The Importance of Holiness

By Charles Brang Mai




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Introduction

Holiness is one of the major themes of the Old Testament. The Pentateuch strongly emphasises the concept of holiness. God commended to the entire assembly of Israel through Moses in Lev. 19:2 (TNIV), “Be holy because I am the Lord your God, am Holy” and again in Lev. 11:44 (TNIV), “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”

Therefore this research will focus on what the term ‘holiness’ means in its original text, why Israel was to be  consecrated to God, what the reason of Holiness is and why it was so important for God, by concentrating on some main points that relevance for today.

Understanding the Word ‘Holy’

In other religions, holiness and ethical are not connected. In non-biblical contexts, the word ‘holy’ often refers to a sacred power that inhabits an element of nature, such as a tree or a stream or a specific place such as a burial ground that is closely related to the spirit world.

“In the polytheistic religions of Israel’s neighbours, some of the gods possessed holy power imperfectly and holiness as a spiritual force often stood over against the various gods of a pantheon.”¹

In the Hebrew Bible according to James Strong’s Concordance, the word ‘holiness’ is used 469 times as in the noun “qodesh (ko’-desh),”² which also means ‘a sacred place’ or ‘holy thing’, ‘saint,’ ‘sanctuary’ or ‘dedicated.’ The root word “qadash (kaw-dash)³ occurs 172 times as verbs, “which means clean ceremonially or morally, sanctify, hallow, dedicate, holy, prepare, consecrate, appointed, purified and it is to represent being set apart for the work of God.⁴

The word ‘holiness’ appears in the Greek New Testament Bible as “hagiasmos”⁵ which also means as ‘purification and sanctification that signifies separation to God.’⁶ However the major concept of holiness in the Pentateuch is defined as separation because objects and persons consecrated for use at the sanctuary are set apart from ordinary use.

The Holiness of God

The Old Testament explains a unique God as being holy because God’s separateness is His moral purity and perfection. In the Bible, holiness is very important to God because that holiness is the centre of divine motivation and His essential character. God manifested His holiness with holy justice when His people rebelled against Him.

In addition, the people of God also acknowledged that no one is as holy as He is. For example in 1 Sam. 2:2 (NIV), Hannah praised, saying, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God,” Biblical theologians also describe the holiness of God as unique, saying, “As the one who is supreme over all, He is transcendent, exalted and different from everything He has made. He cannot be compared with the gods of the nations or be judged by human standards. God alone is holy in Himself.”⁷

When Moses asked God to reveal Himself, He answered, “I am who I am” in which ‘I am’ is the divine and personal Name of God that He uses and gave Himself to which the Israelites then used the name ‘Yahweh.’ After the Israelites crossed over the sea safely, Ex.15:11 records how they sang, “Who is like Thee, among the gods, O Yahweh? Who is like Thee? Majestic in holiness, terrible in glorious deeds, doing wonders.”⁸ Some scholars describes that “the adjectives attached to holiness, such as majestic, glorious and awesome, inform us that the essence of beauty lies in holiness.”⁹

The Pentateuch emphasises the concept of holiness and God’s sovereign grace in redemption because God is supreme in His moral character and the only proper human response is sanctity. God brought Israel out of Egypt and He draws His people to Himself to imitate His character (Lev.11:44).¹⁰

Holiness in the Place of God’s Presence

Moses and the Burning Bush Experience



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It is because of the holiness of God that His Chosen People were commanded to live holy lives. In Ex 3:14, when Moses approached the burning bush, God commanded him to remove his sandals because in that space was where God manifested His holiness the first time to him. Consequently that place was considered set apart from distinct use as a holy ground because God was present. God expressed frequently His holiness in the communication with Moses and Israelites (Ex. 19:18-19, Num. 14:10-12).

Tabernacle Experiences

After God anointed the Tabernacle through Moses, the glory descended in such power that even Moses could not enter the tent of meeting in Ex. 40:34-35. The word ‘Tabernacle’ which appears for the first time in Ex. 25:9, comes from the word “to dwell.”¹¹ The holy God had come to dwell among the Israelites. The Old Testament book summarises the purpose of the Exodus from Egypt, the Covenant at the Sinai, the laws and the Tabernacle as such: “God was preparing Israel for His arrival in their midst… The Israelites were not ready for life in God’s presence because they had not yet learned of His great character.”¹²

This powerful manifestation of God’s glory communicated to Israelites the power, dignity and splendour of God’s holiness.¹³ Holiness belongs to God; the holiness of anything else is received from God’s presence because only He is holy, and there is nothing either within humans or on earth that is inherently holy.

