The Veiling and Future Revelation of God (Part 2)

   I. In the Beginning
  II. Before the Beginning, Formless and Void
 III. Let There Be Light
 IV. The LORD Surrounds Himself in Darkness On the Earth
  V. The Self-Limiting of the LORD God in Creation
 VI. The Word Became Flesh
VII. The Future Revelation of the Creator to the Creation

THE LORD SURROUNDS HIMSELF IN DARKNESS ON THE EARTH

When Moses desired to see the LORD he was told, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” (Ex 33:20). The LORD then placed Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered Moses as the glory of the LORD passed by. The LORD veiled Moses from His glory, but allowed Moses to see a limited form of the Creator as He passed by in front of Moses.

 

Since no man can see the fullness of the LORD God, “My face”, and live, the Creator must limit himself to operate within the boundaries of a finite creation. To accomplish this, David wrote that the LORD, “made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him.”

 

“He bowed the heavens also, and came down with thick darkness under His feet. And He rode on a cherub and flew; and He appeared on the wings of the wind. And He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.” (Psa 18:9-11)(2 Sam 22:10-13). A psalm of David about the LORD after he was delivered from the hand of Saul.

 

The believer might find it paradoxical to understand that the “Father of lights” (James 1:17), makes “darkness His hiding place” and surrounds Himself in a canopy of “Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.” If “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), why is the LORD God compelled to surround His light in darkness?

 

Mere mortal men and women are not capable of dwelling in the presence and glory of the LORD God, as it is written, He “dwells in unapproachable light, who no man has seen or can see,” (1 Tim 6:16). If human beings are unable to stare at the sun, how much more beyond our power must it be to look at God Himself (Chul, 59b). Yet, the Creator desires to dwell among His creation and when He descends, “Clouds and thick darkness surround Him,” (Psa 97:2-3). After Abram “believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6), the LORD appeared to Abram surrounded by “great darkness,” (Gen 15:12). The writer of Hebrews describes Mount Sinai as, “a blazing fire…darkness and gloom,” (Heb 12:18). Notice the contrast of a “blazing fire”, while at the same time “darkness.”

 

Scripture takes a position that God has revealed Himself sufficiently for salvation, but not exhaustively that we should know all things about Him. Isaiah wrote of the LORD God, “Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!” (Isa 45:15). The Creator must hide Himself because the creation is not capable of standing in the presence of the creator. Further, the Creator limits His presence in the creation to give the creation the ability to act with freewill outside the overriding influence of the Creator, which would take away freewill.

 

Because the LORD hides Himself within the creation, we do not appreciate how close He resides, not far at all. If we could only peal back the darkness, pear into a different dimension, we would realize that God is right next to us, “the LORD is near,” (Phil 4:5).

 

THE SELF-LIMITING OF THE LORD GOD IN CREATION

 

When the infinite LORD God elects to manifest Himself in the finite creation, He must by design limit His Own nature. By example, the entire ocean cannot be poured into a cup, but a cup can contain a portion of the ocean. Likewise, a person can stick his finger into a cup, but the cup cannot contain the totality of the person. So it is with an infinite God in a finite creation.

 

When God appears in the Hebrew text He appears in a self-limited form often referred to as “the angel of the LORD,” (Ex 3:2)(52-times). Other titles include: the “glory of the LORD” (34), “presence of the LORD” (24), the “cloud of the LORD” (2), the “word of the LORD” (102), the “spirit of the LORD” (24), or simply “God”, “the LORD” and “the Spirit.” The writer of Hebrews describes these manifestations of God into the creation as “in many portions and in many ways,” (Heb 1:1).

 

The Jewish Targums, which are Aramaic translations of the original Hebrew text, often refer to this limited form of God that operates within the creation as the “Memrah” of God. The rabbis concluded a number of principles about the “Memrah” of God:

 

1. The Memrah was sometimes distinct from God and sometimes it was the same as God. This is reflected in the words of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” (John 1:1).

2. The Memrah was the agent of creation, “All things were made through Him; and without Him was not anything made that has been made,” (John 1:3).

