Leviticus 22 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“You are to keep My commands and do them; I am the L_rd. You must not profane My holy name; I must be treated as holy among the Israelites. I am the L_rd Who sets you apart, the One Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your G_d; I am the L_rd.” Leviticus 22:31-33

A few years ago, my wife and I were visiting New Orleans. I recall, looking in one of the T-shirt stores and spying a shirt with this logo: “Jesus is coming. Everybody look busy!” I know it seems funny…like the “Jesus is my homeboy” apparel. But it begs the question: How well do we rate, (as both individuals and our culture) when it comes to revering HaShem, the “NAME” of the Holy G_d of all creation?

Although spoken in reference to the priests as the appointed guardians of the Sanctuary, this commandment (both in its positive and negative forms) was applied to the whole of Israel. We should be exceedingly guarded in our actions, so that we do not tarnish, or degrade in any way, the Name of the L_rd.

In some of the rabbinic writings of Orthodox Judaism, the faithful observer is warned against any misdeeds against a non-Jew as an unpardonable sin, because it gives a false impression of the moral standard of Judaism. In short, a misdeed against anyone tarnishes G_d’s Name. The idea is that every Jew holds the honor of his G_d, his faith and of the entire Jewish community in his own hands.

God chose to LOVE us, through Messiah Yeshua, even while we were yet sinners. But His affiliation with us does not make Him any less Holy. His desire to be close to His created people only heightens our understanding of an aspect of His Holiness, and it causes us to worship Him with greater gratitude and respect.

Today, I don’t want to drone on & on. I simply want to ask you to consider the question: How well are you doing in 1) Regarding the L_rd as Holy, to the extent that it changes how you live according to His Word and 2) As a co-inheritor with Yeshua…how well are you representing the Family, the NAME you have inherited by virtue of Messiah’s atonement?

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Friday, May 2, 2014