What is Holy

In Leviticus 10:10-11, the Lord is speaking to Aaron, His High Priest. God tells Aaron that he is to distinguish between what is holy and what is common, what is clean and what is unclean. The conversation happens in the context of grief and pain for Aaron.

Leviticus 10 starts out with an event that brings trouble to Aaron, God’s High Priest. His sons, Nadab and Abihu, are serving before the Lord when they decide to use “unauthorized” fire in a censor. The use of unauthorized fire is revealed in the context of Exodus 30:1-10 and Leviticus 16:12. God’s command was that the fire used in the censers had to come from the fire of the altar. Nadab and Abihu elected to use a different fire and died as a result.

Suffering the grief of loss, Aaron would normally enter a time of mourning. Moses cautions him to refrain. Aaron is serving before the Lord and needs to keep God’s holiness at the forefront of his thoughts. It seems a harsh lesson, but an important one. It is here that Moses admonishes Aaron to distinguish between what is holy and what is common. Aaron’s sons had neglected to recognize the holiness of God. This is not about a one tie chance and then punishment. It is about knowing the will of God and ignoring that will. Holiness leads to life while what is common leads to death.

Over and over in the pages of the Bible we see that sin leads to death. How do we know what is sin? The answer lies in the character of God. God determines what is holy and what is not. The world gives us what is common. Common means worldly, physical, or out of the thoughts of men. It is a picture of man’s wisdom as it stands opposed to the wisdom of God. Nadab and Abihu decided to “do their own thing” and that behavior leads to death. It is a startling picture, but a true picture of the devastation of sin in the life of men.

God desires that we know Him. This means knowing His will, His character, what pleases Him, and what honors His holiness. God makes it clear to man. God teaches us about holiness.

Leviticus 11-14 are the beginnings of a long list of things that are clean and unclean. Remember the warning of Moses in Leviticus 10:10-11 when reading through these passages this week. God is teaching His people to distinguish between what is holy (clean) and what is common (unclean). This is not simply a list of do’s and don’ts. It is a complex system of teaching God’s people to be aware of holiness in every situation. The topics range from dietary laws, to natural, human functions and conditions, and even disease. There are guidelines for a variety of situation common to man. God is teaching His people to see His presence in each moment.

In order to help understand this set of teaching, there are a couple of guidelines to remember when reading through the passage.

1. God is God. He teaches us what is holy based on His character. Sometimes we have a hard time understanding what God is teaching. It is important to remember that God is sovereign and has the right to set the boundaries. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8) This calls for us to surrender to the wisdom of God.

2. Surrendering to the wisdom of God is not a matter of throwing up our hands and just going along. Surrendering to the wisdom of God requires us to believe that God knows best. He does not simply set up arbitrary rules. He protects mankind, guides our lives, and seeks for us to live in the best possible ways. God is seeking to bless His people, not burden them with nonsensical requirements.

3. Every situation we face, every moment we live through is pregnant with the question, “What do God want?” or “What will most honor God in this moment?” It is an important question. What honors the holiness of God in our dietary habits? What does God have to say about sex? What does God want me to be when I am sick or when I am well? We face these kinds of things daily and God want sour best. So we need to ask the questions.

4. God is looking for man’s response. Remember that God transforms the life, nature, and character of man. How we respond to God’s transformative power at work in our lives teaches us how to walk closely with God. God desires us to trust, rely, and lean on Him. Responding in surrender is a sign of faith as we learn who God is and how He changes us to live in step with Him.

5. God is teaching, we are learning. Be a student this week. Listen to what God has to say. Ask questions and seek answers. This is at the heart of embedding the Bible.