Lesson 5 for February 5, 2012

We could define “holy” as something that is set apart for a sacred purpose. That involves the concept of moral perfection, too. Holiness applies to: What does “holy” mean? TIME “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis, 2: 3) PLACES “Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”” (Exodus, 3: 5) OBJECTS “They shall not profane the holy offerings of the children of Israel, which they offer to the Lord” (Leviticus, 22: 15) PEOPLE “ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light ” (1 Peter, 2: 9) In general, something is made holy when it has been in the presence of God or when He set it aside for Him

How is God “holy”? When talking about God, the word “holy” is used in its absolute sense. There is nothing and no one more holy than God. Nothing and no one can be further from sin than God. He is holy in character and perfection. That makes God the only one worthy to be worshipped. “No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God” (1 Samuel, 2: 2) “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy” (Psalm 99: 9) “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested” (Revelation, 15: 4)

We can see only one reaction before the presence of the Holy God both in the Old and in the New Testament. Both men and angels react with a feeling of smallness and unworthiness before the greatness and holiness of God. We can see only one reaction before the presence of the Holy God both in the Old and in the New Testament. Both men and angels react with a feeling of smallness and unworthiness before the greatness and holiness of God.

JOB: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes” (Job, 42: 5-6) JACOB: “And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”” (Genesis, 28: 17) ISAIAH: “So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because 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.”” (Isaiah, 6: 5)

EZEKIEL: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake” (Ezekiel, 1: 28) DANIEL: “I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!… Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength” (Daniel, 10: 5, 8)

PETER: “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”” (Luke, 5: 8) JOHN: “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.”” (Revelation, 1: 17)

“May 14, 1851, I saw the beauty and loveliness of Jesus. As I beheld His glory, the thought did not occur to me that I should ever be separated from His presence. I saw a light coming from the glory that encircled the Father, and as it approached near to me, my body trembled and shook like a leaf. I thought that if it should come near me I would be struck out of existence, but the light passed me. Then could I have some sense of the great and terrible God with whom we have to do. I saw then what faint views some have of the holiness of God, and how much they take His holy and reverend name in vain, without realizing that it is God, the great and terrible God” (E.G.W., Early writings, “Preparation for the End”, pg. 70)

“Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”” (Luke, 4: 33-34)

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”” (Isaiah, 6: 1-3) “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”” (Revelation, 4: 8) According to Eliphaz, even Heaven and the angels seem impure before the infinite holiness of God. “If God puts no trust in His saints, and the heavens are not pure in His sight” (Job, 15: 15)

In all of the human encounters of the divine as depicted in Scripture, one never finds a suggestion that God is frightening. What we see instead is that, in the piercing light of His holiness, human beings finally see themselves for who they really are. And that is scary. In Scripture, when people truly encounter the God of heaven, we find no hand clapping, backslapping, and lighthearted singing. Rather, there is abject personal repentance. All see and admit their personal guilt without any excuses and without reference to the faults of anyone else. How different our words, our lives, and our actions would be were we all to live with the constant sense not only of God’s presence but of His holiness, as well.

The concept of holiness should help us in understanding the gap between a God that is holy and a race of beings that aren’t, a race of sinners. God is separated from us, not only because He is the Creator and we are the created ones, but also because we are fallen beings. It is impossible for us to cross that gap to approach God. We need a bridge that let us come before Him. That should make us understand what Christ did for us. He is our Savior, our Substitute, Who crossed the abyss between the Holy God and us, fallen and sinful creatures. Jesus is the bridge we need, thank God.