Distinquished

Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
March 26, 2011

Leviticus 11:44-47, “For I am ADONAI your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; and do not defile yourselves with any kind of swarming creature that moves along the ground. 45 For I am ADONAI, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore you are to be holy, because I am holy. 46 "'Such, then, is the law concerning animals, flying creatures, all living creatures that move about in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground. 47 Its purpose is to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.”

How is one distinguished? We are to be holy, set apart, separate, or other. The Hebrew word used for holy is ‘kadosh’. Our distinction as His begins with what He has done for us rather than what we might be doing for Him. Notice the Scripture says, “be holy, for I am holy.” We respond to His Holiness rather than striving for it.

1 John 4:19, “We ourselves love now because he loved us first.”

The L-rd has already made us holy and our being distinguished or set apart; indeed holy, has to do with aligning ourselves with what He has already done. See 1 Corinthians 5:7.

Our tendency is to turn our obedience into legalism without grace which results in our failing miserably and being phony living a world of contradictions. How do we avoid this trap? Be balanced in obedience, grace and love!

Hosea 11:1-4, “"When Isra'el was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 But the more [the prophets] called them, the farther they went from them. They sacrificed to the ba'alim and offered incense to idols. 3 "Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk; I took them by their arms. But they did not know that it was I who was healing them, 4 who was guiding them on through human means with reins made of love. With them I was like someone removing the yoke from their jaws, and I bent down to feed them.”

We are holy, so be holy and don’t be ashamed to stand out, to be separate for G-d’s use and to be unique. We are to be distinguished! See Leviticus 11:46-47.

The L-rd distinguished between the clean and the unclean; specifically, the mammals, birds, grasshoppers and locusts, and fish. The Hebrew word used is ‘badal’ which means to divide, separate and set apart. A derivation of ‘badal’, Havdalah, is used to close out the Shabbat, distinguishing it from the rest of the week.

Being distinguished as His begins with what is permitted as food but goes beyond encompassing both spiritual and physical application. We are to avoid what pollutes us physically and spiritually because we love G-d!

Why not limit ourselves for our Master’s sake and choose to be self-sacrificing for the purpose of His training? When we submit to G-d’s provision, our character is cultivated.

What contaminates us?

James 3:6, “Yes, the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is so placed in our body that it defiles every part of it, setting ablaze the whole of our life; and it is set on fire by Gei-Hinnom itself.”

Similarly, alcohol, drugs and smoking can be defiling. What do we have an appetite for that properly satisfied, nourishes us, and improperly, contaminates us? Is it movies, music, knowledge, friends, possessions, idle talk and gossip?

We so desperately need discernment, discrimination in order to distinguish ourselves.

James 3:13-18, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him demonstrate it by his good way of life, by actions done in the humility that grows out of wisdom. 14 But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don't boast and attack the truth with lies! 15 This wisdom is not the kind that comes down from above; on the contrary, it is worldly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there will be disharmony and every foul practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, kind, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 And peacemakers who sow seed in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

What else will defile us?

Familiarity!

1 Corinthians 8:2-3, “The person who thinks he "knows" something doesn't yet know in the way he ought to know. 3 However, if someone loves God, God knows him.”

Familiarity can blunt our ability to learn afresh, to believe, to be healed and to see things from G-d’s point of view.

Mark 6:3-6, “Isn't he just the carpenter? the son of Miryam? the brother of Ya`akov and Yosi and Y'hudah and Shim`on? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 But Yeshua said to them. "The only place people don't respect a prophet is in his home town, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 So he could do no miracles there, other than lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of trust. Then he went through the surrounding towns and villages, teaching.”
Being distinguished as holy includes being healthy spiritually as well as physically and being able to discern between what is clean and unclean.

Further Reading: Leviticus 11:1-7, 9-10, Proverbs 2:1-5, 10-13, Job 12:10-11, Philippians 1-9-11, 2 Timothy 2:14-17, 20-21, 1 Corinthians 5, Song of Songs 1:4, Genesis 1:14,19, 1 Samuel 20:23, 2 Corinthians 5:16, 1 John 1:17.