Holiness in the Sanctuary and Furniture



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The sanctuary is a holy place or a place that is set apart that was to be built in accordance to the pattern that God showed Moses (Ex. 23:40). In 1 and 2 Chronicles, the word ‘sanctuary’ refers to ‘the temple.’ Six pieces of cultic furniture were designated ‘most holy’ included the sacred ark (2 Chr. 35:3), which was located in the adytum; the incense altar, lampstand, shewbread table located in the shrine including the burnt-offering altar and the laver, which was located in the court (Ex. 29:37; 30:10, Num. 4:4).

The ark, table, lampstand and the incense altar were all made of pure gold and the burnt-offering altar and laver were made from copper (Ex. 25:11-39; 37:2-26). The ark was the most important piece of furniture because it was where God had manifested Himself (Ex. 25:22; 30:36).

The Levites were prohibited from touching or viewing the furniture pieces on the pain of death and so they were carefully wrapped by the priests (Num. 4:4-20). The Levites would then carry the furniture pieces upon their shoulders when they moved to other places (Num. 7:7-9).

Holiness in the Camp of Israel

Numbers 19 describes the preparation of purification water that was kept outside the camp and used for ceremonial cleansing. Because the holy God was dwelling in the Israelite camp within confines of the Tabernacle, they have to, therefore, prevent access to the unclean to avert consequent death otherwise. (Lev. 7:20-21; 22:3).

Deut. 23:9-14 (TNIV) says, “Your camp must be holy, so that He will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.” All the males such as those who served in the armies of Israel were required to maintain their ritual purity in view of God’s holiness. For example, a man who has had an emission at night must go outside the camp and remain there until the next evening.

Personal hygiene was emphasised in order that both the person and place were kept clean. There were likely to be health issues in cases where latrines were dug from the grounds outside the camp but the main reason was to prevent the kind of ritual impurity that would otherwise cause God to abandon them.

Holiness for a Healthy Relationship and Reconciliation

Holiness is also identified with purification. Separation from the nations and consecration to God were two different ideals the characterised Israel’s exclusive relationship with God. When they committed sins, rites of purification were available for the restoration of cleanness and holiness. The biblical purification rituals were the most detailed of any that were then developed in the ancient Near East. Purification was necessary so that the person did not afflict others or the entire community with his impurity.

In the ancient world, the idea of sacrifice in the forms of grain offering, burnt offering and animal sacrifices to deities was very common among the Mesopotamian and Syro-Palestinian religious cults but with the Hebrew sacrificial system, the purpose was distinctive in that it was divinely revealed for community holiness. The sacrifices led to reconciliation with God in order for the sinners to have fellowship with others and with God.

According to Lev. 17:11, the Hebrew people needed to offer blood upon the altar because the blood itself represented life. The ritual sacrifice was symbolic of the act of cleansing before God’s presence so that the person, in offering his blood, would have his sins and impurities removed temporally.

On the other hand, the animal sacrifices were not intended to save people from their sins but instead, they preserved not only the holiness of God’s presence but also foster a healthy relationship between the people and God because only the holy blood of Jesus Christ was able to clean totally and permanently.¹⁴

For example Lev.12:4-8 describes how the father and mother were required to go to the sanctuary forty days following the birth of their son or alternatively, eight days after the birth of their daughter in order to offer sacrifices meant for the mother’s cleansing by way of a year-old lamb as burnt offering and a dove or pigeon as a sin offering. It also served to remind them that every child is born in sin. Only a clean person can approach the Lord in worship (Ex. 19:10-11, 30:18-21).

Special Holiness for the Chosen People

Special Holiness for the Priest

Lev. 21:6-8 (TNIV) says, “They must be holy to their God and must not profane the Name of their God because they present the offerings made to the Lord by fire, the food of their God. Consider them holy because I, the Lord am holy, I who make you holy.”

