Migration and Spirituality: The Holiness of the Church as A Reflection of the Holiness of the Migrant Covenanted Israelites

Abstract

This article discusses the holiness of Christians in relation to that of the migrant Israelites during their wilderness journey from Sinai to the east side of Jordan in the plains of Moab. On the strength of typical stipulations such as those mentioned in Leviticus 11:45 and Deuteronomy 23:12-14, the paper links the expectations of such Pentateuchal laws of holiness with the kind of holy living expected of Christians. Using intertextual links, it shows that the demands of the New Testament (NT) for holiness in particular are clear reflections of what pertained in some of the regulations of the Old Testament (OT) laws. The article concludes with a call on presentday Bible believers who, like the OT believers in God, are also considered as migrants on earth, to strive for holiness throughout their earthly journey.