10/05/2001 Sabbath Meeting Transcript

In the study last week, we discussed the holiness of Yahweh and the things that He regards as "holy".

We saw that Yahweh desires us to be a holy/set apart people. In this study we will examine the various aspects of what it means to be holy and what we should do in response to Yahweh's holiness.

Let's begin with the question, are we worthy to serve Yahweh?

Joshua 24:19 - And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve YAHWEH: for he [is] an holy Elohim; he [is] a jealous Elohim; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

Joshua 24:20 - If ye forsake YAHWEH, and serve strange elohim, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

Joshua 24:21 - And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve YAHWEH.

Joshua 24:22 - And Joshua said unto the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you YAHWEH, to serve him. And they said, [We are] witnesses.

Joshua 24:23 - Now therefore put away, [said he], the strange elohim which [are] among you, and incline your heart unto YAHWEH Elohim of Israel.

Joshua 24:24 - And the people said unto Joshua, YAHWEH our Elohim will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

Are we willing to walk His walk and be holy before Him ?

We must regard Yahweh as holy

Jeremiah 2:3 - Israel was holiness unto YAHWEH, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith YAHWEH.

Exodus 28:36 - And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO YAHWEH.

Numbers 18:32 - And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.

Are there different levels of holiness?

We read that there was a Holy of holies, or most holy place:

Exodus 26:33 - And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

It is written many times over in the Torah that Yahweh wants us to be holy:

Leviticus 11:44 - For I am YAHWEH your Elohim: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Leviticus 11:45 - For I am YAHWEH that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 19:2 - Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I YAHWEH your Elohim am holy.

Leviticus 20:7 - Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am YAHWEH your Elohim.

Leviticus 20:26 - And ye shall be holy unto me: for I YAHWEH am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

Numbers 15:38 - Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

Numbers 15:39 - And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of YAHWEH, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

Numbers 15:40 - That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your Elohim.

Exodus 19:6 - And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 14:2 - For thou art an holy people unto YAHWEH thy Elohim, and YAHWEH hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Ephesians 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah also loved the assemblyand gave Himself for her,

Ephesians 5:26 - that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Ephesians 5:27 - that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Colossians 3:12 - Put on therefore, as the elect of YAHWEH, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

1Thessalonians 4:7 - For YAHWEH hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

1Thessalonians 5:27 - I charge you by the Master that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

1Peter 1:15 - but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

1Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

The concept is repeated at LEAST 8 times in the Torah, and many times throughout scripture. It is Yahweh's will that we are a holy people

The more holy a person is, the more they are like Yahweh's nature.

The priests had a different standard of holiness to maintain because they were so near to Yahweh.

For instance:

Leviticus 21:1 - And YAHWEH said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:

Leviticus 21:2 - But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,

Leviticus 21:3 - And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

Leviticus 21:4 - But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

Leviticus 21:5 - They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

Leviticus 21:6 - They shall be holy unto their Elohim, and not profane the name of their Elohim: for the offerings of YAHWEH made by fire, and the bread of their Elohim, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.

Leviticus 21:7 - They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his Elohim.

Leviticus 21:8 - Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy Elohim: he shall be holy unto thee: for I YAHWEH, which sanctify you, am holy.

Becoming Defiled = unholy

Remaining Undefiled = holy, sanctified

There is even a higher standard for the high priest:

Leviticus 21:10 - And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;

Leviticus 21:11 - Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;

Leviticus 21:12 - Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his Elohim; for the crown of the anointing oil of his Elohim is upon him: I am YAHWEH.

Leviticus 21:13 - And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

Leviticus 21:14 - A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

Leviticus 21:15 - Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I YAHWEH do sanctify him.

That is what we should at least follow.

It is not a sin to be defiled, it is just less like the character of Yahweh.

It would be sin for someone to profane something that is holy. And it would be a sin to do nothing about ones defiled state.

It is not a sin to become unclean, but it is less like Yahweh's nature to remain unclean.

We are called to "be holy as Yahweh is holy", but as we read earlier there are various levels of holiness.

Another example is that Yahweh permitted the sale of things that died of itself to those who were not a part of Israel:

Deuteronomy 14:21 - Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto YAHWEH thy Elohim. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

Jeremiah 31:31 - Behold, the days come, saith YAHWEH, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Jeremiah 31:32 - Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith YAHWEH:

Jeremiah 31:33 - But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith YAHWEH, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:34 - And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know YAHWEH: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith YAHWEH; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Rather, think "This is for me!"

If His Torah/law is in our hearts, then it should reflect in our outer layer by our obedience to that Torah.

