Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. The command addressed to the entire assembly of Israel — not only to the priests or the leaders but to every member of the covenant community. The standard is explicit: be holy because I am holy. The holiness of God is both the standard and the motivation for the community's holiness. 1 Peter 1:16 quotes this verse as the foundation for the New Covenant community's ethics. The holiness that is commanded is not primarily ritual purity but the comprehensive alignment of the community's life with the character of their God.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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