I AM THE LORD

Leviticus 22:17-33

Key Verse 32

Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

From this passage we can think about the God’s purpose in sending Jesus, the Son, that is, to help us participate in God’s holiness.  

First, in order to participate in his holiness, we must come to the Father with absolute faith in our Lord Jesus as the Savior. 

This passage is fairly short – only 27 verses. Yet, in this short passage, the statement, "I am the Lord" is repeated 9 times. This repetition indicates that the point of the passage is all about Jesus Christ. For example, in this passage we see the Lord commanding Moses to speak to the Israelites that they should bring perfect offerings – and these offerings point to Jesus. 

The real message for us who believe in the New Testament era is to come to the presence of God by faith in Jesus Christ, the Son. Speaking of the same truth, when Jesus came he said that Moses wrote about himself.  Other Scriptures such as Hebrews 10:1 and Colossians 2:17 speak of the same truth, that is, the offerings mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures are the shadow of the reality to come, and the reality is found in Jesus. 

So in order to participate in God’s holiness, the first thing we need to bring to God the Father is Jesus Christ.  

Second, faith leading to the relationship with the Father

We must approach God the Father through faith in the Lord for the specific purpose, that is, to build an intimate relationship with God who is holy.  [A lot of people come to the Father just for blessings, not the ‘relationship’ with him.]

In the passage two offerings are described: burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. What are they for? The answer is this: along with other offerings described in the Bible (like sin offerings, guilt offerings, and grain-offerings) the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings serve to build the relationship between God and men. 

God created man. So man thrives in the relationship with God the Father.  The relationship must be full, unabridged, and it must be intimate. There has to be no gap whatsoever. The fuller the relationship is the fuller one’s life gets. The other side of the coin is also true. When man remains cut off in his relationship with God, although he is physically alive, he is already dead. His soul is dead, and his spirit is dead.  Once upon a time I saw a dreadful scene: a man had a live chicken cut off at its neck. With a hatchet the man chopped off the neck.  Yet for almost a minute or two, the chicken jumped around. It was truly spooky.  But eventually it died.  Such is the case with man who has lost his relationship with God the Father, like a flower cut from its root and put in a vase, soon it will wither. In fact, the minute the flower is cut from the root it is already dead.  It is only a matter of time until he loses his life for good. 

 

How then should a man’s relationship with God be? Again the offerings found in Leviticus answer the question. The sin offerings, guilt offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and fellowship (or peace) offerings illustrate how we can keep our relationship with God the Father fully.  

Since this passage talks about burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, let us stop for a moment and think about them. Among other points then burnt offerings serve as a model for man's devotion to the Lord. The fellowship offerings are a model for a peaceful life with the Lord.

 

It is interesting to note that the first time a burnt offering was offered, it was offered by Noah after the flood (Genesis 8:20). The first thing he did after coming out of the ark was to offer a burnt offering. In his day the people of his days suffered from the horrible relationship problem with God the Father. This culminated in the Great Flood. Then Noah made a new beginning (in terms of man’s relation ship with God) by dedicating burnt offerings out of clean animals and clean birds on the altar he built to the Lord.  

Let us also read Genesis 22:2, and think about the following expressions: 

take your son;

your only son;

Isaac;

whom you love;

go to the region of Moriah (present day Mt. Calvary);

sacrifice him;

As a burnt offering.

Could you do what God commanded here? Abraham did it. He demonstrated what it is to fully devote oneself to the Lord. No wonder that he enjoyed a full, life-giving relationship with God the Father! 

In addition, Isaac in Genesis 22:2, who fully cooperated with his father Abraham, is a type of Jesus to come. Like Isaac, without a murmur, he obeyed God’s will to offer himself as an atoning sacrifice for many. No wonder that Jesus too enjoyed the full, unabridged relationship with God the Father. In the same way, we too need to devote ourselves to the Lord. And we need to do it even as our Lord Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 16:24-25.  

Fellowship offerings are a little different than burnt offerings. One of the major differences is that while burnt offerings are fully reserved for God and nothing for men, fellowship offerings are for God and for men: like the burnt offering, the animal should be skinned and cut to pieces. Then unlike the burnt offerings, the fat and blood are offered to God and the breast and the right thigh are given to the priest, and the rest of the sacrificial animal is left for the one making the offering. Primarily then the fellowship offering refers to the peaceful relationship between the unholy man and the holy God. We see this example in the book of Exodus. Let us read Exodus 24:4-11. The Bible says, “No one may see God and live” (Exodus 33:20). Yet, they saw God and God did not raise his hand against them – indicating a peaceful relationship between God and men. 

These offerings also are types of Jesus the Savior. And Jesus set the perfect example of full devotion to God, most intimate fellowship with him, giving thanks to God all the time. Jesus thereby set the perfect 'example' for all to follow. He not only opened the way for sinners to come to the Father but also set the example of the way in which to come.

