Week 7: The God Who Sanctifies His People
The Lord has led his people out of the land of Egypt and out of the bondage of slavery. Now he must teach them how to live as his holy people. The Lord set his love upon the nation of Israel. As his chosen people, they are to live differently than the other nations.
As the Lord provides instructions for his tabernacle, the priests, and the sacrificial system, the people will see that there is a cost to holiness. Sin requires costly atonement. If the Lord will come and dwell among his people, they must be prepared. Throughout these chapters, we will learn about the specificity of that preparation and the intentionality of living a holy life.
A holy lifestyle must affect every aspect of their lives – their worship, their diet, their laws, their relationships. The Apostle Peter writes: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Just as the nation of Israel was called to live as the Lord’s set apart nation, so we as followers of Christ today are called to live holy lives that reflect the glory of God to the world.