“Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19:2
I’ll be honest, when I first opened Leviticus, I didn’t expect to stay here this long. It’s one of those books some of us skim read, full of rituals, laws, and details that feel far removed from the world we live in today. But here I am, still in Leviticus, and I’m starting to realise that God has kept me here for a reason.

He’s showing me that every word, every instruction, every sacrifice points to Jesus. The more I sit with these ancient commands, the more I see the shadows of the cross woven through them. And I’m learning that to fully understand what Jesus did for us, to feel the weight of His sacrifice and the depth of His love, I need to look back. Back to the laws, back to the rituals, back to the holiness God called His people to embody.

This isn’t just dusty history; it’s a window into the heart of God and a mirror reflecting what it means to follow Him today.

The Call to Holiness: Then and Now

In Leviticus 19, God’s repeated refrain is: “I am the LORD your God.” These aren’t just words; they’re the foundation of everything that follows. Holiness isn’t about ticking off a spiritual to-do list, it’s about who God is and who we are in Him.

The Israelites weren’t called to holiness because they had it all together. They were called because they belonged to a holy God. And this call wasn’t just about their personal behaviour, it was about how they lived together as a people set apart.

Holiness is a Community Pursuit

God didn’t just instruct the Israelites on how to worship; He instructed them on how to live. Holiness wasn’t confined to the tabernacle, it spilled out into their fields, homes, businesses, and relationships.

• In Love: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD.” (v. 18)
• In Justice: “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favouritism to the great but judge your neighbour fairly.” (v. 15)
• In Honesty: “Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” (v. 11)
• In Compassion: “Do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.” (v. 9-10)

Holiness wasn’t about looking spiritual; it was about living differently. It was about creating a community that reflected God’s character in every interaction, every decision, and every corner of life.

And as I sit with these words, I can’t help but see Jesus shining through every one of them.

Seeing Jesus in the Shadows

The laws about justice? Jesus fulfilled them perfectly when He welcomed the outcasts and defended the vulnerable.

The laws about compassion? Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, and restored the broken.

The laws about sacrifice? Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb without blemish, who bore the weight of our sin so we could be made holy.

Every instruction in Leviticus whispers His name. Every sacrifice foreshadows the cross. And every call to holiness reminds me of the price He paid so that we could be set apart.

Holiness in Today’s World

We might not be wandering in the wilderness or surrounded by Canaanite idols, but we’re still living in a world full of distractions and compromises. The call to holiness hasn’t changed: “Be holy because I am holy.”

But holiness isn’t about retreating from the world, it’s about shining in it. It’s about living with love, integrity, and compassion in a way that points others to the One who changed everything.

• Do our words build up or tear down?
• Do our actions reflect justice and kindness?
• Do our communities welcome the broken, the weary, and the overlooked?

An Invitation to Reflect

I don’t think God is done with me in Leviticus just yet. There’s still more He wants to show me, more shadows of Jesus waiting to be uncovered. But one thing is clear: holiness isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.

It’s about letting God shape us, refine us, and use us to create communities that reflect His nature.

So, let’s lean into this calling, not out of fear or duty, but out of love. Not in our own strength, but in His. Let’s allow our homes, our churches, and our lives to become living testimonies to the One who says, “I am the LORD your God.”

Rooted in Grace, Unshaken by Trials,