“You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” (Leviticus 20:26, New International Version)
As we journey deeper into the book of Leviticus, chapter 20 firmly reminds us of God’s unwavering call to holiness. It confronts us with difficult passages detailing severe penalties for sins such as idolatry, child sacrifice, sexual immorality, and spiritual prostitution. To our modern ears, the specificity and severity of these commandments can seem harsh and perplexing. Yet, it’s crucial to understand why God spoke these words to ancient Israel: His people were surrounded by nations steeped in debasing rituals, pagan worship, and destructive practices, such as child sacrifice to the god Molech (Leviticus 20:1–5). Archaeological excavations around the region—Canaanite ritual altars, burnt child remains, and carved idols such as the ones found at sites like Gezer—confirm how tragically real these commands were.
God was not arbitrarily harsh—He was fiercely protective, because the Israelites belonged not to gods of wood or stone, but to the living God who is holy, pure, and full of life. His people were called not simply to avoid evil, but to become a vibrant and living contrast to the darkness around them. As scholar Walter Kaiser expressed, this chapter is a passionate cry from God’s heart, calling His community to passionately embody the holiness of the divine character.
Cross-reference: Deuteronomy 18:9–12 vividly portrays similar warnings against the spiritual traditions the Israelites would face among neighboring peoples.
A powerful theme emerges when approaching this chapter with maturity and spiritual sensitivity: holiness is not merely a private matter, but a community responsibility. God expected His people collectively to maintain purity, justice, and love within their community. Acts that violated this communal holiness—specifically forbidden immoral behaviors—were considered threats not only to individual well-being but also to the community’s covenantal relationship with God. This explains the communal involvement in the chapter’s penalty enforcement, a practice that seems extreme today, but underscores the gravity of sin and the urgency of purity in God’s household.
This concept reaches us today, reminding us that as the body of Christ, we share responsibility not only for our private spiritual lives but also for one another. Paul echoes this communal aspect passionately when addressing the Corinthian church over a serious issue of immorality: “Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?” (1 Corinthians 5:6, New International Version)
Historical Insights: Augustine examines ethics in communal terms in his work, City of God, noting the interconnectedness of personal holiness and the welfare of the larger community.
In Leviticus 20:26, the Hebrew verb badal (“to set apart, to separate”) emphasizes the distinct identity God imparted upon His people. This very word is employed in Genesis 1—when God separated light from dark (Genesis 1:4), land from sea—picturing holiness as divinely ordered distinction. Similarly, the believer’s life is intended as a distinct, ordered reflection of God’s nature—Christians to shine as lights distinctly set apart from darkness (Matthew 5:14–16).
Thus, holiness in Leviticus is not simply “keeping rules,” but living in joyful alignment with God’s moral and spiritual order, which ultimately promotes life, peace, and human flourishing. It challenges us towards discernment; recognizing and living out this separation under God’s loving directive.
Leviticus 20 reminds us how vastly we fall short of the perfect standard of holiness defined by God. Amid stern warnings, there’s also tenderness: God desires intimately to reconcile humanity to Himself. Ultimately, these stern requirements drive us toward Christ—our holiness, our sanctification, our redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Consider the Apostle Peter’s connection to Levitical holiness, underscoring our new identity in Christ:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…” (1 Peter 2:9, New International Version).
In Christ, we find forgiveness for failure, strength for obedience, and genuine power to live distinctively as those God calls His own.
Reflect upon the call to holiness through meditation on the hymn, “Take Time to Be Holy”:
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word;
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
Heavenly Father,
By your grace, set us apart as your own—not in pride or isolation, but
in humble distinction to reflect your holiness and love. Forgive us when
we fail, and empower us to live lives of discernment, mercy, and
conviction, bringing glory and honor to Christ Jesus, in whose name we
pray. Amen.