Jehovah M'Kaddesh—The LORD Who Sanctifies...(Lev 20:1- 8)

This is one of the composite Jehovah names of our LORD, not as famous as Jehovah-Rapha, etc., but powerful. It does not come out as clearly in the English as in the original—our LORD declares Himself to be Jehovah M'Kaddesh, "The LORD Who Sanctifies."

In our time, sin has been upgraded to "mistakes," and "nature"

And, true Holiness is usually unsought, especially among lost and false professors of The Faith, who want to live life as they desire, yet claim for themselves the title of "Christian."

And many true believers are miserable trying to exist in the company of churches where the lost church member is manifestly in the majority!

Now, any time we delve into the Old Testament, especially the Law, we have to carefully examine, first of all, the contexts of the passage

1. Contexts— Lev 20:1-2

a. Historical—

(1) This records the setting up part of the Mosaic Worship

(2) The People knew about Paganism, and some of them probably were over-influenced by paganism (1 Cor 10)—

(3) This is obvious when you see references to Canaanite religion constantly referenced by Moses as he writes the Law

b. Covenantal Context—

(1) This passage has a direct and unabated meaning for the people of ancient Israel during the life of the Mosaic Covenant. Its full force existed until Christ died on the Cross, ending the Mosaic economy.

(2) However, there are moral issues that cross from Law to Gospel, and there are basic principles about the origin and nature of man and God that are unchanging.

(3) Remember the rule: Laws from the Old Testament are still applicable to the church, if those laws are reiterated in the New Testament.

(a) Example #1—the Laws against sexual immorality still stand because they are repeated in the New. However, the laws of civil society are up for grabs because the Church, unlike Israel, is not a nation, we are The Church, which is totally different.

(b) Example #2—The Sabbath does not apply to the church because Christ fulfilled the Law of the Sabbath in His person (Hebrews 3), and because the early church gave the example of meeting on the first day of the week.

(c) Example #3—we don't sacrifice animals at church because Christ's sacrifice on the Cross obviated all of the ceremonial law.

(d) Example #4—the dietary laws, etc., were clearly ended by the Lord in his vision to Peter, and this is backed up by the results of the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15.

(e) Our knowledge of God's Nature is even greater now, because He has revealed more of Himself.

c. Theological Context—

(1) In His essence and nature, God does not change

(2) God's laws of morality and Truth do not change.

(3) God's Word is a unified whole, a total plan

d. Biblical Context

(1) Old Testament

(a) This passage is all about the giving of the Mosaic Law, training the Priests and Levites

(b) The purpose of the Law was to impose a strict regimen on Israel until the Messiah came.

(2) Every sacrifice, all the worship forms, these were all symbolic of Christ Himself—High Priest and Sacrifice in one Man.

(a) The current issue here is sexual morality

(i) Besides setting standards, God gives punishments (usually death) for these offences.

(ii) Since the Law of Moses is a civil and criminal code as well as a ceremonial code, there are not only legal restrictions, there are rules and applications given to include what we would call civil and criminal punishments….Lev 20:2ff

(b) New Testament application of the laws of sexuality

(i) There are no longer civil punishments, because the church is not a state (My Kingdom is not part of this Age…)

(ii) But the Laws of sexuality are re-iterated in the NT, making the Laws themselves fully applicable.
(iii) Now the rule is that the church should discipline itself and leave those outside to themselves

2. Pagan attachments In Israel

a. Immediate context—Molech Worship was the penultimate pagan fertility cult, deserving special attention.

(1) There were several ancient fertility cults, all of which practiced gross abominations as a part of their religion.

(a) Ba'al worship—the Canaanites

(b) Chemosh worship—Moab

(c) Dagon Worship—Philistia

(d) Asherah Worship—combined with the male "gods" of several religions

(e) In fact, these were often combined in various ways

(2) Practices

(a) No rules of life, rules for worship only
(b) Perverted religion
(c) Pedophilia as a part of the religion
(d) Human sacrifice

(3) Why did Israel not need these warnings and instructions?

(a) They had been influenced by Egyptian religions

(b) But, being in the North of Egypt, they also would have encountered travelers and traders from every place

(c) In the wilderness, they had been influenced by Baalam and Balak, and had encountered even more pagan worshipers. (Lev 20:13-16

(4) Did Israel HEED God's warning? Sadly and tragically, no. These sins and this idolatry dogged Israel until their return from exile.

b. The Ultimate Cult, Molech Worship

(1) First, Molech worship included all of the gross practices of the other fertility cults, and went from there down.

