will use His law as the basis of judgment.

Peter leaves us with these final thoughts:

You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (II Peter 3:17-18)

Matthew 5:17- Christ Jesus said:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 

The apostle warns against being deceived by all the things he talks about in this chapter, and his warning probably includes the previous chapter. As the saying goes, “Forewarned is forearmed.” Paul prophesies, though, that some are going to depart from the faith (I Timothy 4:1). We have seen that happen. To keep it from happening to us, Peter counsels us to focus on growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. He refers to the completion of the repentance or conversion process and our pursuit of salvation to its conclusion.

Jesus is not delaying His coming. He is giving us time to put our houses in order so that we can respond correctly to the work He has begun in us. As Peter says, “To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”

[farouk]

6 minutes ago, 1to3 said:

2 Peter 3:14-18

14) Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; (15) and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, (16) as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. (17) You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; (18) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Verse 14 mentions peace, yet when Christ returns as the Captain of heaven's armies—as the chapter proclaims—there will be war. The iniquity of the world will be full, and He will fight against those opposed to Him. Peter counsels us to ensure that when He returns, He finds us at peace with Him rather than in opposition.

That may sound obvious, but consider how it might apply. If we are opposed to the requirements of God's law, then we are not at peace with the Lawgiver. If we are angry with God for some reason, we are not at peace. If we disagree with God's reaction or non-reaction or overall management of His creation, then we are not at peace with Him.

There can be as many applications as there are individuals, because wherever carnality exists, a measure of enmity remains (Romans 8:7). Peace with God depends on our trusting Him absolutely with our lives. Only then will we not take His words and actions as being hostile toward us, and we will not be hostile toward Him because we trust Him to have our best interests in mind. If our faith—trust—slips, then peace with God begins to fracture.

Peter observes that some of the things Paul writes are hard to understand and that people tend to use Paul's writings in particular in a destructive way. Even today, Paul is falsely known as a champion of a no-works theology, and his writings are cited to say that God's law has been abolished. Twisting Paul's writings in that way is what will cause destruction, because when the Judge returns, He will use His law as the basis of judgment.

Peter leaves us with these final thoughts:

You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (II Peter 3:17-18)

Matthew 5:17- Christ Jesus said:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 

The apostle warns against being deceived by all the things he talks about in this chapter, and his warning probably includes the previous chapter. As the saying goes, “Forewarned is forearmed.” Paul prophesies, though, that some are going to depart from the faith (I Timothy 4:1). We have seen that happen. To keep it from happening to us, Peter counsels us to focus on growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. He refers to the completion of the repentance or conversion process and our pursuit of salvation to its conclusion.

Jesus is not delaying His coming. He is giving us time to put our houses in order so that we can respond correctly to the work He has begun in us. As Peter says, “To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”

@1to3 Some great verses there indeed.

It's interesting also that the writer to the Hebrews says that the law was changed (Hebrews 7.12) and what we now have is better than the law (Hebrews 7.19), 'better' being a keyword in Hebrews.

[1to3]

1 minute ago, farouk said:

@1to3 Some great verses there indeed.

It's interesting also that the writer to the Hebrews says that the law was changed (Hebrews 7.12) and what we now have is better than the law (Hebrews 7.19), 'better' being a keyword in Hebrews.

That is not what Christ Jesus says:

Matthew 5:17- Christ Jesus said:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

[farouk]

Just now, 1to3 said:

That is not what Christ Jesus says:

Matthew 5:17- Christ Jesus said:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

There no contradiction between those quoted words of the Lord Jesus and what Hebrews says there in Hebrews 7: there is a unity in Scripture, with different aspects of what is revealed in various passages.

[farouk]

The principle of sanctification in Leviticus certainly corresponds in general terms to sanctification in the NT, but dispensationally they are in different contexts.

I have seen it claimed that 'Sinai takes us to the Cross, and the Cross takes us back to Sinai'; no, I don't not believe so.

[farouk]

"All of grace, yes, grace surpassing,
Such a portion to bestow;
But the love all knowledge passing,
Grace has called us now to know;
Love that bore the stripes and sorrow,
Love that suffered on the tree,
Love that shares the bright to-morrow
With the loved ones, you and me." (T H Reynolds)

Grace is wonderfully described in Ephesians.

[1to3]

10 minutes ago, farouk said:

The principle of sanctification in Leviticus certainly corresponds in general terms to sanctification in the NT, but dispensationally they are in different contexts.

I have seen it claimed that 'Sinai takes us to the Cross, and the Cross takes us back to Sinai'; no, I don't not believe so.

The New covenant is that Christ Jesus came to fulfill the LAW.

Matthew 5:17- Christ Jesus said:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

The two commandments that Christ Jesus gave, Christ Jesus also stated encompass the 10 commandments

Matthew 22:36-40

³⁶ Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.

³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

[1to3]

 

Matthew 5:19 Christ Jesus  said:
…18For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

John 14:15- Christ Jesus said:

“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever.