1. What advice did the apostle Peter give his fellow Christians, and why might it seem impossible to follow?
Whether we hope to live in heaven or on earth, we can benefit from discussing the counsel that the apostle Peter gave to first-century anointed Christians. He wrote: “Like the Holy One who called you, be holy in all your conduct, for it is written: 'You must be holy because I am holy'” (1 Pet. 1:15, 16). What do these words teach us? That we can imitate Jehovah, the supreme example of holiness. We can and should be holy in our conduct, even if it seems impossible due to our imperfection. The apostle Peter himself was wrong several times, but his example shows us that we can be saints.
2. What questions will we answer in this article?
In this article, we will answer the following questions: What is it to be holy? What does the Bible teach us about Jehovah's holiness? How can we be holy in our conduct? And what is the relationship between being holy and being friends of Jehovah?
WHAT IS TO BE SAINT?
3. What do many imagine when they think of someone holy, but where can we find the truth?
When they think of someone holy, many imagine a religious character with a melancholy and sad appearance , like those depicted in some works of art. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible says that Jehovah, who is holy, is the “happy God” (1 Tim. 1:11). He also says that the people who worship him are happy (Ps. 144:15). Jesus condemned those who wore long robes and did what was right for others to see (Matt. 6:1; Mark 12:38). We Christians know what holiness is because of what the Bible tells us. And we know that our God, who is holy and loving, would never tell us to do something impossible to obey. Therefore, if Jehovah tells us “You have to be holy”, it is because we can be. Of course, to be holy in our conduct, we have to understand what it is to be holy.
4. What do the words holy and holiness mean?
What is it to be holy? In the Bible, the words holy and holiness basically refer to what is clean or holy in a moral and religious sense. These terms can also convey the idea of being set apart or separated to serve God. In other words, we will be holy if we are morally clean, if we worship Jehovah as he expects, and if we have a close relationship with him. We are impressed to think that we, who are so imperfect, can be friends with Jehovah, that he is absolutely holy.
“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD”
5. What do faithful angels teach us about Jehovah?
Jehovah is pure and clean in every way. This was what was said by some seraphim , who are angels who are near the throne of Jehovah. They proclaimed: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:3). Of course, to have such a close relationship with God, they themselves must be holy, and they are. Therefore, when an angel of Jehovah came to earth, his very presence could make the place where he was holy. This is what happened when Moses approached the burning bush (Ex. 3:2-5; Josh. 5:15).
6, 7. (a) According to Exodus 15:1, 11, how did Moses emphasize that God is holy? (b) What reminded the Israelites that God is holy? (See cover drawing.)
After Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea, he emphasized that their God, Jehovah, is holy (read Exodus 15:1, 11). The conduct of those who worshiped the gods of Egypt was not holy in the least. And the same can be said of those who worshiped the gods of Canaan, who sacrificed children and practiced depraved sexual acts for their gods (Lev. 18:3, 4, 21-24; Deut. 18:9, 10). But Jehovah is very different from those false gods, since he never asks us to do anything that lowers us. He is totally holy. This was made clear by the words inscribed on a gold plate that the high priest wore on his turban. They said, “Holiness belongs to Jehovah” (Ex. 28:36-38).
What that plaque said made it clear to anyone who saw it that Jehovah is holy to the highest degree. But what if an Israelite did not see the plate because he could not approach the high priest? Would I have any way of knowing that Jehovah is holy? Of course. All the Israelites could hear him when the Law was read before the men, women, and children (Deut. 31:9-12). If we had been there, we would have heard these words: “I am Jehovah your God, […] and you must be holy because I am holy” and “you must be holy because I, Jehovah, am holy” (Lev. 11 :44, 45; 20:7, 26).
ILLUSTRATION:
The high priest wore a gold plaque on his turban that read "Holiness belongs to Jehovah." (See paragraphs 6 and 7).
8. What do the words of Leviticus 19:2 and 1 Peter 1:14-16 teach us?
Let's focus on a few words that were read to the entire nation of Israel and found in Leviticus 19:2. Jehovah told Moses: “Speak to all the people of Israel and tell them: 'You must be holy because I, Jehovah your God, am holy . ' The apostle Peter may have quoted these words when he told his fellow Christians to “be holy” (read 1 Peter 1:14-16) . It is true that we are not under the Law of Moses now, but what Peter wrote confirms what we learn in Leviticus 19:2: that Jehovah is holy and that those who love him should strive to be holy. This applies to all of us, whether we hope to live in heaven or in a paradise on earth (1 Pet. 1:4; 2 Pet. 3:13).
“BE HOLY IN ALL YOUR CONDUCT”
9. Why is it good for us to analyze the 19th chapter of Leviticus?
Since we want to please our God, we want to know how we can be holy like him. So that we can achieve this, Jehovah gives us good advice. We find some of them in the 19th chapter of Leviticus. Hebrew scholar Marcus Kalisch wrote: "This remarkable chapter is perhaps the most comprehensive, the most varied, and in some respects the most important section of Leviticus or even the Pentateuch . " Let's look at some verses from this chapter that have valuable lessons on various matters of daily life. As we review them, let us remember that, before giving us these lessons, chapter 19 begins by saying "They must be holy."
10, 11. What aspect of godly conduct is highlighted at Leviticus 19:3, and how should we view this command?
After telling the Israelites that they should be holy, Jehovah added: “Each one of you should respect your mother and father . . . I am Jehovah your God” (Lev. 19:2, 3).
It is clear that we must obey the divine mandate to honor our parents. Let us remember that, on a certain occasion, a man asked Jesus: “What good things must I do to obtain eternal life?” And part of Jesus' answer was that the man should honor his father and his mother (Matt. 19:16-19). Jesus even denounced the Pharisees and the scribes because they managed to not fulfill that divine mandate. Therefore, he told them that they had thus “nullified the word of God” (Matt. 15:3-6). The "word of God" included the fifth of the Ten Commandments and what we read in Leviticus 19:3 (Ex. 20:12). Again,remember that the command in Leviticus 19:3 to respect parents comes right after the words “You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”
12. What could we ask ourselves, according to the command of Leviticus 19:3?
Every Christian might ask himself, “Am I doing well the divine mandate to honor my parents?” . If we see that we have not done everything that we should in the past, let's set ourselves the goal of improving. It is true that it is not possible to change the past, but from now on we can strive to do more things with and for our parents. Maybe we can spend more time on them. Can we offer them more material, spiritual or emotional support? If we do, we will be obeying the command of Leviticus 19:3.
ILLUSTRATION:
Image series: 1. An adult son visits his parents and helps them prepare a meal. 2. His son, his wife and his daughter bring food to his parents. 3. Parents chat animatedly with their child via video call.
What should Christians ask themselves when reading the law of Leviticus 19:3 about parents? (See paragraphs 10 to 12). *
13. (a) What other advice do we find at Leviticus 19:3? b) How can we follow the example of Jesus narrated in the account of Luke 4:16-18?
Leviticus 19:3 teaches us another lesson about holiness. There he said that we had to respect the Sabbath. Since Christians are not under the Law, it is not necessary for us to keep a weekly day of rest. But we can learn much from what the Israelites did on that day and the blessings they received for keeping it. They were to dedicate the Sabbath to rest from their daily labors and to worship Jehovah. * So Jesus went to the synagogue that day and read from God's Word (Ex. 31:12-15; read Luke 4:16-18). The divine command found in Leviticus 19:3 to keep the Sabbath should motivate us to take time out of our daily activities to give more attention to spiritual matters.Do we think we need to improve in this aspect? If we regularly spend time on spiritual matters, our friendship with Jehovah will grow stronger and stronger. And that is fundamental to being saints.
WE STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JEHOVAH
14. What essential truth is highlighted throughout Leviticus chapter 19?
Leviticus chapter 19 repeatedly mentions an essential truth that will help us remain holy. Verse 4 ends by saying , "I am the Lord your God." These or similar words are found 16 times in this chapter. This reminds us of the first of the Ten Commandments, which says: “I am the Lord your God […]. Have no other gods besides me” (Ex. 20:2, 3). Every Christian who wants to be a saint must make sure that nothing and no one is more important than his friendship with God. And, as we call ourselves Jehovah's Witnesses, we are determined not to do anything that tarnishes his holy name (Lev. 19:12; Isa. 57:15).
