Our passage today begins with an appeal to Israel to be holy before their holy God, using some the Ten Commandments as bullet points for discussion. As we read, you’ll notice that there is to be an “otherness” amongst the Israelites that makes them distinct from the rest of the world. To our modern ears and worldview, it may seem limiting or perhaps cruel that the Lord would be so particular, but every instance is designed to connote elements of purity, wholeness, unity, and devotion to the Lord. In their worship to God, only the best would do, and anything offered that fell short was an insinuation that God was not worthy of the best they could offer.