3. The Memrah was the agent of salvation, “But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12).

4. The Memrah was the means by which God interacted with mankind, “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth,” (John 1:14)

5. The Memrah was the agent God used to communicated with man, “The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision” (Gen 15:1), “The LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD reveled Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD” (1 Sam 3:21), and “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him,” (John 1:18).

6. The Memrah was the means by which God conveyed His covenants, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ,” (John 1:17).

(to be continued - Scott)

The Veiling and Future Revelation of God (Part 1)

   I. In the Beginning
  II. Before the Beginning, Formless and Void
 III. Let There Be Light
IV. The LORD Surrounds Himself in Darkness On the Earth
  V. The Self-Limiting of the LORD God in Creation
 VI. The Word Became Flesh
VII. The Future Revelation of the Creator to the Creation

The first chapter of Torah Club 5 inspired me to dwell on the following...

IN THE BEGINNING

Fundamental to the Christian faith is a belief that the power and presence of God are without limit. The words often used to express these attributes of God are “Omnipotent” and “Omnipresent” meaning that the infinite power of God exists in all places at all times. Therefore, God cannot be isolated or confined to a single location, as it is written, “‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the LORD” (Jer 23:24). In the words of Solomon, “Who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him?” (2 Chron 2:6).

 

Yet, we understand from scripture that God came into the tent of Abraham (Gen 18:1), the LORD appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Ex 3:2), and the LORD dwelled above the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies (Ex 25:22). The Creator also appeared in the Hebrew text as the “angel of the LORD”, the “presence of the LORD”, the “glory of the LORD”, the “cloud of the LORD”, “God”, “the LORD”, the “Spirit”, and “the Word”. Fundamental to the life of believers is the understanding that the LORD is capable of dwelling within the body of an individual person.

 

When scripture says, “the word of the LORD came to Abram” (Gen 15:1), or “the word of the LORD came to Isaiah” (Isa 38:4), the rabbis understood these passages to speak of some physical manifestation of the Creator to the prophet. Maybe the manifestation of the Creator was a “vision” like Peter received while on the roof of Simon’s house (Acts 10) or the manifestation may have been more tangible. When “the LORD appeared to him (Abraham) by the oaks of Mamre” (Gen 18:1), the LORD appeared in human form, which allowed Abraham to wash His feet (Gen 18:4) and set a meal before the LORD. Believers see this manifestation of God in the Hebrew text as the pre-incarnate form of the “the Word” (John 1:1), which we know from the Greek text as Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha-Mashiach).

 

The question naturally follows, how does an all powerful ever present God still walk on the earth and indwell believers? Said another way, how is the infinite capable of dwelling in the finite, while at the same time, continuing to be all-powerful and dwell everywhere? Let us turn to the creation story to begin our search for the answer.

 

BEFORE THE BEGINNING, FORMLESS AND VOID

 

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Gen 1:1-3)

 

Have you ever wondered, if God is all powerful existing in all places at all times, how was there ever a time and place when “the earth was formless and void”? Although the first act of creation appears as “Let there be light”, Torah Club 5 postulates an implied action that occurred before the giving of light. Since the LORD God is infinite and limitless, a place did not exist before the beginning for a finite creation to dwell in the presence of an infinite God.

 

“To make something that isn’t God, God had to create a non-God space. Therefore, the first step of creation required formlessness and void that resulted from the concealment of His presence.”

 

In short, the original “formless and void” was the “non-God space” where the LORD God elected to limit Himself in order to bring the creation into existence. A person might say that the LORD God humbled Himself, limiting the glory of His infinite nature in order to bring creation into existence. Rabbi Yochanon once made a statement appropriate to the creation,

 

“Wherever you find the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, you will also find his humility.” (b. Megillah 31a)

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Into this void of creation, the LORD God introduced Himself, “Let there be light.” Since the sun and moon do not exist until the fourth day, the original light is understood as “the presence”, “the knowledge”, and “the glory” of the LORD God, as the apostle Paul expressed in his writing to the Corinthians,

 

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ,” (2 Cor 4:6).

