And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” (vv.1-2)
The idea behind the word holy is “separate.” As it is applied to God, it describes God’s apartness. It means that God is different than man and from all others; different in His being, different in the greatness and majesty of His attributes. He has a righteousness unlike any other; a justice unlike any other; a purity unlike any other – and love, grace, and mercy unlike any other.
God is separate from man and from all creation. Yet because humans are made in the image of God, they can follow in His steps and also be holy. In this context, Israel was to be different; separate from the nations and the peoples around them. To be holy means to be more like God, our separation unto Him and His truth – and naturally, separating ourselves from those things that are not like Him and not according to His truth.
Man being made in the image of God is expected to reflect the divine likeness in a number of ways, including ethical standards like these - not stealing, cheating, defrauding, lying, judging falsely, cursing – just to mention a few listed in the chapter. To claim to be a Christian, is a claim to be Christ like. To be Christ like we cannot be unethical. We must hold ourselves to a higher standard and represent God and the truth concerning Him to all people.
The Truth: “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
