He Carries Us Over it All

Holy: Set apart, distinct. Not the same, special for a special purpose. The holiness of God is mind-bendingly difficult to comprehend: Yet, the Christian is called to follow HIM. HIM alone. Much of the law in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy is predicated on this distinction being made.

“You shall be Holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” Leviticus 19:2

Many times throughout the law, He repeats that they are to be different and set apart from the world, because HE is THEIR God.

As God brought the newly formed nation of Israel out of slavery to sin in Egypt, He immediately began revealing His holiness, strength, and care to them. It’s hard for a Blind man to see color and it’s hard for a cave dweller to look at the sky. In the same way, the world simply can’t imagine how great the gulf is between our fallen nature and the beauty of heaven, so God helps His people to show it! His ways are not our ways.

The nation of Israel was told to bring sacrifices to the altar and drain the life blood and sprinkle it. The crowds of people with the ensuing chaos and the awful mess of blood and ‘parts’ and the noise must have caused humble men to cringe at visiting the temple! I imagine only a fraction of the population of Israel ever felt like they’d ‘done their religion’ right. If every head of household brought a sacrifice once a year, it would be over 5000 daily! There was blood everywhere, and THAT is what legalism does. Legalism does not cover Guilt but reveals, even displays it. We read that Christ on the cross was not even recognizable as a man… Isaiah 52:14 The sin of Rebellion is normal in this world, but we are not of this world are we? The life-blood of Christ washes us of all sin! 1John 1:7

And that is why: HEBREWS 10. Remember Jesus words: 

“…go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:13

Thank God for the Gospel that Jesus horrific yet voluntary sacrifice broke down the walls of separation between us and God. The Holy Spirit in us now makes our life pleasing to God. He carries us over it all.