 

The original light of the Creator in creation is seen to diminish during the progression of the creation story. By the fourth day, the sun, moon, and stars become the predominant lights. The Hebrew sages saw this sequence and suggested that the light from the Creator diminished by one-seventh for each day of creation. By the time man is created, near the end of day six, the illumination of God in the creation has diminished to one-seventh of the strength at the beginning. This understanding is derived from the words of Isaiah who prophesied of a future time when...

 

“The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day the LORD binds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has inflicted,” (Isa 30:26).

 

Whether the original light from the LORD was diminished down to one-seventh or some other fraction, scripture strongly indicates that the LORD God willingly “veiled” His original presence as the creation progressed. An understanding that the Creator has limited His light, and therefore His presence and revelation within the existing creation, is supported by the expectation of a future greater illumination from the Creator. In the Book of Revelations, John wrote,

 

“The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,” (Rev 21:22)(Rev 22:4-5)

 

In his vision, John sees a reversal of the original veiling from creation, a coming time of great illumination in the presence of the LORD. Until this future time, the “veiling” of the infinite LORD God is necessary for the Creator to interact within the boundary of a finite creation, as expressed by the authors of Torah Club 5,

 

“The LORD must conceal Himself to some extent in order to have any relationship with mankind and the rest of finite creation…creation can exist and God can interact with creation only because He has deliberately limited Himself through contraction of His infinite being.”

 

(to be continued - Scott)

WHY THE LAW (Part 2 of ???)

WHAT IS THE LAW?

If prompted to give a definition, most believers would define the “Law” in terms of the specific commandments contained in the Old Testament. In Hebrew tradition, there are 613 specific commandments given by God through Moses contained in the first five books of the Bible, referred to as the “Torah” in Hebrew and the “Pentateuch” in Greek. Of these commandments, 365 are positive, “thou shall,” while 248 are considered negative, “thou shall not.” “Love the LORD your God” (Deut 6:5), is seen as the motivation that leads to keeping the positive commandments, while “Fear the LORD your God” (Deut 6:13), reflects the reverence that leads to keeping the negative commandments. The two seemingly contradictory motivations are reconciled in the words of Moses,

 

“And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?,” (Deut 10:12-13).

 

Some commentators subdivide the commandments into (1) Moral, (2) Civil, and (3) Ceremonial requirements to suggest that only certain commandments were carried through into the New Testament. The Bible does not make this division, although Moses did discuss the Law of the LORD in terms of “His commandments (eidot) and His ordinances (mishpatim) and His statues (chukim),” (Deut 8:11). Some translations render this passage as “Testimonies, Ordinances, and Decrees.” Testimonies are given to remind people of past events or important spiritual truths. Ordinances are self-evident ethical commandments like “Thou shall not murder.”

 

Decrees are considered to be the difficult commandments that test the believer’s faith because the underlying purpose is not apparent. One example often cited is Deuteronomy 22:11, “Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.” Since linen was worn by the priests when serving in the Temple, this commandment is often seen as a warning against mixing the holy and the common.

 

Jesus spoke of greater and lesser commandments (Matt 22:36), to recognize a priority within the commandments, but not to diminish the importance of any single commandment. On the contrary, Jesus said, “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches other to do the same, shall be call least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven,” (Matt 5:19).

 

From the Hebraic perspective, the “Law” is not limited to the 613 specific commandments, but includes all that is written in the first five books of the Bible by Moses. This is an important distinction, because the Torah contains not only the commandments, but also many promises from the LORD including His promise to never flood the entire earth again (Gen 9:15), the original covenants given to Abraham, (Gen 22:15-18), and “the covenants of promise” to Israel, (Eph 2:12). The apostle Paul tells us that Gentiles have been grafted into and obtain our salvation through the promises given to Abraham and the Hebrew nation, (Gal 3:7)(Rom 11:17).  If the Law ceases to exist, then the promises of our salvation are also negated.  Even the prophets are seen by the Rabbis as clarifying and illuminating the original writings of Moses, and would be rendered insignificant apart from the Law.

