The Holiness Code refers to a collection of laws found in Leviticus chapters 17-26, which emphasizes the importance of living a life set apart for God through ethical behavior, ritual purity, and sacred practices. It calls for the Israelites to be holy as God is holy, establishing guidelines for worship, social justice, and personal conduct.
Scripture
7 So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.
2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, This is the thing that the Lord has commanded.
3 Any one of the house of Israel who kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp,
4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people.
5 To the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord.
6 And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
7 So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.
8 And you shall say to them, Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice
9 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people.
10 And any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them who eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.
13 “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth.
14 For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life.
15 And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean.
16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity.”
Understanding the Holiness Code in the Bible
The Holiness Code, articulated primarily in Leviticus chapters 17-26, embodies a comprehensive set of laws that define a lifestyle aligning with God’s character and expectations. The core commandment, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2), serves as a foundational principle for the Israelite community. This directive goes beyond mere ritual observance; it encapsulates ethical conduct, social justice, and proper worship, reflecting a broader vision of what it means to live in a covenant relationship with God. Adherence to the Holiness Code facilitates a communal identity marked by reverence, ethical responsibility, and awareness of one’s actions and their implications for both society and spirituality.
Parallel to the emphasis on holiness, the code’s regulations on dietary laws, sexual ethics, and social justice underscore a comprehensive framework for living that impacts every facet of an Israelite’s life. For instance, Leviticus 19:15 states, “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” Such injunctions reveal that holiness includes concern for fairness and equity in human relationships. The Holiness Code presents an integrated approach, urging the people of Israel to foster a society characterized by justice, integrity, and devotion, illustrating that true holiness is not isolation from worldly affairs but engagement with them in a manner that reflects God’s glory and righteousness.
The Holiness Code, while focusing on individual and communal conduct, also emphasizes the importance of moral integrity and the enhancement of interpersonal relationships within the community. This prescriptiveness includes laws that govern restitution and forgiveness, echoing the notion that a holy life is intertwined with the consequences of one’s actions toward others. By mandating that individuals repay others for wrongs committed and seek reconciliation when conflicts arise, the code embodies God’s concern for harmonious relationships. Furthermore, the stipulations concerning the treatment of the marginalized, including the foreigner and the orphan, reinforce the ethical dimension of holiness, showcasing a society committed to social equity and compassion.
In addition to ethical imperatives, the Holiness Code outlines specific rituals and practices that draw the community closer to God. Observances such as the Sabbath and annual festivals are integral to the fabric of Israelite spirituality. They serve not only as reminders of the covenant but also as opportunities for spiritual renewal and communal celebration. By engaging in these practices, the Israelites reinforce their identity as a holy people, set apart for God. Thus, the Holiness Code delineates a dual path: one that seeks personal sanctification and community welfare through social justice while remaining fervently devoted to God through worship and ritual observance. Overall, it reflects a holistic understanding of holiness that deeply influences the daily lives and spiritual existence of the Israelite people.
The Call to Ethical Living
The Holiness Code emphasizes the importance of ethical behavior among the community of believers. It serves as a guide for how individuals should conduct themselves in their relationships with one another, promoting justice, fairness, and compassion. This ethical framework encourages a lifestyle that reflects the character of God, urging followers to embody holiness in their daily interactions and decisions.
The Distinction of God’s People
Another significant aspect of the Holiness Code is its role in establishing the identity of the Israelites as a distinct people set apart for God. By adhering to these laws and practices, the community demonstrates their commitment to God’s covenant and their unique status among the nations. This distinction fosters a sense of belonging and purpose, reinforcing the idea that holiness is not just a personal attribute but a communal responsibility.
The Relationship Between Holiness and Worship
The Holiness Code also highlights the connection between holiness and worship. It underscores that proper worship of God is intrinsically linked to living a holy life. The guidelines provided in the code serve to prepare the people for worship, ensuring that their actions align with their devotion to God. This relationship illustrates that true worship is not merely ritualistic but is deeply rooted in ethical conduct and a commitment to living in accordance with God’s standards.
How to Embrace Sacred Living as a Better Christian
Embracing sacred living as a better Christian is about weaving your faith into the very fabric of your daily life, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Start by cultivating a heart of gratitude; take time each day to reflect on the blessings around you, no matter how small, and offer thanks to God. This practice not only deepens your relationship with Him but also shifts your perspective, allowing you to see His presence in every moment. Engage in acts of kindness and service, as Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves; these actions not only reflect His love but also create a ripple effect of positivity in your community. Make prayer a cornerstone of your day, inviting God into your decisions and interactions, and seek to align your choices with His will. Remember, sacred living is not about perfection but about intention—strive to live authentically, allowing your faith to guide you in every thought, word, and deed. In doing so, you’ll find that your life becomes a testament to His grace and love, inspiring others to seek the same path.
Bible References to the Holiness Code:
Leviticus 18:1-30: 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God.
3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.
4 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.
5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.
6 “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord.
7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.
9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.
10 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness.
11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister.
12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relative.
13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relative.
14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.
15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity.
18 And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
19 “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.”
