Shalom!

 
For weeks now, we have been mentioning that Vayikra/Leviticus is the book of "holiness". This week Parashat Kedoshim begins with YHWH telling Moshe to address the entire congregation imploring them to be holy:
 
Vayikra/Leviticus 19:1 And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying, 2 "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I YHWH your Elohim am holy.
 

The command begs the question, "How then do we define 'holiness'?" When we continue on in Vayikra, we read a large number of commandments including honoring your parents, keeping His Sabbaths, avoiding idolatry, making various offerings, leaving the corners of your harvest for the poor, not stealing, paying your hired hand on time, judging fairly, not being a talebearer, not hating your brother in your heart, not bearing grudges, .... A person who appears to keep all of these commandments would seem to be pretty "holy". But is "holiness" just an outward appearance? Is it only what you do or is YHWH digging for something deeper?

 
First of all, YHWH is the standard for holiness. Kedoshim begins and ends with this declaration:
 
Vayikra/Leviticus 19:2 ...I YHWH your Elohim am holy.
 
Vayikra/Leviticus 20:26... I YHWH am holy
 

YHWH's holiness is about distinction. He is echad, one, with absolutely no mixture in any of His attributes. He is pure and holy. Adam was created in the image of YHWH...with no mixture either. But what did he eat? Fruit from a tree of mixture - knowledge of good and evil. Immediately he was in trouble as his soul entered into confusion. His emotions, his appetites his own will all began to play a part in his decisions. Adam and Chava/Eve became in need of restoration of the soul:

 
Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
 

Sadly, Adam's children would not bear the image of YHWH, but instead of Adam.

 
Bereshith/Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that Elohim created man, He made him in the likeness of Elohim. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
 

And so mankind inherited a mixture. A mixture continues to be the inheritance for each of us. But the Creator had a plan for reintroducing holiness! Man fell in the beginning by not guarding YHWH's commandments. He will be restored by learning to obey. Torah commandments will become the door through which Israel will gain access to YHWH's holiness. Torah was a gift of grace.

 
But the command to be holy is more. It's also a promise, a guarantee. Remember when Moshe went up on Mt. Sinai and YHWH told him to tell all the Israelites this?
 
Shemot/Exodus 19:3 And Moshe went up to Elohim, and YHWH called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Ya'acov, and tell the children of Israel:... 6 'And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.
 

YHWH's intention was/is for ALL of Israel to be holy. For Israel to be a holy nation. A nation of unity and oneness. Well the sin of the golden calf occurred and Levitical priests were called out to teach the nation of their divine calling and their mission. But, originally all of Israel was called to be priests. A "kingdom of priests" is still the goal, it will just take a little longer. The commandments given in Kedoshim apply to all aspects of our lives - thoughts, words, and deeds. These commandments, if they can be purely implemented point to the future promise - that Israel will once again become a nation of priests and a holy nation:

 
1 Peter 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
 
Revelation 1:6 and has made us kings and priests to His Adonai and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
 
What part did Yeshua and the Renewed Covenant play in this restoration? Mr. Joe Snipes (http://gatestozion.net/torah) writes:
 
The word 'command' in Hebrew is, 'mitzvah', but it comes from the root word 'tzava' meaning 'to connect/join'. Thus, when a person does a 'mitzvah', their heart is being 'connected' to YHWH by their obedience. The Torah at this point in Yisrael's history was YHWH's means of entrance into the heart of His people.
 
...but the Torah had a 'weakness'. What was it? It's weakness was that it was PERFECT! It therein demanded 'perfect obedience' from those who sought to obey YHWH's commands. BUT...those who sought to follow YHWH's instructions WERE NOT PERFECT! ...The Torah could 'demand' perfect obedience, BUT it COULD NOT provide it! ... It could not 'give' the ability to DO what was instructed. It could only point out the infraction, and the result was condemnation.
 
Let me make this statement here. It wasn't that the Torah...could not be kept (see Devarim/Deuteronomy 30:11-14). The problem was one of 'continuity'. The obedience YHWH desired was 'continuous'. But the heart of man, which had been infected by sin, could not reach that level. When there was a breakdown, then the Torah prescribed the proper offering to be offered at the Tabernacle/Temple. The combination of a 'broken and contrite heart and spirit', along with the proper korban/offering provided 'atonement/covering', and forgiveness for the guilty party. But, the problem of the heart remained an issue.
 
This is where the final ReNewed Covenant comes in. YHWH through His Son, Yeshua HaMashiach, has cut a New Covenant with better promises. This covenant is a once and for all answer to the sin problem, and to the problem of man's heart. ...It was no longer necessary to offer over and over again the korban of animals, and their blood to merely 'cover/atone' for sins. The Korban of Yeshua's body was perfect....His blood not only 'atoned/covered' sin, it TOOK IT AWAY! It also went deep into the recesses of the human heart, into the spirit, and cleansed, wiped away, blotted out the condemnation on the conscience from the memory of the sins that had been committed.
 
Colossians 2:14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
 
...Also, the issue of 'obedience' was answered by this final Renewed Covenant. Under this covenant, YHWH not only STILL required obedience....HE PROVIDES THE POWER TO DO WHAT HE HAS ASKED!
 
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is Adonai who works in you both to will and to work according to His good pleasure.
 
Rav Sha'ul states emphatically that it is YHWH who not only gives the WILL to obey, He also provides the impetus to DO what He has asked. My part is simply to believe, yield (choose) and let His power carry me through to full obedience. If that is true, then who gets the glory? Not me. All I did was yield to His power at work in me. ALL THE GLORY IS YHWH'S! He provides the impetus when I choose His will. ...He provides the ability to work. He does it all. ALL THE GLORY IS HIS! ...We just simply CHOOSE, BELIEVE, and YIELD to the impetus of YHWH's Holy Spirit. He will do IN us, and THROUGH us ALL He has promised in Mashiach!
 
Yeshua was the perfect representation of how to keep the commandments from the heart. He is the door. Note His prayer to the Father as He drew near to the execution stake. He prays for the "unity" and "oneness" (no mixture) that will transform His people into a "holiness" not seen since the Garden of Eden:
 
John 17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
 
 
Ephesians 4:20 ... Messiah, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Yeshua: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to Adonai, in true righteousness and holiness.
 

This week, I'm sharing a youtube from an Israeli advocate using maps to detail the security threats facing Israel today. It may be something you can pass along -

 
A holocaust documentary on Henia Bryer can be found here - Henia Bryer
 
And one more thing - an amazing story reflecting our compassionate Elohim, sent by a friend in honor of Israel's Memorial Day - A tale of Two Mothers
 
 
 
Shabbat Shalom!

Ardelle