This chapter begins with these words, “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.’” God gave ALL His people detailed commandments for every area of their life so they could “reflect God’s holy character” before others. This “holiness of life” would be the proof of the reality of their professed faith in God; it would be the “evidence of divine life in them.” In the book of James, we read that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26) and thus James too was occupied with one’s “profession of faith” and how the true believer should be able to “show their faith by works” (2:18).

Sandwiched between all these commandments in this chapter are the words, “You shall KEEP My statutes” (verse 19) and then the chapter ends with these words, “Therefore you shall OBSERVE all My statutes and all My judgments, and PERFORM them: I am the LORD” (verse 37). The words KEEP, OBSERVE, and PERFORM are action words which emphasize the need to be “DOERS of the Word” and not just “HEARERS of the Word” (please read James 1:22-25).

Now let’s read verse 27, “You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard.” This was obviously directed towards the “MEN of Israel.”  Why would God be concerned about a man’s beard and how it looked? I believe this is referring to “pagan customs” where men would seek to honor their “false gods” by shaving their beards in this way. The next verse speaks of another pagan custom that was performed by ungodly men worshipping false gods: “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.” These “acts of pagan worship” in these two verses are seen together later in Leviticus 21:5 which reads, “They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh.” That verse was especially addressed to the PRIESTS (verse 1). In my “What the Bible Teaches Commentary” the author says this: “The priests, who were undoubtedly a privileged class, would not be permitted a lower standard of holiness than the rank and file.”

What’s the lesson for us today as believers in Christ? We exhorted in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, HOLY, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” God expects us to BE HOLY just as He expected believers in Old Testament times to BE HOLY! He has made known to us His perfect will in His Word (just as He did for believers then) and if we KEEP, OBSERVE, and PERFORM His words to us we will “not be conformed to this world.” The unbelieving world wants us to “BE LIKE THEM, which is UNHOLY.” They want us to look like them, dress like them, speak like them, and act like them. One brother said, “They want to SQUEEZE US INTO THEIR MOLD.” God wants us to be “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29 with 2 Corinthians 3:18). Which will it be for you, dear fellow-believer?  (DO)  (681.3)