 

To discard the first five books of the Bible would nullify the promises that are foundational to a believer’s faith, the proverbial baby with the bath water so to speak. Further, the word of God is understood in scripture to be eternal, both creating and sustaining the present heavens and earth, (2 Pet 3:7). To discount any part of God’s word can be seen as endangering the continuing existence of the creation, as it is written, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away,” (Matt 24:35). Understanding the scope of the “Law” as including all the words of Moses will enable the believer to appreciate the continuing relevance of the Law.

 

One of the difficulties believers have in accepting the words of Moses as relevant for today originates in the translation of the word “Law.” The word “Law” is derived from the Greek Septuagint “nomos,” which conveys the burden of legal requirements and punishments. The original word in the Hebrew text “Torah,” from which “nomos” is derived, and is understood to mean “instructions or teachings,” such as in the statement, “My son, do not forget my teaching (Torah), But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you,” (Prov 3:1-2).

 

The Hebrew word for teacher, “moreh,” is a derived from “Torah,” as in “the LORD…your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher,” (Is 30:20). What the LORD teaches is Torah. The word “Torah” is derived from the verb “yarah,” meaning “to cast, throw, or shoot.” “Yarah” is used as an archery term “to take aim, to shoot,” in order to hit a target. The opposite of yarah is “chata,” which means “to miss the mark,” and is translated in scripture as “sin,” as in, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23).

 

Torah can best be understood as teachings from God to enable the believer to hit the mark. The mark is life, “I set before you today life and prosperity,” (Deut 30:15), which was affirmed by Jesus, “I have come that they have may have life, and have it to the full,” (John 10:10). This is reflected in the common Hebrew dictum,

“The more Torah the more life.”

(to be continued - Scott)

WHY THE LAW? (Part 1 of ???)

I. What is the Law?
II. Salvation by Faith Leading to Works of the Law
III. The Purpose of the Law
- The Law Reveals the Nature of the Creator
- The Law Teaches the Proper Response to Grace
- Righteous Acts of the Law Preserve the World
IV. The Observance of the Law in the New Testament
- The Obligation Is Not the Same for Every Person
V. The Function of the Law in the Millennial Kingdom
VI. Typical Arguments Against the Law
- The Law Could Not Make Man Perfect
- Jesus Fulfilled the Law Resulting in the End of the Law
- Obedience is More Important Than Sacrifice
- The Law Was Temporary and Faded Away
- Jesus Set Believers Free From the Law
VII. The Continuing Importance of the Law
VIII. The End (Transformation) of the Law

It is almost impossible to discuss the original purpose and continuing relevance of “the Law” without upsetting someone. On one hand, most believers hold that the Law has been “abolished” because it was “fulfilled” by Jesus. In taking this position, believers ignore the historical usages of the rabbinic terms “fulfill” and “abolish,” and fail to consider that many promises of God, including the fundamental covenants given to Abraham, are contained in the first five books of the Bible, the Law. Further, abolishing any part of God’s Law runs contrary to the words of Jesus who said, “until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished,” (Matt 5:18). When we discount any part of God’s word, we endanger the continuing existence of the very creation (2 Pet 3:7), and come very close to discounting the Author of the word as null and void. The author of Hebrews considered this statement applicable at the time he wrote it,

“Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witness,” (Heb 10:28).

At the other extreme, some Gentile believers hold the Law as binding on all believers, but are inconsistent in living out the requirements of the Law in a Gentile world. The primary difficulties these believers encounter revolve around the keeping of Sabbath, the application of kosher restrictions, the laws of cleanliness, and the observance of the seven major festivals given by God in scripture.

A strong case can be made that many of Jesus’ Hebrew disciples and Hebrew converts continued to live in obedience to the Law. However, the Jerusalem council of Acts chapter 15 and the letters of Paul, primarily addressed to the Gentile audiences, make a strong case that Gentiles and Jews are not under the same standard of compliance to the commandments contained in the Law. Believers should appreciate that unity in Christ is through the Spirit and does not mean uniformity in all aspects of our faith.