The priests were chosen to serve at the holy place of the Tabernacle and the Temple in which God had appointed them as “His examiners”¹⁵ in the event of someone who was unclean that had to be separated from the rest of the camp. They had to set apart themselves from the unclean because of their prime function as intermediaries between God and Israel whereupon they were dedicated by Him to the office of priesthood. Any non-priest or Levite who entered the forbidden area of the sanctuary was condemned to death.

The Lord ordered Aaron and sons in Lev.10:8, “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting or you will die” It’s a heavy responsible of the high priests.

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihud really died before the Lord while they offered unauthorised but God spoke to Aaron through Moses the reason in v.3 “Among those who approach me I will be prove holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honoured” (TNIV).There were two classes of priests, high and ordinary.

The High Priest



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The high priest has a higher degree of holiness than ordinary priests. There was only one high priest at a time (Lev. 21:10), and has higher consecration ritual. Only the high priest allowed entering the most holy place of the tabernacle (Lev. 16:3-4). The ark was at the centre of the sacred space which called the most holy place. The high priest has more severe marriage, purity and mourning restrictions than other priests (Lev. 21:1-15).

The high priest’s garments set in the breastplate with twelve stones which symbolised names of the all Israel to represent them when he ministered in the tabernacle. Aaron and his sons were considered as most holy compared to the Levites whom just recognised as holy in the chronicles (1 Chr. 23:13, 2 Chr. 23:6).

The Ordinary Priests



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The ordinary priests generally officiate in the court at the altar outside the tent sanctuary and enter the holy place to help the high priest Ex.27:21. The physical defects priests were prohibited from serving at the altar and in the tent but still holy enough to eat most offerings (Lev.21:16-23).

The holiness of the priests allowed them access to the temple to offer incense and to guard the sanctums (1 Sam. 7:1). A mark of most holy offerings is that only the priests may eat them and then only in sanctuary court which called a holy place (Lev.6:9, 19; Ex.29:31-34).

Here the emphasis is on separation, purification and role before God as representatives of the people. Levites were also set apart to do service for Israel and assist the priests (Num. 8:14-19). All of the Levites were put in the charge of Aaron’s household. These two groups were consecrated to God from within Israel, so that Israel could remain as consecrated people in God’s holiness.

Holiness in Priestly Clothing

All priestly clothing is holy. Priests wear a fine linen tunic, waistband, headdress, and breeches but  high priest wears linen breeches, a tunic with a fancier weave; a waistband of coloured wool, fine linen and a different design of headdress (Ex. 28:4, 39).

The high priest’s clothing is considered as holier because it consisted of a mixture of wool and linen, a holy mixture probably the reason is specially required for working in the shrine (Ex. 28:2,4; 29:29). The main reason is because of in Hebrew Bible only the high priest’s clothing is called “qodesh which mean most holy”¹⁶

Special Holiness for Nazirites

Samson the Nazirite (Image source: biblestudyoutlines.org

The Nazirite was restricted as a high priest from all corpses (Num. 6:7-8).The word Nazirite is described in (Gk. 5687) as the person who has marked out a special time of separation to God.¹⁷ He is not to drink wine or other strong drink and must avoid by touching certain dead (Num. 6:3, Jdg. 13:4-5).

For example like the Nazirite Samson who was to avoid unclean food like priests (Jdg. 13:4).When Samson ate the honey from the carcass of the lion, he defiled himself and ceased to be a Nazarite (Jdg. 14:1-9). That made Samson unclean no matter how sweet the honey was because it was unclean in God’s sight.

Holiness of the Israelites

Hill and Walton offer the following worldview of the Old Testament:

“Applying the concepts of the holy, common, clean, and unclean to the physical, moral, and spiritual realms of life was basic to the ancient Hebrew worldview. The distinctions allowed the people to order their relationship to the natural world in such way that they might indeed be holy as the Creator is holy.”¹⁸

God has dedicated Israel as His people. They were to be holy by virtue of their relationship with the holy God. All of the people were in a sense holy as members of the covenant community. God sanctified Israel by rescuing them from Egypt, then bringing them to Himself and then giving them His law at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:1-6; 20:1-6). It was He who asked Moses to consecrate Israel ritually in their preparation for their inevitable encounter with Him.

