The Holiness of God
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What is Holiness
What is Holiness
What is holiness?
We often think of Holiness in relation to ourselves or others
Holy Place
Having a holy lifestyle is that of moral purity
Moses at the Burning bush
we are called to “be holy”
Tabernacle
Holy Days & Feasts
Sabbath
For us it is something to strive toward
Passover
we are becoming Holy
But although the idea of Holy is related to Purity it is somewhat different
Holy Garments
With God, the term Holy means much more
For the Priests to enter the holy place
11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
2 “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
Holy Sacrifice
Ram of ordination
4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
We see in these passages that God’s holiness is unique
We see in these passages that God’s holiness is unique
Holy Altar
Nothing in all creation is holy like God
But then we also have verses like
Holy Anointing Oil
2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Holy Incense
Holy People
The priests
Israel
So we are to be holy as God is holy
What is Holy
Separate from the common
Yet, God alone is Holy
not to be used, touched, or entered by the common
And no one is Holy like our God
Separate from sin
So how are we to Understand God’s holiness
Designated by God
how is it unique from our pursuit of Holiness
Entered by God’s prescription
and how is it similar
It would help to look at the basic meaning of the word
Attributes of God - 12 Holiness Attributes of God - 12 Holiness
The root word could be translated “separated,” “marked off,” “placed apart.” Most often, the implication of this word would mean that the holy object would have been “set apart from common use unto a special purpose.” There are a couple specific implications to keep in mind as we progress through this topic.
What is holiness?
Reading through the law this makes a lot of sense
The people of Israel were separated from the nations to be a holy people
The Levites were separated from Israel to be devoted to the service of God
Aaron and His sons were set apart from the tribe of Levi to be priests, Holy to the lord
Money and material set apart to make the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and utensils
Days of the year set apart to be Holy days
And what set the people of Israel apart?
Adherence to the law, God’s standard
The world lives opposed to God’s standard
To live according to God’s Standard “separates” you from the worlds
And as the law was pointing to Christ we have a more perfect picture of that standard in Christ
God/Christ The Standard / Perfect Purity--------------------------Impure
Holy Not Holy
God is not holy because he perfectly meets the standard
God is Holy because he IS the standard, Completely transcendent
We can grow in holiness and “be holy as I am holy” yet he is still Holy unlike any other
We are so accustomed to equating holiness with purity or ethical perfection that we look for the idea when the word holy appears. When things are made holy, when they are consecrated, they are set apart unto purity. They are to be used in a pure way. They are to reflect purity as well as simply apartness. Purity is not excluded from the idea of the holy; it is contained within it. But the point we must remember is that the idea of the holy is never exhausted by the idea of purity. It includes purity but is much more than that. It is purity and transcendence. It is a transcendent purity.
R.C. Sproul
Omniscience / Wise------------------------------------foolish
Omnipotent / Strong----------------------------------weak
Omnipresent / Large-----------------------------------small
Eternal / Old---------------------------------------Young
God is so separate and so transcendent from us that he is not just Holy,
He isn’t even Holy Holy. He is Holy Holy HOLY
So what happens when one approaches the Holiness of God outside of His Holy standard?
1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’ ” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.
Leviticus 10:
God had told them exactly how they were to approach him
They thought they had some additional contribution
No doubt they thought it would be an improvement
Perhaps they had learned it from Egyptian priests
Or some other expert in incense
What we see is that Holiness is deadly to disobedience
Do we
Holiness is Hazardous to the unholy
In another story the Ark of God is captured by the Philistines
God sends curses on the Philistines
The
They send the Ark back with many gifts
The Ark arrives at Beth-Shemesh
The people are initially thrilled to see it returned
19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”
Unlike Nadab and Abihu these men probably didn’t know God’s law regarding the Ark
Does ignorance spare them from God’s Holiness?
Finally, lets look at 2 Samuel 6
David had just won a major victory by God’s help.
In fact, David had even consulted God in the precise tactics to be used in the battle
He was not nearly so careful in His treatment of God’s Holy Ark
He was not nearly so careful in His treatment of God’s Holy Ark
In His excitement and enthusiasm he wants to bring the ark with Him to Jerusalem
David leads a festive parade to bring the ark to Jerusalem
6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?”
David had loved and served God
God had protected and blessed David
But here David is irreverent as he fails to recognize God’s holiness
David was angry
How could God kill a well intentioned man
He only wanted to help
God will be regarded as Holy
Isaiah Sees the Holy God
Isaiah Sees the Holy God
And even the most holy among us are brought to nothing when compared to the one who is Holy Holy Holy
transcendence
English Standard Version Chapter 15
“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
As we will see in the 6th Chapter of Isiah
Purity
By every account Isaiah would have been considered a “Holy Man”
He followed the law of God when many had abandoned it
He was set apart by God to be a Prophet
He was a proclaimer of God’s Holy word
Yet in we will read what happens when this Holy man is confronted by the Holy God
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Uzziah
Uzziah
Lets take a brief moment to look at the King who has died
He Reigned for 52 years
This was a very long reign for monarchs of that time
Many people would have known nothing but the reign of Uzziah
“He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”
Instructed by Zechariah
God made him to prosper as long as he sought God
His military prowess was rivaled only by David
Had many victories by enemies on all sides
He built defensive towers and fortifications
He had a massive standing army that was well armed
His Fame spread to Egypt
Under him Israel’s economy thrived
Cut out cisterns
For his flocks
Loved the soil
Had many farmers
He was an amazing King
BUT
16 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
Why was Uzziah not suppose to enter the temple?