20 And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her.
21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
23 And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.
24 “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean,
25 And the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
26 But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.
27 (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean),
28 so that the land will not vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
29 For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people.
30 So you shall keep my charge by not doing any of the abominable customs that were done before you, and by not defiling yourselves with them: I am the Lord your God.”
Leviticus 19:1-37: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.
5 “When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.
6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned with fire.
7 You shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
8 You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes.
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest.
10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.”
12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.”
14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”
16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
19 “You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material.
20 “If a man lies with a woman who is a slave, assigned to another man and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, a distinction shall be made. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free;
21 But if the man is poor and cannot afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil;
22 And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for his sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven for the sin that he has committed.
23 “When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten.”
24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord.
25 And in the fifth year you shall eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the Lord your God.
26 “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes.
27 You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.
28 You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.
29 “Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into prostitution and the land become full of depravity.
30 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
31 “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.
32 “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
35 You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity.
36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 You shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the Lord.”
Leviticus 20:1-27: 2 “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.
2 “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.
3 I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name.
4 If the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death,
5 then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech.
6 “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
9 For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.
10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them.
13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
14 If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you.
15 If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal.
16 If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
17 “If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, and he shall bear his iniquity.
18 If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and uncovers her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood.
19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister or of your father’s sister, for that is to make naked one’s relative; they shall bear their iniquity.
20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness; they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
21 If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.
22 You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.
23 And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them.
24 But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
25 You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the unclean bird from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean.
26 You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
27 “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.”
Leviticus 21:1-24: 1 And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people,
2 except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother,
3 And for his virgin sister, who is near to him because she has had no husband, he may make himself unclean.
4 He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself.
5 They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their body.
6 They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the Lord’s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
7 They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
8 You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the Lord, who sanctify you, am holy.
9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
10 “The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes.
11 He shall not go in to any dead bodies nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother.
12 He shall not go out of the sanctuary, lest he profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am the Lord.
13 He shall take a wife in her virginity.
14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people,
15 And he shall not profane his offspring among his people, for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.”
16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
17 Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God.
18 For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long,
19 or a man who has a broken foot or a broken hand
20 or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles.
21 No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the Lord’s food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
22 He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things,
23 but he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”
24 So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel.
Leviticus 22:1-33: 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the Lord.
3 Say to them, ‘If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the Lord.
4 None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a discharge may eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is unclean through contact with the dead or a man who has had an emission of semen,
5 or from a stranger’s hand you shall not offer the bread of your God of any of these, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them; they shall not be accepted for you.”
6 The person who touches such a thing shall be unclean until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water.
7 When the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food.
8 He shall not eat what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, and so make himself unclean by it: I am the Lord.
9 They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: I am the Lord who sanctifies them.
10 A lay person shall not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker shall eat of a holy thing.
11 but if a priest buys a slave as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food.
12 If a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy things.
13 But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; yet no lay person shall eat of it.
14 And if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he shall add the fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest.
15 They shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to the Lord,
16 and so cause them to bear iniquity and guilt, by eating their holy things: for I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”
17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
18 Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel presents a burnt offering as his offering, for any of their vows or freewill offerings that they offer to the Lord,
19 you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats.
20 You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.
21 And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.
22 Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the Lord or give them to the Lord as a food offering on the altar.
23 You may not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.
24 You shall not offer to the Lord anything that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut. You shall not do it.
25 Neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. There is a blemish in them, because of their corruption: they shall not be accepted for you.”
26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
27 “When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as a food offering to the Lord.
28 But you shall not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day.
29 “When you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it in a way that you may be accepted.
30 So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the Lord.
31 So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the Lord.
32 And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord.”
Leviticus 23:1-44: 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.
4 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.
5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord’s Passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.
8 But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.”
11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord.
13 And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.
14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
15 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering.”
16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord.
17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord.
18 And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
19 You shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings.
20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.
21 And you shall make proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.
22 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”
23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.”
25 You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning.
26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
27 “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the Lord.
28 And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.
29 For whoever does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
30 And whoever does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
31 You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.
32 It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”
33 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
34 Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord.
35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.
36 For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.
37 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day,
38 besides the Lord’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.
39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.
40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.
41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths,
43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
44 Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.
Leviticus 24:1-23: 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly.
3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
4 He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.
5 “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf.”
6 And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the Lord.
7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord.
8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever.
9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the Lord’s food offerings, a perpetual due.”
10 Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp,
11 The Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be clear to them.
13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
14 “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.
16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.
18 Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life.
19 If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him,
20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has injured someone, so it shall be done to him.
21 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death.
22 You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.”
23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Leviticus 25:1-55: 8 “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years.
2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord.
3 For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits,
4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord.
5 You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land.
6 The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired worker and the sojourner who lives with you,
7 And for your livestock also, and for the wild animals in your land, all its yield shall be for food.
8 “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years.
9 Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land.
10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan.
11 That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines.
12 For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field.
13 “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property.
14 And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another.
15 You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops.
16 According to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years for crops he shall sell to you.
17 You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God.
18 “Therefore you shall do my statutes and keep my rules and perform them, and then you will dwell in the land securely.”
19 Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely.
20 And if you say, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?’
21 then I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years.