(This post is several years in the making and subject to continuous improvement.  The discussion is much more complicated than quoting a few passages from scripture.  To do the study justice would probably require something equivalent to a college semester course so I will fall well short. - Scott)

YOU SHALL BE HOLY (Part 7 of 7)

I. What is Holiness?
II. Holiness is a Behavior Not a Covering
III. Teaching Holiness Through the Laws of Cleanliness
IV. The Consequences of Not Being Holy
V. The Challenge for the 21st Century Church
VI. You Are a Temple: The Call to Live as a Holy Person
VII. Do Not Wear Clothes of Wool and Linen Woven Together

DO NOT WEAR CLOTHES OF WOOL AND LINEN WOVEN TOGETHER

"Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled. 10 Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. 11 Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together." (Deut 22:9-11) (Lev 19:19)

The principle of clean and unclean was given for the people of God to make a distinction between the things that are holy and the things that are common. A parallel to the cleanliness laws is demonstrated through the prohibition against wearing clothing of mixed fibers, planting different crops in the same field, or yoking different animals together. We might be able to reason that varying sizes and strengths make it impractical and potentially harmful to yoke an ox and a donkey together. One of these animals might be forced to carry a greater load, a load beyond its ability, causing injury to the animal.

We have a much greater difficulty understanding the concern about planting different crops in the same field or wearing a garment that is woven of both wool and linen together. (Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, although cotton is loosely referred to linen, but was not available to the Egyptians or Israelites.) The prohibition is not against wearing either linen or wool since both materials were worn by the people of Israel, (Lev 13:48). Nor is the provision against wearing a heavier wool coat over a linen undergarment. Nor is the provision against wearing mixtures of materials that are different from wool and linen such as wool and cotton. The commandment is specifically against wearing a garment containing a mixed material of linen and wool, but why?

Chances are that at any point in time most believers are wearing clothes that are a mixture of different materials. Manufacturers do this to achieve the desired properties of the garment they manufacture. People often avoid materials that are 100% cotton because they tend to shrink when washed. Materials that are 100% wool are warm, but they tend to itch. Materials that are 100% synthetic are sometimes too stiff or do not properly ventilate and tend to make a person sweat. So why does God instruct his people to not wear clothing that is made from the composite materials of line and wool?

In the commandments, the LORD provided beneficial ways of living while demonstrating His deeper spiritual truths. Paul used the prohibition against yoking a donkey and ox together, to tell believers, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers,” (2 Cor 6:14). The prohibition against mixing animals, seeds, and cloth are all part of the greater context of Leviticus chapter nineteen, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy,” (Lev 19:2). Although believers are called to live in the world, we must guard against mixing with the ways of the world. Just like clean and unclean, the prohibition against mixing wool and linen is given to teach us and remind us of a greater spiritual truth.

In scripture, linen is the clothing that priests were commanded to wear when serving in the temple.

“Weave the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. Make tunics, sashes and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them dignity and honor. After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests,” (Ex 28:39-42).

For this reason, David and all the Levites were clothed in linen when they brought the ark from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem.

“Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod.” (1 Chron 15:27)

Linen is consistently seen in the Bible as the clothing of the heavenly beings. The angels in the Book of Revelations who come out of the temple bringing judgments are said to be clothed in “shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests,” (Rev 15:6). The armies of heaven that return with the LORD are said to be “riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean,” (Rev 19:14). Finally, the saints of the Most High, the bride of the Lamb, are made ready by wearing “fine linen, bright and clean…Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.” (Rev 19:7-8).

Linen comes to represent the purity of heavenly beings and the purity of the saints who are called to be Holy as God is Holy, (Lev 11:44). When God instructed people to not wear garments that are a mixture of linen and wool, He provided a physical picture to remind us that the purity of our walk must not be polluted with the unholy things of this world. Remember, “Bad company corrupts good character,” (1 Cor 15:33). Like most instructions from God, the commandment to not weave a garment mixing wool and linen has both a literal meaning and a spiritual application.