He wished to enter the Holy place to offer incense
(Why the incense getting everybody in trouble)
This was reserved for the priests who had been appointed and consecrated by God.
He thought that his accomplishments made him holy enough to enter the place that God said none but the priests were to enter
Uzziah did not have a proper understanding of God’s Holiness
And as a result he was made a leper and lived out the rest of his days separated and isolated
Returning now to Isaiah we can see the contrast between God, the Living King and Uzziah the dead king.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
I
Uzziah Died
Uzziah Died
it was a very long reign by human standards
But the Lord’s Reign is from eternity to eternity
The Lord’s reign is completely different than that of the human monarch
Uzziah is burried
The Lord is sitting high upon His throne
in control, His rule is unhindered by Uzziah’s death
The Train of His robe Filled the temple
The Train of His robe Filled the temple
The length of a monarchs train displayed his grandeur
His was unlike an earthly monarch
The temple could not contain it
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
The Seraphim
The Seraphim
A special type of creature designed to worship the Glory of God’s Holiness
The Seraphim are sinless creatures
yet they are most overwhelmed by God’s holiness
3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
The Song of the Seraphim
Holy Holy Holy
Uzziah died unworthy to enter the temple
As king of his people he wanted to take the role of priest and offer incense on the altar of incense.
The length of a monarchs train displayed his grandeur
His was unlike an earthly monarch
The temple could not contain it
The Seraphim
A special type of creature designed to worship the Glory of God’s Holiness
As king of his people he wanted to take the role of priest and offer incense on the altar of incense.
As king of his people he wanted to take the role of priest and offer incense on the altar of incense.
God rejected Him (Not Worthy!)
As a Leper he could not even join the congregation in worship
And here we have a king that is worthy,
And not just worth
not just “holy enough”
His Holiness exceeds that of the temple
And not just worth
not just “holy enough”
Of incense
In the temple there is the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place
That which is translated as Most holy, in the Hebrew, is Holy Holy place
so there is the Holy place, and the Holy Holy place.
Uzziah was not worthy enough to enter the Holy Place
But This King is more Holy than the temple
He is greater than the Temple
6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
Isaiah 6:4
In the midst of God’s Holiness Isaiah proclaims destruction upon himself
As Holy as he was by human standards
The length of a monarchs train displayed his grandeur
God’s holiness revealed to him the full extent of his sin
His was unlike an earthly monarch
He makes no argument
The temple could not contain it
I didn’t ask to come here
The Seraphim
A special type of creature designed to worship the Glory of God’s Holiness
He simply becomes fully aware of his sin
And that his sinful person cannot survive God’s presence
He mentions the lips
Was it because he ate unclean food?
18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
But also, as a prophet, his lips were the holiest part of his body
His mouth was commissioned by God to speak
His ministry revolved around his lips
Attributes of God - 12 Holiness The effect
If there was one arena in his life of which he had no fear or concern, related to which he felt God's most overt approval, which he regarded as his greatest strength and that which was above reproach and beyond falling or failure . . . was his tongue! His speech! His mouth! His verbal ministry! He was God's mouthpiece! He was God's voice, His spokesman on the earth! Yet the first thing he felt was the sinfulness of his speech!
Sam Storms
Yet even so, he sees the sinfulness of his speech and his complete unworthiness
Isaiah is done for
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah 6:
The Altar is the place that the sacrifice would be burned
Sin was dealt with at the altar
The Seraphim touches his lips with the coal
in an instant the sin is dealt with
his guilt is taken away
Full and complete atonement
And now look at the difference
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
All the misery and agony Isaiah had gone through is gone in an instant
The atonement is so complete that Isaiah can now stand and speak to God
Stand before the one who is greater than the Holy Holy place
And his desire now is to serve God and proclaim His message
-Nadab & Abihu
Personal Holiness
So if Christ’s atonement is so complete, to make us acceptable in God’s Holy presence do we really need to work on living holy in this life?
1 Peter
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
So where is our hope?
It is completely and exclusively on the Grace of Christ
Our hope is not in our own attainment of holiness
but lets read on
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
As ones who have been enlightened How can we go back to living in ignorance?
If we are his children then we are to be like him.
How can we say that we have been made right by God, and can enter the presence of the most holy God if we don’t seek or desire holiness in this life?
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:7-
How can we live holy in such a wicked world
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”