The book of Exodus records God leading the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage and delivering the Old Law to them through Moses. The Law included many specific, detailed commands. An underlying theme at the root of these commands was God’s charge, “ye shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44; cf. Leviticus 11:45; 19:2; 20:7,26).
The Israelites were to enter a land in which they would be surrounded by nations that did not know God. As a “nation under God,” the Israelites were to be different. They were commanded to be “an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). This means they were to be set apart.
Soon after the Israelites entered Canaan, they forgot this responsibility. While the Israelites were generally obedient in the days of Joshua (Judges 2:7), the generation after this “knew not the Lord” (verse 10). They “forsook the Lord God” and “followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger” (verse 12). Instead of being holy, this generation of Israelites “fit in” with the world.
In response to this, God punished the Israelites (verses 14-15). Yet, He “raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them” (verse 16). Several judges were appointed over Israel, until the Israelites decided that having judges was not what seemed right in their eyes.
In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites told Samuel, “thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (verse 5).
Samuel pleaded with them to not go down this path, but the Israelites demanded a king. Why? Verse 20a: That we also may be like all the nations…
God’s “holy nation” today is the church (1 Peter 2:9). Instead of being “like all the nations,” the church is to be “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.”
Yet, just as many Israelites wanted to be like the people around them, so too do many who are part of Christ’s church.
It can be embarrassing to be different. It can make one wonder if he or she is “odd.” For these reasons or others, many seek to follow God, yet fit in with the world at the same time.
This does not work. If we obey God and feel “out of place” in this world, we should remember that this is how we are supposed to be.
God doesn’t want us to be like the majority. The majority is headed for destruction (Matthew 7:13), and fails to glorify God. There are “few” who are headed for eternal life (Matthew 7:14). If we are in the second group, we will not “fit in.” We will be viewed as strange. This is how we should be.
This does not mean that to be pleasing to God, we should purposefully stand for the opposite of all that the majority stands for. Choosing hamburger over steak because the majority chooses steak does not make one holy. What does make one holy is submitting to God’s will.
Few people the Israelites came in contact with obeyed God. If the Israelites obeyed, their lives would be different.
So it is today. If we choose to obey God, our purpose for living will be different. The things we do with our time will be different. Our character will be different. Our conduct will be different. Our speech will be different. Our thoughts will be different.
For those who are not Christians, may you choose to become one and receive the life Christ offers. For those who are, may we not strive to be “like all the nations,” but instead let God transform us. The Israelites’ charge to be holy applies to us today: 1 Peter 1:15-16: But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, ‘Be ye holy; for I am holy.’
– Michael Hickox