So what is being asked of us is full devotion to the Lord, not reserving anything for ourselves, just as our Lord Jesus did, as symbolized in the cases of Noah, Abraham and Isaac. 

This devotion results in the peaceful fellowship with God in the Lord, as it is exemplified in Exodus 24. Let us open the Bible and read 24:1-11. The Bible says no one may see God and live. (Exodus 33:20) Yet, after signing a blood of covenant (which again pre-figures the blood of the new covenant to come in Jesus) offering the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, they not only ‘saw’ God but also ‘ate and drank.’ They saw ‘something else’. Under his feet, they saw a ‘pavement’ made of sapphire. Under his feet is symbolic of the life in his kingdom. The pavement made of sapphire, not any sapphire but one as clear as the sky itself, stands in strong contrast with the life under Pharaoh where they labored for nothing, making bricks made of dirt and straw, making bricks, bricks, bricks, morning till sundown, all for Pharaoh, getting whipped, and then when worn out to perish. Now, they came to worship the God of Heaven and Earth, eating and drinking, under his feet. What a dramatic change of life! What a glorious life in the presence of the holy God! And this is one of the first previews of the kingdom life to come.  [At this point, I would like to encourage everyone to open the Bible and read John 12:23-26.] Remember: the theme title of the upcoming Bible conference is ‘Follow me’. Jesus knows where he is going. So he asks us to follow him that his followers would be where he goes. May the Lord bless our upcoming Bible conference, so we would make the decision to follow Jesus all the way.

Third, coming to God in Gods’ way

We must understand the truth that man cannot come to God on his own terms, but only on God’s terms. 

It is not you to decide the way to come to the Father but God the Father who decides. We can see this truth vividly described in the passage for today. There are the first three books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus. The other day I read an article: “The Wedding Secrets A Bride Should Know.” [The secrets include where to buy the best diamond ring for the best price.] Similarly, in the first three books of the Bible we can find the three top secrets every bride should know. [You know in the Bible the believers are called the Bride, God the Father, the Groom.] In Genesis we find ‘the Faith’ [which is comparable to a Diamond Ring]. In Exodus we find the way to prepare the Bridal Chamber. [Read Exodus 40:34-38.]  In Leviticus we can find the Etiquettes for Every Married Couple Should Know and Keep for the Couple to Stay Married from Eternity to Eternity.   

Thus far, the Lord God attracted the Israelites to put trust in him. Then he successfully helped them to agree to marry him. Then he set forth the terms of the marriage life – the life between the Holy God and the Unholy Bride. How can the two come together and live under the same roof without conflicts? You need the rules. [I have been married for 39 years. And we have unspoken rules.  For example, I love to work outdoors, so my body gets easily dirty. What does that mean? I cannot come to bed without first taking a good full shower. Each time I tried to get into the bed, Rebekah asks, “Did you take a shower?”] The same is true between God and men. 

In the passage then we the Lord setting forth the examples of offerings that will (or may) be accepted, and those that may not be accepted. The distinction between acceptable vs. unacceptable indicates the way for man to approach God, that is, there are rules (or principles, or even etiquette, if you will) for you to keep in coming to the presence of the Holy God!  

Now, that offering that is subject to defects or blemish is NOT acceptable. Offerings (like a calf, lamb, or goat) that are blind, injured, maimed, anything with warts or festering, or running sores, deformed or stunted, with testicles that are bruised, crusted, or torn, are NOT acceptable. 

Only the offerings that are without defect or blemish will (or may) be accepted. What is being required here is that which is ‘perfect’ or ‘wholesome’.  The point of the deal here is ‘all’ or ‘nothing’. When Jesus came, he expressed the term in clear terms. Here are some of the words of our Lord Jesus speaking of the same term: 

All I have is yours, and all you have is mine (John 17:10)

You still lack one thing: go, sell everything you have, give to the poor…then, come follow me (Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22)

Anyone who love his father or his mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37)

Anyone who does not [deny himself and] take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:38)

Whoever loses his life for me will save it (Luke 9:24)

The examples go on and on. And it is not just our Lord Jesus but the Apostles who also set forth the terms by which to come to the Father. Here are a few examples:

Peter answered, “We left everything to follow you. What then will there be for us?” ( Mat 19:27)

Those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires (Gal 5:24)

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing my Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake I lost everything (Phi 3:8)

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is NOT in him. (1Jo 2:15)

Or what about the following?

