You shall be Holy

Malcolm Baker delves into Scripture to understand the true meaning of holiness

“You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine” (Leviticus 20:26). This verse from Leviticus explains that to be holy, one is not necessarily morally pure, as many suppose. Scripture shows that God sometimes required the prophets to act beyond or even contrary to the Law. Elijah was required to eat unclean food (1 Kings 17:2-6); Hosea to marry an adulteress (Hosea 1: 2-3; 3:1); and Isaiah to appear naked in public for three years (Isaiah 20: 2-4). Holiness is that one is separated from all other peoples, by the Lord, to the Lord. We are His possession.