God’s Plan for the Nations

God’s plan was to use this sacred nation as a holy, royal priesthood for the nations in order to fulfil His covenant with Abraham in bringing blessings to all the nations (Gen.12:1-3). Based on the nature of this relationship, God had anticipated His people to live up to His holy expectations and to demonstrate that they were indeed a holy nation. Lev. 20:26 (TNIV) says, “You are to be holy to Me because I, the Lord, am holy and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.”

Holiness in Sexual Relationship

God’s Chosen People must avoid unlawful sexual activities as Lev. 18 identifies that such behaviour was in contradiction to the character of God. Firstly the instruction for the people of God concerned relationship with relatives and a sense of morality that reflected God’s holiness. Lev. 18:16-18 (TNIV) says, “No one is to approach any close relatives to have sexual relations, I am the Lord.”

In other words, the act of adultery violates the sanctity of the family and the standard of God’s morality. Secondly homosexuality and bestiality were clearly prohibited in Lev.18:22,23. From early ancient times, male prostitution was practised in pagan temples and God’s punishment of such sins were well known in Canaan, Sodom (Gen. 19:5) and Gibeah (Jdg. 19:22).

Holiness in Dietary

The concern for cleanness for the Israelite was essential part of his response to the holiness of God. Therefore cleanness is related to holiness.  Leviticus 11 defines what are and aren’t clean in terms of animals and insects and what can or cannot be eaten by the Israelites as a result.

In fact the entire chapter is devoted to distinguishing dietary dos and don’ts. Wiersbe writes, “It is easy to see hygienic reasons behind these regulations and no doubt obeying them help the Jews avoid sickness. But the main reason for these laws was to teach the people to appreciate cleanliness and shun whatever was unclean.”¹⁹

The Summary of Forbidden Animals



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Lev. 11:1-8 talks about the land animals where cleanliness is defined by one that must chew the cud and have a split hoof. A land animal that has only one of either wasn’t considered clean and had to be rejected. Lev. 11:9-12 defines edible water creatures as those that have both fins and scales; therefore catfishes and all forms of shellfish were prohibited. Verses 13-19 are about fowls in which carrion-eating birds of prey were considered unclean. In verses 20-23, we learn that all flying insects were forbidden except those with jointed hind legs whereas in verses 29-30, lizards and rodents were identified as prohibitive for human consumption.

Interpretation of the Dietary Law

Allen P. Ross interpreted the dietary law as one concerning Israel’s calling and purpose as a holy nation. The Hebrew view then was that the forbidden animals represented the surrounding nations while the clean animals were symbolic of the Israelites in the land while, on the other hand, the sacrificial animals among the clean ones represented the priests in the sanctuary of the Lord.²⁰

What Ross interpreted is relevant because according to Peter’s vision in Acts 10, the unclean animals were in reference to the Gentiles, showing that the purpose of the dietary laws was to set Israel apart from the nations.

Reflecting on a Blameless Life

The people of God must reflect the holiness of God in their lives even in what they eat and drink. God’s people must live blamelessly before His holiness in order to distinguish themselves from the corrupt world in which they live through obedience of the dietary laws. They had to submit every aspect of their daily lives to God whether it was selecting or preparing their foods in order to maintain ceremonial purity.

The Main Purpose of the Dietary Law

The distinction of the animals is for the Israelites to separate themselves from other ancient pagan religious even in terms of diets. Perhaps what the prophet Isaiah meant in Is. 65:4 (including 66:3,17) was that those worshipped the demons and death by sacrificing the pig.

For example, “in Mesopotamia, pork was a regular part of the diet and it was offered as a sacrifice to demons. For the Egyptians, the pig was especially sacred to the god Seth.”²¹ Although God was also concerned about the physical well-being of His people during their days in the wilderness, the main purpose of the dietary law was to remind the Israelites that they belonged to God who is holy (Ex.15:26).

Holiness is Relevant Today

Holiness is very important today, which is why Christ and the apostles taught New Testament believers to be holy. Although the regulations of the dietary laws and sacrifices have been fulfilled in Christ, we are to offer spiritual sacrifices and live holy with the lifestyle of a born-again Christian as Paul has encouraged the church.

