The essence of YHWH’s life is encapsulated in His holiness. His very presence sanctifies the ground around Him (Exo. 3:5; Jos. 5:15), evoking continuous praise from celestial beings, who proclaim, “Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of Hosts!” (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8). Hannah’s song resonates, “No one is holy like YHWH!” as do those who triumph over the beast, “For You alone are holy!” (1Sa. 2:2; Rev. 15:4). Since God alone is holy and the source of holiness, only He can sanctify others. YHWH commanded Israel, “Set yourselves apart to be holy, for I, YHWH, am your God! Keep all My laws and obey them, for I am YHWH, who makes you holy” (Lev. 20:7-8). Apart from a connection with the holy God and His way of life, holiness is humanly unobtainable.

The separation of humanity from God’s Presence led to death and impurity, away from life and holiness. Engaging with YHWH necessitated purity and holiness, establishing Israel as a distinct nation. The Exodus story shows how His people may safely approach a sacred God and rejoice in His salvation continually on the path to holiness and life. Because He is holy, all who are His must also be holy in all their conduct, as it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1Pe. 1:15–16, Lev. 19:2).

YHWH’s presence on Mount Sinai made the mountain holy so that no one could approach or touch it. YHWH resided in the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle, mirroring His presence on Eden’s sacred mountain. The closer one came to the Holy Place, the higher the degree of holiness; the further away from His Presence, the higher the degree of uncleanness. Leviticus tells us how we, unholy, may approach His Tabernacle and maintain a degree of holiness in His Presence to serve Him (Lev. 16; 20:26). This blog will discuss holiness and how we become a holy people to serve a holy God.

Those whom God called and sanctified consecrate (set apart) themselves to Him, to purity in thought, action, and spirit, by observing His holy statutes and internalizing His divine law. YHWH gave Israel the Decalogue of Holiness to teach them moral behavior toward Him and toward each other (Rom. 7:12). This transformative process enabled the holy God to dwell among a holy people. Even though Israel had been consecrated to YHWH at Passover by the blood of the lamb, eating its meat with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, the nation lived in an unclean world, defiled by immoral actions and continually touched by sin and death. Since holiness and uncleanness are incompatible, YHWH provided a way for Israel to be cleansed by sacrifice so they, a kingdom of priests, could approach Him without harm. The consecration ceremony for the priests was much like Passover, but it was a seven-day purity ritual. Before seventy-four elders (2 × 37) could eat with YHWH on Mount Sinai on Pentecost, all of Israel underwent a consecration (Exo. 19:10, 14-15), and no one could touch the mountain until the covenant was read and ratified by blood, and eat meat and unleavened bread (Exo. 24:5-8; Lev. 7:12-13). Consecration to purity, sprinkling of blood, and eating the Word of God were the requirements for His people to serve a holy YHWH and dwell with Him.

3 Who may ascend into the mountain of YHWH?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully. Psa. 24:3-4

In the New Testament, Yeshua expanded on the Old Testament’s concepts of cleanliness from defilement needed for His holy people (saints) to dwelling in the Presence of God. He exposed the source of defilement, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (Mar. 7:20-23; Psa. 106:39). By His touch, Yeshua, the Holy One, made people clean from diseases, restored them to life, and cast out the unclean spirits (Luk. 4:34, 5:12-14; Mat. 9:20; Mar. 5:35-43). Yeshua makes people holy (1Co. 1:2). We are “sanctified by faith in Me” (Act. 26:18). Because He obeyed the Father’s will, He sanctifies His believers by the sacrifice of His body and makes us holy and blameless by His blood (Heb. 10:10, 13:12; Col. 1:22). “By the blood of Christ, our conscience is cleansed from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14), for all things are purified with blood (Heb. 9:22). As our Passover Lamb (1Co. 5:7), Yeshua consecrates and makes us holy to enter His Presence by the sprinkling of His blood upon us (1Pe. 1:2, 19). We respond by following Him. John wrote, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1Jo. 1:7).

Like at Mount Sinai, we must “make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). As the Tabernacle housed YHWH in the Most Holy Place, His believers in Him are built together and become a holy temple, where God lives by His Spirit (Eph. 2:21-22). And as Nadab and Abihu defiled the temple and were destroyed, we are warned that “if anyone defiles God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1Co. 3:16-17).

It is God’s will that we be sanctified and made holy. “God did not call us to be unclean but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit” (1Th. 4:3, 7-8). And “since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2Co. 7:1). Just as God tested and taught Israel in the wilderness, “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:10-11). By the work of His hands, we are His sacred harvest of righteousness and peace.

Takeaway:
YHWH called and consecrated His firstborns to serve Him as a holy priesthood, a nation where the holy God dwelt. Only His Presence can make us holy. Yeshua touched the unclean, healing them with His holiness. His atoning lifeblood purified the altar and, by its sprinkling upon us, He made us His holy people. As we walk through the wilderness of the seven Sabbaths of our lives, He disciplines us, teaching us so that we may share in His holiness. To dwell with our holy God, we must be holy.

Fun Factors:
“And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of Hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa. 6:3) has 7² letters and 14 words that sum to 2819, the 410^th prime number, the same value as the mishkan, the tabernacle holy place of YHWH that becomes the tent of meeting through His sacrifice. The product of its digits, 2 × 8 × 1 × 9 =144; the sum of its digits, 2 + 8 + 1 + 9 = 20.