Holiness in the Old Testament

Throughout the Old Testament, the subject of holiness is clearly taught and can be readily seen in many different ways. God commanded Israel to “sanctify themselves,” abstaining for those actions similar to other nations, for the purpose of allowing them to experience his presence and enjoy his protection (Leviticus 11:44-45). Furthermore, various individuals in the Old Testament adhered to God’s edict to be righteous and holy. The Bible states that Daniel served him continually and faithfully, not buckling in pressuring situations, while Joseph remained true to his Creator by not compromising in a vulnerable position. The reason for the separating of Israel from the other nations and for virtuous men living uprightly was so that they would please God well and be found faultless in his eyes. Therefore, since the Old Testament conspicuously conveys the principle of holiness, modern-day Christians ought to reexamine these truths, carefully consider their findings, and sincerely apply them to their lives.
Holiness in a Person
            Although many men in the Old Testament lived godly and righteously, Job distinguished himself from the others by living a life of near perfection, complete dedication, and total reverence. The book bearing his name paints him as being “perfect and upright” (Job 1:1). The word perfect in the Hebrew gives the idea of a person being complete and entire, not lacking any necessary ingredient (Huffman, 1914), while upright has the connotation of one’s being just and righteous (Strong, 1940). Thus, Job behaved himself in a manner which garnered attention and treated his neighbors with absolute fairness and equity. Furthermore, the Bible asserts that Job exhibited much veneration for his God and feared him tremendously. He was not afraid of God; rather, he had reverence and respect for him. In his classic work Holiness, J. C. Ryle wrote, “A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all duties and relations in life” (p. 32). Job daily and continually offered sacrifices to the Lord in the morning, prior to the labors of the day, not allowing any pressing matter to deter his worship (Huffman, 1914). Also, he effectively eschewed evil and displayed an impressive amount of discipline in his ability to abstain. Not only did he abhor the thought of succumbing to sin, but he successfully lived without any marks on his record (Henry, 1961).  If the Church would re-investigate this holy character, she would see the need to be spiritually perfect, to worship incessantly, and to wholly abstain from the things of this world.  
Holiness in a Place
            Moreover, the observant Christian reading the Old Testament should be able to discover holiness deeply embedded within that precise structure designated for worship; namely, the Tabernacle. Importantly, there was only one place where the Israelites could offer a sacrifice to the Lord: the brazen altar near the entrance of the Tabernacle. M.R. DeHaan spelled the obvious comparison, “There is still only one way to God, only one place where God will meet with the sinner” (p. 30). Regardless of how one may attempt to earn access onto the Christian journey, he must eventually humble himself, admit that he cannot cover his transgressions, and allow Jesus’ precious blood to wash his sins away. Furthermore, when the priests clothed themselves with their hieratic garments, they were not wearing sloppy outfits. Rather, they donned the finest vestments possible, each piece having a preconceived function and consisting of the optimum options (Slemming, 1955). After offering his sacrifice at the brazen altar, the priest would go to the laver to inspect his garment. If he noticed any impurity, he removed it with the water in the laver, which prepared him for service in the Tabernacle (DeHaan, 1955). If Christians would cleanse their garments before embarking upon a lifetime of service, God would reward their diligent efforts by bestowing his great blessings upon them.
References
DeHaan, M. R. (1955). The Tabernacle. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.
Henry, Matthew (1961). Commentary on the Whole Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.
Huffman, Jasper (1914). Job: A World Example. Winona Lake, Indiana: The Standard Press.
Ryle, J.C. (2012). Holiness. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Slemming, Charles (1955). These Are the Garments. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press.

Strong, James (1940). Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers.

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