One aspect of being obedient to that Torah is being holy:

Leviticus 20:26 - And ye shall be holy unto me: for I YAHWEH am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

For example, Yahweh desires that we do not eat the flesh or touch the carcass of unclean animals:

Leviticus 11:1 - And YAHWEH spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

Leviticus 11:2 - Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

Leviticus 11:3 - Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

Leviticus 11:4 - Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:5 - And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:6 - And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; h_ is unclean unto you.

Leviticus 11:7 - And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

Leviticus 11:8 - Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

Leviticus 11:43 - Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

Leviticus 11:44 - For I am YAHWEH your Elohim: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Leviticus 11:45 - For I am YAHWEH that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 20:25 - Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

Leviticus 20:26 - And ye shall be holy unto me: for I YAHWEH am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

Eating unclean animals causes one to no longer be holy as Yahweh is holy.. but rather, defiled

There are other ways of being unclean, but there are directives given in the Torah of how to become clean again. For instance:

Leviticus 15:16 - And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 15:17 - And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 15:18 - The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.

Another precept, commonly ignored by many, is the commandment regarding "Niddah" (pronounced "Nee-DAH"). This Hebrew word is found in the following verse:

Leviticus 15:19 - And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.

It literally means "separation", in this case a separation from that which is clean. Notice that whosoever touches her is unclean until evening.

This does not mean that whoever touches her is a sinner and worthless person. It simply means that they are unclean. Let's continue:

Leviticus 15:20 - And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.

Leviticus 15:21 - And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 15:22 - And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

Leviticus 15:23 - And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

This commandment doesn't mean women are worth anything less than what a man would be worth if his seed went from him

Some have claimed that we need not pay attention to these commandments because "we are under the new covenant now" and the Torah is "in our hearts".

But if the Torah is in your hearts, why aren't you being obedient to it? If the Torah is in the heart, then we should be heeding its words.

The truth is, the Torah was in the heart of many people in the so-called "Old Testament":

Psalms 37:30 - The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

Psalms 37:31 - The law of his Elohim is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Deuteronomy 6:4 - Hear, O Israel: YAHWEH is our Elohim, YAHWEH is one:

Deuteronomy 6:5 - And thou shalt love YAHWEH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deuteronomy 6:6 - And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

Deuteronomy 11:18 - Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.

Deuteronomy 30:11 - For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

Deuteronomy 30:12 - It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

Deuteronomy 30:13 - Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

Deuteronomy 30:14 - But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

It is truth to say that Yahweh desires us to be a holy, and therefore "clean" people. This is even confirmed in the words of Paul, the Apostle:

2Corinthians 6:14 - Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

2Corinthians 6:15 - Or what harmony has the Messiah with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

2Corinthians 6:16 - Or what agreement has the temple of YAHWEH with idols? For we are the temple of the living Elohim; just as YAHWEH said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

2Corinthians 6:17 - "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says YAHWEH. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.

2Corinthians 6:18 - "And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me," says YAHWEH Almighty.

2Corinthians 7:1 - Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of YAHWEH.

Notice that we are encouraged in this last verse to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh AND spirit".

Notice also that this is so that we may perfect "holiness in the fear of Elohim". Again, we see a connection between being clean and being holy.

I should mention that I do not believe it is a sin to be unclean. Otherwise, we would be forbidden from having children and women would be forced to sin every month

But I do believe it is a sin to transgress His law by doing nothing about any uncleanness we might incur.

There are ways that the Torah gives to "cleanse ourselves" (to quote Paul) and we do need to heed them.

Mainstream Christianity has a saying, "cleanliness is next to godliness". Yet the majority ignore the clear commands in scripture which teach us the difference between the clean and unclean.

Yahweh despises those who boast that they are holy, but are not:

Isaiah 65:2 - I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

Isaiah 65:3 - A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;

Isaiah 65:4 - Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

Isaiah 65:5 - Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

Mainstream Christianity maintains that they are holy before Yahweh, yet how many churches do we see that dwell among the graveyards? How many there are that have no regard for having abominable things (like swine's flesh) on their plates!

Isaiah 5:22 - Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

Isaiah 5:23 - Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Isaiah 5:24 - Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of YAHWEH of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Proverbs 21:16 - The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

Let's not be like them and cast away the law of Yahweh nor despise His word.

Let's return to the righteous standard found within His Torah and follow the way of holiness described therein!

Let's come out from her and perfect holiness in the fear of Elohim. Let us endeavor to be found holy, a purified bride when Yahushua returns.

Ephesians 5:5 - For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and YAHWEH.

Surely, we want inheritance in the kingdom of Messiah and of Elohim, therefore let's walk before Yahweh blamelessly, and in Holiness:

Hebrews 12:12 - Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,

Hebrews 12:13 - and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be [dislocated], but rather be healed.

Hebrews 12:14 - Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see YAHWEH:

More to come on this subject, may Yahweh bless you and may He help us all!