(2) Molech Worship—passing their children through the fire…Lev 20:2 ff

(a) The eldest male child, usually a newly-born infant, would be voluntarily turned over to the priests by the parents.

(b) The Idol was heated up to being red hot.

(c) The choir and priests made a lot of noise to drown out the cries of the infant.

(d) Then the infant was placed on that burning altar as a sacrifice.

(Lev 18:21) 'And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

(Deu 18:10) "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,

(2 Ki 16:3) But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel.

(2 Ki 17:17) And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.

(2 Ki 21:6) Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.

(2 Chr 33:6) Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.

(Ezek 16:21) "that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?

(Ezek 20:31) "For when you offer your gifts and make your sons pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day. So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live," says the Lord GOD, "I will not be inquired of by you.

(Ezek 23:37) "For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them.

c. Other interesting practices—

(1) Note that God judges these!

(2) The Spell Books of Acts 19—in the church!

(3) And certainly, it goes without saying when we think of the Holocaust that has been perpetrated in our own nation by the murder of 50 million infants through abortion.

(4) Again, the sexual practices of Molech, Chemosh, and Ba'al are being imitated on a large scale in our culture—and all too often, in the churches as well,

(5) This has been a problem throughout church history because of the weakness of our flesh and the pressure from the world to conform to its easier standards

3. God's design: The Principles and Practices of Biblical Holiness from Jehovah M'Kadesh— Lev20:7-8

a. Note, He is Their God—strictly speaking, this is doubly addressed to those in the outward nation of Israel, and the remnant of true believers who existed in every generation.

b. Any time this Name of God is used, the subject is God making His people Holy

(1) What is Holiness?

(a) The words associated with this concept all have to do with setting a person apart for a Godly purpose

(b) Dedicate, make holy, hallow, set apart

(2) But there was no golden age of Biblical holiness in Israel—often there were only a handful of true men of God in the land, and the priests and "prophets" often neglected the Law and approved of and joined in, perversion and promoted it for national unity's sake

c. The Levitical priests were supposed to be holy and sanctified

(1) Set apart for obedience—(Lev 20:7-8)

(2) Set apart for purity—(Lev 21:7-8) "

(3) Set apart to God—(Lev 21:15) "

(4) Set apart to learn the Word of God, to teach the people—

d. How was holiness to be achieved?

(1) First, it is God’s work, but God uses means.

(2) Set yourself apart

(3) Obey the Word—which means to know the Word, certainly

(4) Put into practice what God has decreed

(5) And God gives the growth.

(6) This sounds a lot like the great commission! (Mat 28:19-20)

e. Did the priests and Levites do this? Not often

f. A few bad examples of many who could be cited—

(1) The OT Priest and Levite were special men set apart for a special purpose, and God's intent for them was that they would be Holy before Him. But most were not

(2) Nadab and Abihu—destroyed by God for making their own religion

(3) But, of course, many, if not most, of the OT priesthood could be described as the sons of Eli and Samuel

(4) Those who taught peace when there was no peace (Jer 6:1-16)

(5) God's perfect, expressed will was for Israel to follow Him, love Him, and be His a holy nation (Ex 19:1-6)—but except for a remnant, they would not and they did not.

(6) In the New Testament Churches in our day, there are many of our "priests" who are probably not part of the real church.

4. New Testament Holiness

a. The equivalent of the OT Priest and Levite is not the man of God or any other person of office—we are ALL priests—(1 Pet 2:9)

b. How are God's people, the New Testament priests, made holy today?

(1) First, it is not optional

(2) Second, It is accomplished through the ministry of the Word and the Spirit of God in our lives

(3) Specifics

(a) The goal—perfection—(1 Pet 1:16) , 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy.""

(b) Biblical Holiness is a ministry of the Word—(John 17:17) ""Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."

(c) Biblical Holiness is a command—(Mat 5:48) ""Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

(d) Biblical Holiness is required by God—(Heb 12:14) "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:"

(e) God's specific concerns

(i) Taking care of the poor and needy in the congregation
(ii) Living outwardly blameless lives
(iii) Sexual Morality
(iv) 1 Cor 6:9-20
(v) Rom 1:18-32
(vi) (Heb 13:4)

For the True Believer in the New Testament Age, we must also praise and honor our Sanctifier—Jehovah M'Kaddesh