15. To what should the verses in Leviticus 19 that speak of sacrifices lead us?
The Israelites showed that they accepted Jehovah as their God by obeying his laws. Leviticus 18:4 says: “Follow my judicial decisions, and walk according to my statutes and obey them. I am Jehovah your God.” Chapter 19 includes some of these statutes that he gave to the nation of Israel. For example, verses 5 to 8, 21 and 22 talk about animal sacrifices. These were to be done in a way that would not profane “a holy thing of Jehovah.” Reading these verses should move us to want to please Jehovah and offer him sacrifices of praise that are acceptable to him, as Hebrews 13:15 encourages us to do.
16. What principle in Leviticus 19 reminds us that those who serve God are different from other people?
To be holy, we must be willing to be seen to be different. This is not easy, because sometimes we can be pressured by schoolmates, co-workers, family members who are not believers, and others to do things that interfere with our service to Jehovah. When they do, we have an important decision to make. What will help us choose well? Let's look at an interesting principle found at Leviticus 19:19, which reads in part: “Do not . . . put on an article of clothing made of two kinds of thread mixed together.” This law made it noticeable that Israel was different from the nations around her. Nowadays, there is nothing wrong with us wearing clothes that mix , for example, cotton and polyester, or wool and rayon.But it would be wrong if we looked like people who believe and practice things that are against what the Bible teaches , no matter if they are classmates, work or family. Sure, we feel natural affection for our relatives and we show love to the people around us. But when we have to make important decisions, we are willing to show that we servants of Jehovah are different. Let us remember that if we want to be holy, it is essential that we are separated for God (2 Cor. 6:14-16; 1 Pet. 4:3, 4).
17, 18. What valuable lesson does Leviticus 19:23-25 teach us?
The phrase “I am Jehovah your God” should have helped the Israelites to see their friendship with Jehovah as the most important thing. Let's look at one way they could do it according to Leviticus 19:23-25 (read it). Let's think about what these words meant to the Israelites after they entered the Promised Land. If someone planted a fruit tree, he could not eat its fruit for three years. In the fourth year, the product was reserved for use in the sanctuary of God. It was only from the fifth year that the owner could eat its fruit. This law should have helped the Israelites understand that their needs did not come first. They had to trust that Jehovah would provide for them and give priority to his service. He would see to it that they did not lack food. And God encouraged them to make generous donations to the sanctuary, which was the center of their worship.
The law of Leviticus 19:23-25 reminds us of the words that Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “Stop worrying […] about what you are going to eat and drink . ” And he added: “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” God will give us what we need, just as he does with the birds (Matt. 6:25, 26, 32). We trust that Jehovah will take care of us. In addition, we help those in need discreetly and we are pending to contribute to cover the expenses of the congregation. Jehovah notices our acts of generosity and will repay us (Matt. 6:2-4). If we are generous, we will show that we have understood the lessons of Leviticus 19:23-25.
ILLUSTRATION:
What should the Israelites have learned from the words of Leviticus 19:23-25, and what lesson do you learn? (See paragraphs 17 and 18). *
19. How has your analysis of this portion of Leviticus benefited you?
Our analysis of various verses in Leviticus chapter 19 has taught us several things we can do to be holy like Jehovah. When we follow his example, we show that we strive to be holy in all our conduct (1 Pet. 1:15). Many people who do not serve Jehovah have noticed our good conduct. Some have even felt moved to give glory to Jehovah (1 Pet. 2:12). Now Leviticus chapter 19 has many more lessons for us. The following article will analyze more verses and help us to see other areas of our lives where we can be holy, as the apostle Peter said.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What is it to be holy?
To be holy is to keep separate from the impure. The word “holy” can be applied to things that are directly related to God, especially those used to worship him.
What lessons from Leviticus chapter 19 help us to be holy in our conduct?
There are many lessons that we can learn from chapter 19, that Jehovah is holy and that those who love him should strive to be so. This applies to all of us. Also if we see that we have not done everything we should in the past, let's set ourselves the goal of improving. It is true that it is not possible to change the past, but from now on we can strive to do more things with and for our parents.
What things must we do if we want to strengthen our friendship with Jehovah?
If we love Jehovah and want to strengthen our friendship with all our hearts, souls, and minds, we will show it by our actions. The Bible teaches very clearly that if we love God we will obey his commandments.
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