Page 18 - May 2026 - Truth & Tidings

" anctify yourselves therefore, and themselves. The word “sanctify” at the

start of verse 7 is the same as that at the
be ye holy: for I am the LORD your
SGod. And ye shall keep my statutes,
verse 7 is derived from it). So while, as
and do them: I am the LORD which sanc- end of verse 8 (and the word “holy” in
tify you” (Lev 20:7-8). 1 we shall see, God sanctifies His people,
it does not “just happen” automatically;
The Responsibility they have a responsibility to see to it
It is unlikely that the part of the Scrip- that they sanctify themselves, that they
tures in which these two verses are found are holy people. And that holiness is ex-
is a “favorite passage” of anyone reading pressed in guarding and doing what He
this magazine. In the two preceding chap- commands: “Ye shall keep my statutes,
ters (18 and 19) the Lord has instructed and do them” (v8).
His people against many vices, includ- The Reason
ing causing members of one’s family to
“pass through the fire to Molech” (18:21) The Lord uses the little word “for,”
and turning to “them that have familiar which introduces the reason why they are
spirits” (19:31). Now, at the beginning of to sanctify themselves. Twice He states
chapter 20, He states those corruptions that reason: “I am the LORD.” The One
again (Molech, vv2-5, and familiar spirits, giving them these solemn instructions is
v6), but this time He gives the punish- none other than “the LORD,” Jehovah, the
ments for such actions, and they are severe only true God, standing in total contrast
indeed: being put to death by people (v2) to false gods, like Molech, the worship
and being cut off by God (v6). of whom was so despicable, and the evil
Before going on to detail the penalties spirits involved in necromancy and other
for other evil deeds (vv9-27), the Lord detestable practices. A consciousness of
pauses, as it were, and, in the two verses who God is, including His uniqueness, His
quoted at the top of this article, empha- power and His holy character, provides an
sizes to His people the need for personal unanswerable reason to sanctify oneself,
sanctification: “Sanctify yourselves there- to be holy, to hold and to obey the teach-
fore.” The uncompromising instructions ings in His Word.
that God has just given and the sentences The Relationship
He has pronounced on the disobedient
show how serious a matter this is. His There is more: it is not just that it is
people have a responsibility to sanctify the LORD who is saying these things,
but those to whom He is speaking are in
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the relationship with Him. Twice in these two
KJV. verses He highlights that relationship:

146 TRUTH kTidings May 2026