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A pillar of Old Testament economics (the allocation of resources given by God to Moses for Israel) was the concept of a holy part.
Across many spheres of life, there was defined a holy part….sometimes by order, sometimes by type and sometimes by percentage.
To give some examples:
- one of the days of the week (about 14%) was holy and belonged to God (??? ??????? ???….?? ? ??????? ?? ??? ????, ??? 23 ? 3)
- one of the 12 tribes (the Levites, about 8%) was holy and belonged to God (??? ??????? ??? ?? ?? ????. ? ?? ??? ????, ??? 3 ? 45)
- some animals were holy (clean) and could be consumed as food (??? ???? ????????? ???? ? ??????????? ??????? ????? ??? ??????? ???????, ??? 20 ? 25)
- part of the skin of a man (circumcision) was to be removed (You are to undergo circumcision, Gen 17 v 11)
- one of all offspring (the firstborn male) was holy and belonged to God (??? ????? ????????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????????? ??????? ?? ??, ??????? ????? ?? ??????, ?? 13 ? 2)
- a tenth of all produce (10%) was holy and belonged to God (? ????? ?? ?????????? ???? ??? ????, ??????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ??? ?????, ??????? ?? ??? ????; ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????, ??? 27 ? 30)
- one nation on earth was holy (Israel) and belonged to God (??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ? ??????? ?? ??????? ??? ? ???? ??????, ?? 19 ? 6)
- one part of the earth (the promised land) was holy (??? ?? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ????, ?? 78 ? 54)
- one part of the temple (the Most Holy Place) was holy (??? ??????? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?????, ?? 26 ? 33)
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We know that everything in the Old Testament was a shadow of the New and a symbol of an aspect of the Kingdom of God.
So what is the meaning of a holy part belonging to God?
I believe it was a reminder to the Israelites that God was not one of them and He was not like them.
So in any aspect of their lives….if they wanted to be like God…..a separation was required.
It was to reinforce the truth seen by Balaam, “??? ?? ??? ? ???, ???? ?? ?????? ???, ??? ? ??? ?? ???, ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ??? ????. ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ???????” (??????? 23 ? 19)
Or as Jesus said to the man who called him good, “??? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?????”….?? ??? ?? ????, ?????? ??? ?????” (???? 10 ? 18).
And so Israel had a system to remind them.
And it was the responsibility of the priests in Israel (the descendants of Aaron) to teach this: “??? ???? ??????????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??????, ??????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??????????” (??? 10 ? 9)
This was not a classification for eternity, but a symbol to reinforce the concept of separation.
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So how does this apply in the New Covenant? Is there a holy part? If so, how do we recognise it or calculate it?
The clue is found, like for so many aspects of the New Covenant, in the prophetic passages of Jeremiah 31 v 33 – 34 and Ezekiel 36 v 26 – 27.
In the latter God says, “? ???? ???? ??? ? ??? ????? ??? ??? ? ??? ?????? ?? ???; ? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ? ????? ?? ?????. ??? ? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ????.” (?? 36 ? 26 – 27).
In this passage God tells us how what is holy will come about in the New Covenant….by Him putting His nature in the heart of a man by His Spirit.
In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus calls this New Birth when he says, “? ???? ??? ??? ?????, ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?????.” (???? 3 ? 3)
This introduces a new thinking on percentages….there is no 10% or 8% or 14%…..it is 0% or 100%.
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Jesus defines New Covenant percentages in this way: “????? ????? ????? ?? ????? (0%), ??? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ?????? (100%)” (???? 3 ? 6).
As Paul says in his letter to the Romans, “??? ? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ????? ? ??, ???? ??, ?? ?? ?????? ??????.” (??? 7 ? 18) This is 0%.
It is interesting that Paul’s antithesis to his sinful nature is not a new nature….but it is living by the Spirit of God….living by the indwelling person of God himself.
As he explains, God’s plan was that, “?? ????? ???? ??? ????????? ??????????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ??, ??? ?? ??? ???? ????????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? (0%) ??? ????????? ?? ??? ??????.” (??? 8 ? 4) This is 100%.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul describes his life as a Christian in this way, “? ???? ???? ????????? ???? ?????? ??? ? ?? ?????? ???? (0%), ??? ?????? ????? ?? ?? (100%). ??? ???? ? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????, ? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???, ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ??.” (??? 2 ? 20)
And later on in the same letter, “??? ? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??????, ??????? ????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ????????? ?? ?? (0%), ??? ? ?? ??? ?????.” (??? 6 ? 14)
And to those who were teaching pleasing God by reverting to a principle of the part (circumcision), “??????? ???????????? ??? ?????????????? ????? ???????? (0%); ???? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? (100%).” (??? 6 ? 15)
So what is the holy part in the New Covenant? It is everything that is born of the Spirit of God.
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To give some more examples:
To those in Rome who wondered what they could do to worship, Paul says: “????? ???? ?????? ?? ? ?????? ?????????, ???? ??? ???????? ?? ???, ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ???????” (??? 12 ? 1)
To paraphrase his answer…..every part (100%) of your being and everything (100%) you do can be holy to God.
To answer the question for Timothy of what consumption was holy, Paul says “??? ?????????? (100%) ??? ??????? ?? ????, ??? ??????? (0%) ?? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ?? ?? ???????? ???? ????????????, ??????? ?? ?? ??????????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??????. (1 ??? 4 ? 4 -5)
To the church in Colossi who were being encouraged to revert to keeping holy days, “??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??? ????????? ??????????, ????? ??????? ?? ????? ????????? ??? ??? ????????? ????????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ??????. ??? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ???????? (100%) ?? ??? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ????, ??? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ???????? (100%).” (??? 2 ? 10)
To the church in Philippi under pressure, Paul says: “?? ??? ?? ??????? ????? ???????? (0%), ??? ?? ?????????? (100%), ?? ?????? ??? ????????, ???? ????????????, ??????? ???? ???????? ?? ???.” (???? 4 ? 6)
To those in Colossi who wondered what part of their work was pleasing to God, Paul replied: “???????? (100%) ??? ??, ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? (100%) ???? ?????, ?? ??????? ??? ??? ????, ??? ??? ???, ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ??????????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ? ??????. ?? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???????.” (??? 3 ? 23 – 24)
In conclusion, what are the percentages of New Covenant economics?
Without faith, nothing we do (0%) will please God (Heb 11 v 6) But if we have faith and live by the Spirit of God, all that we are (100%) and everything we have (100%) can be holy and acceptable as worship to God.