The apostle Paul encourages the church to express the holiness of God in every aspect of the believers’ lives even in eating and drinking because believers are to glorify the Lord as the holy God (1 Cor. 10:31).

In the New Testament days, the believers were also considered the Chosen People.1 Peter 2:4 (NIV) describes the New Testament believers’ identification “…as the living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Paul also repeatedly encourages believers such as in Rom. 12:1-2 (TNIV), “…In view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God…do not conform to the pattern of this world...”

The laws of impurity have served their purposes but the underlying principles are still to be carried out by those whom God has called. That is why in 2 Cor. 6:17, Paul had instructed the Corinthian church to be holy.

Today God still separates the Church from the world in the same way that Israel was separated from the nations. Today a Christian’s body is the temple of God and every born-again Christians are considered as priests. Today God wants His believers to avoid inebriation and drug addictions just like it was during the days of the Old Testament that were centred on the principle of Israel’s separation from unclean foods.

Conclusion



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The biblical terminology is used to signify that God is uniquely different and separate from everything that He has made and different from the other gods but He chooses to dwell among those who are His Chosen People. A pattern of sanctification was established for Israel under the Mosaic Covenant. God sanctified them and then called upon them to live a holy life.

In the Old Testament, holiness signifies the moral and spiritual condition of God, people, things, places and time. God called Israel to live holy as it is based on His holy character. Therefore Holiness is to be practised and demonstrated by those who are God’s People today as holiness has a spiritual dimension vested in the Old Testament.


Charles Brang Mai is a theology student at the Malaysia Bible Seminary. A Burmese by descent, Charles preaches at two churches every Sunday to reach his fellow Burmese who are currently employed as bonded workers in Malaysia. This is his first article for Lux Mundi.

Endnotes

1.             T. Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker, Dictionary of the Old Testament Pentateuch (Downers Grove: Illinois, 2003), 420.

2.             James Strong, The Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 1990), 102.

3.             Ibid, 102.

4.             James Strong, The New Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words (Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 2001), 779, 780.

5.             Ibid, 909.

6.             Ibid, 909.

7.             T.D. Alexander Brian S. Rosner, New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Downers Grove: Illinois, 2000), 545.

8.             John Joseph Owens, Analytical Key to the Old Testament, Vol.1 Genesis-Joshua (Grand Rapids: Michigan, 1989), 304.

9.             Alexander and Baker, Dictionary of the Old Testament Pentateuch, 423.

10.        Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament, “A Christian Survey” (Grand Rapids: Michigan, 1999), 68.

11.        Kenneth L. Barker and John R. Kohlenberger III, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary “Old Testament” (Grand Rapids: Michigan,1994), 110.

12.        Arnold and Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament, 113.

13.        Ibid, 424.

14.        Hill and Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 107.

15.        Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary “Old Testament”, 2^nd ed. (David C Cook: Canada, 2007), 221.

16.        Freedman, The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol.3, 240.

17.        Barker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, 187.

18.        Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 2^nd Ed. (Grand Rapids: Michigan, 2000), 105.

19.        Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible, 218.

20.        Allen P. Ross, Holiness to the Lord “A Guide to Exposition of the Book of Leviticus” (Grand Rapids: Michigan, 2002), 252.

21.        John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, “Old Testament” (Downers Grove: Illinois, 2000), 128.

Bibliography

Alexander, T. Desmond and David W. Baker, Dictionary of the Old Testament Pentateuch, Downers Grove: Illinois, 2003.

Arnold, Bill T. and Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, Grand Rapids: Michigan, 1999.

Barker, Kenneth L. and John R. Kohlenberger III, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old Testament, Grand Rapids: Michigan, 1994.

Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 2^nd Ed., Grand Rapids: Michigan, 2000.

Owens, John Joseph, Analytical Key to the Old Testament, Vol.1 Genesis-Joshua, Grand Rapids: Michigan, 1989.

Rosner, T.D. Alexander Brian S., New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Downers Grove: Illinois, 2000

Ross, Allen P., Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to Exposition of the Book of Leviticus, Grand Rapids: Michigan, 2002.

Strong, James, The Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 1990

Strong, James, The New Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words, Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 2001.

Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Downers Grove: Illinois, 2000.

Wiersbe, Warren W., The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: Old Testament, 2^nd ed., David C Cook: Canada, 2007.