22 And you shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield,
23 “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.
24 And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land.
25 If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.
26 If a man has no one to redeem it and then himself becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it,
27 then let him calculate the years since he sold it and pay back the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and then return to his property.
28 But if he has not sufficient means to recover it, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of the buyer until the year of jubilee.
29 “If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, he may redeem it within a year of its sale. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption.
30 If it is not redeemed within a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong in perpetuity to the buyer, throughout his generations; it shall not be released in the jubilee.
31 But the houses of the villages that have no wall around them shall be classified with the fields of the land. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the jubilee.
32 As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem at any time the houses in the cities they possess.
33 What if he is not redeemed in these years and he does not obtain his freedom in the Jubilee year, then he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee.
34 But the field of the pastureland of their cities may not be sold, for it is their possession forever.
35 “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.
36 Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.
37 You shall not give him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.
38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
39 “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave.
40 They shall be with you as hired workers and sojourners. They shall serve you until the year of the jubilee.
41 then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers.
42 For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.
43 You shall not rule over him ruthlessly but shall fear your God.
44 As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you.
45 You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property.
46 You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.
47 “If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger’s clan,
48 then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him,
49 or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him or, if he grows rich, he may redeem himself.
50 He shall calculate with his buyer from the year when he sold himself to him until the year of jubilee, and the price of his sale shall vary with the number of years.
51 If there are still many years left, he shall pay proportionately for his redemption some of his sale price.
52 If there remain but a few years until the year of jubilee, he shall calculate and pay for his redemption in proportion to his years.
53 He shall be with him as a yearly hired worker, and he shall not rule ruthlessly over him in your sight.
54 And if he is not redeemed by these means, then he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee.
55 For it is to me that the people of Israel are servants. They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 26:1-46: 1 “You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.”
2 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them,”
4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.
6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.
7 You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
9 I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you.
10 You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new.
11 I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you.
12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.
13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
14 “But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments,
15 if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant,
16 then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
17 I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you.
18 And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins,
19 and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.
20 Then your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.
21 “Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins.”
22 And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.
23 “And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me,
24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins.
25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
26 When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.
27 “But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me,”
28 then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins.
29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.
30 And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you.
31 And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas.
32 And I will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it.
33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
34 “Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths.”
35 All the days that the land lies desolate, the land will enjoy its Sabbath rest, to make up for the time it did not rest during the Sabbaths you lived in it.
36 And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues.
37 They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.
38 And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
39 And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies’ lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them.
40 “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me,
41 so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity,
42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac, and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.
43 But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes.
44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God.
45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.”
46 These are the statutes and rules and laws that the Lord made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.
Leviticus 27:1-34: 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the Lord involving the valuation of persons,”
3 then the valuation shall be made by the priest, according to the ability of the one who vowed to make it.
4 But if the vow is an oath to the Lord, then all of its valuation shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
5 If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, the valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
6 And if the person is from a month old up to five years old, the valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female the valuation shall be three shekels of silver.
7 If the person is sixty years old or older, then your valuation for a male shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.
8 But if he is too poor to pay the valuation, then he shall be made to stand before the priest, and the priest shall value him; the priest shall value him according to what the vower can afford.
9 “If the vow is an animal that may be offered as an offering to the Lord, all of it that he gives to the Lord is holy.
10 He shall not exchange it or make a substitute for it, good for bad, or bad for good; and if he does in fact substitute one animal for another, then both the original animal and its substitute shall be holy.
11 If the vow is an animal that may be offered as an offering to the Lord, all of it that he gives to the Lord is holy.
12 the priest shall set a value for it, whether it is good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be.
13 But if he wishes to redeem it, he shall add a fifth to the valuation.
14 “When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the Lord, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand.
15 If the one who dedicates his house to the Lord wishes to redeem it, he shall add a fifth to the valuation price, and it shall be his.
16 “If a man dedicates to the Lord part of the land that is his possession, then the valuation shall be in proportion to its seed. A homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.”
17 If he dedicates his field from the year of jubilee, the valuation shall stand.
18 But if he dedicates his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall calculate the price according to the years that remain until the year of jubilee, and a deduction shall be made from the valuation.
19 And if the one who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, then they shall add a fifth to its valuation price, and it shall remain his.
20 And if he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed anymore.
21 But the field, when it is released in the jubilee, shall be a holy gift to the Lord, like a field that has been devoted. The priest shall be in possession of it.
22 And if he dedicates to the Lord a field that he has bought, which is not a part of his possession,
23 “Then the priest shall calculate the amount of the valuation for it up to the year of jubilee, and the man shall give the valuation on that day as a holy gift to the Lord.”
24 In the year of jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was bought, to whom the land belongs as a possession.
25 Every valuation shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall make a shekel.
26 “But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the Lord, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the Lord’s.”
27 But if it is among the unclean animals, then he shall redeem it according to the valuation and add a fifth to it; and if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold according to the valuation.
28 “But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the Lord, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord.
29 No one devoted, who is to be devoted for destruction from mankind, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.
30 Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.
31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it.
32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord.
33 “He shall not differentiate between good and bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
34 These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.