Nothing impure will ever enter it [the Holy City, the Ultimate Bridal Chamber], nor anyone who does what is shameful or ‘deceitful’.  (Rev 21:27)

Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood (Rev 22:15)

The key here is that we can come to God in God’s way. And God’s way is found in Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In coming to the Lord and following him, what is then required of us is to be “all in”. When I went to Korea, I heard a lot of this expression “all in”. At first I did not know what it meant. Later, I learned that in S. Korea, the average Korean parents do ‘all  in’. All in what? They invest all in ‘child-education’: time, money, efforts, prayers, everything! Likewise, what is being required of us is to do all in the Lord: time, money, youth, everything. 

We however should not regard this principle as something onerous. In fact we must regard this rule the other way around. Why? The reason is simple: God desires the highest good for us, so he did “all in” for us, that is, he sent his one and only Son Jesus. So it behooves us to invest our all in Jesus that as we invest our all – time, money, youth, faith (not broken faith but wholesome faith), and all else – in the Lord, we lose nothing! 

You know, if you want to succeed in one area or another, one of the first things you need to learn is to learn the principle of successes. Every venture has its own rules and principles. Let me give you a quiz: Location, Location, Location. What is this for? [Yes, the rules of success in the real estate business!] What about this: Diversify, Diversify, Diversify! [Yes! The first rule of investing!]  But God’s rule of success in God’s kingdom business is the opposite. Concentrate, Concentrate, Concentrate! To put it a simpler way, “All In” or “All or Nothing”.

Fourth, representation.

In the passage, the phrase "on your behalf" is repeated four times (19, 20, 25, 29). The word "behalf" means 'in the interest of a person or a group or principal'. It also has the meaning of 'as a representative'. This repetition goes to the principle of representation. The Israelites offered sacrifices such as young bulls or lambs on their behalf. In other words, these animals or other sacrifices got sacrificed on their behalf or as their representatives.  

If you represent me, you and I are the same: both you and I are identical; whatever you do as my representative takes the same effect as what I do or say. 

So in the case of the Israelites, the one who offers the sacrifice identifies himself with the sacrifice he is making. If God accepts the sacrifices on someone’s behalf, that means, by accepting a specific sacrifice, God accepts the one who offers the sacrifice. [According to the Talmud, at the Lord’s temple while the first temple was standing, miracles were constant in the temple. Not one single fly was found at the slaughterhouse, for example. Further, tradition has it that God shows the sign of acceptance by allowing the smoke to go straight up, without wavering. Rejection comes out by a wind taking the smoke out of the way. The minute the smoke gets blocked from going up, the priest asks the person involved to get out of the temple.]

This principle of representation looks to our Lord Jesus who went to the Father’s house ahead of us, and is now seated at God’s right hand, and he is there as our representative. 

This reminds us of Jesus representing the right sacrifice. He came to identify himself with us and represent us before God as our High Priest. So as we can identify ourselves with him and put trust in him, we would be emboldened to come to the Father boldly and with conviction (Heb 10:19-22; Isaiah 53:4-6, and 1Co 15:3,4).

Fifth, aiming for infinite perfection.

[Watch out for Christian mediocrity.]

Let us read v. 32. What does 'holy' mean? One of the primary meanings is 'perfection' in every aspect of the meaning of the word. This characteristic represents the essential condition needed for life to the fullest. The opposite side of the meaning of the word 'holy' can be understood via such expressions as defect or blemish or defiled (meaning out of order or polluted) or crushed, stunted, or blind, etc. 

In the passage God says we must acknowledge his name in this way so that our aim should be to participate in his holiness that he would make us to be holy even as he is holy.  

Sixth, faith in God’s power, not my own.

In v. 32, it is written: "I am the LORD, who makes you holy". This passage indicates that on his own no one can attain to God's holiness. But in the Lord we have the hope to be 'holy'. Knowing that this hope depends on what the Lord can do, one can have the confidence to see the hope becoming a reality.  Indeed in Jesus we have the hope to be justified, sanctified, and glorified.  In Jesus we have the hope to attain to Christ-likeness. In Jesus we have the hope to fully restore God’s image and thereby fulfill the purpose of God’s creation. For those who sincerely repent and believe in the Lord, the Lord blesses him with the Holy Spirit who in turn cleanses him, and sanctifies him that he would be fit for the fellowship with God the Father. 

 

Lastly, God’s ultimate desire for mankind.

Let us read v.  33 and think about the life of the Israelites while "in Egypt" (cf. Exodus 3:7; Acts 7:9). While in Egypt they lived as a slave nation. But the Lord saved them to his presence that God would be their God and they would be God’s children. 

In conclusion, the Bible says, “Without holiness no one can see God” (Hebrews 12:14). Thank God for the call to follow Jesus the Savior. In Jesus we have the hope to participate in God’s holiness and serve him as members of the kingdom of priests and a holy nation. May the Lord bless our upcoming Summer Bible Conference. 

One word: I am the Lord who makes you holy