Too often many believers do weave the fabric of this world deeply into their lives. As Gentiles, we may not be obligated to avoid clothing that is composed of a mixed fabric or to avoid planting two types of crops in the same field, but we are called to “Be holy, because I am holy,” (1 Pet 1:16). When our lives become mixed with the world we take on the appearance of the church of Laodicea in the Book of Revelations. The LORD advised the people of Laodicea to buy “white clothes to wear so you can cover your shameful nakedness,” (Rev 3:18). In effect, the LORD instructed the people of Laodicea to put on linen garments by performing righteous acts and living spotless lives free from mixing with the wool sins of the world.

Teresa and I had an interesting experience two weeks ago as we search for a new church home in Austin. We attended a church that has an auditorium, but no sanctuary. I do not mean to elevate the church building because it is sanctified by the people who attend who have studied the word, as it is written, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth,” (John 17:17). Yet in this church I saw an abundance of coffee cups, but few noticeable Bibles. Believers are called to be sanctified, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified,” (1 Thes 4:3).   Sanctification begins through the study of the word of God.  How important is sanctification?

“Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification (holiness) without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14).

 - Scott

YOU SHALL BE HOLY (Part 6 of 7)

I. What is Holiness?
II. Holiness is a Behavior Not a Covering
III. Teaching Holiness Through the Laws of Cleanliness
IV. The Consequences of Not Being Holy
V. The Challenge for the 21st Century Church
VI. You Are a Temple: The Call to Live as a Holy Person
VII. Do Not Wear Clothes of Wool and Linen Woven Together

YOU ARE A TEMPLE: THE CALL TO LIVE AS A HOLY PERSON

Now comes the most difficult part of the chapter. How do believers demonstrate holiness, especially those who have taken a position that the commandments no longer apply? To paraphrase Peter, “What sort of people are believers and how are believers demonstrating holy conduct and godliness?” (2 Pet 3:11).  In simple terms, what actions make the Christian unique and different from the rest of the world that will prevent believers from melting into the mass of humanity?

Since believers are often compared to the temple (1 Cor 6:19), let us take a few minutes to look at the temple and the articles in the temple. Every object that was dedicated for use in the temple became “HOLY TO THE LORD.” These words were engraved on the golden plate worn on Aaron’s forehead, (Ex 28:36). The phrase both reminded Aaron of the gravity of his responsibility to represent the people before God and the nature of the clothing he was wearing. The phrase “HOLY TO THE LORD” may also have been inscribed on other articles used in the temple to remind the user of their sacredness. Once an article of clothing or a vessel in the temple had been set apart for the LORD, it had to be handled in a manner that reflected the sanctification of the article. Remember, to be made “HOLY” is to set a person or object apart for the service of the LORD, (Lev 20:26).

When God commanded Moses to make implements for the temple, He gave specific instructions that those implements could not be carried beyond the boundary of the temple because they had been made holy. The articles in the temple became sanctified, as Jesus spoke, “What is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?” (Matt 23:17). Once an article is made holy, it can not be used for a common purpose. Elizabeth never said to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, “Could you pick up a few extra dishes from the temple while you are serving next week? We are having company the week after you return.” We know what happen to one man who took the vessels and utensils from the temple and employed them for common use; he was “weighed on the scales and found wanting,” (Dan 5:27).

As part of their inheritance, the priests received a portion from the altar of certain grain and animal offerings. Because these offerings had become holy by contacting the altar, the priests were commanded to take the offerings and “eat it in a holy place” (Lev 10:13), “for it is most holy,” (Lev 10:12). In other words, animals that were offered up on the altar, had to be eaten in the temple complex, with the exception of the Passover Lamb. Earthenware that had been used in the temple, but subsequently became contaminated was broken rather than relegated to a service outside of the temple, (Lev 11:32). While vessels of gold, silver and bronze could be washed (baptized) to restore their sanctification, washing was insufficient to restore common pottery because it was porous and could absorb contaminates.

Everything in the temple was Holy, was to remain Holy, and could not be taken beyond the boundary of the temple into an area that was not Holy. The phrase “be holy, because I am holy” predominately occurs in the book of Leviticus to remind the priests that their actions must reflect the nature of their calling and the environment of their service. The zeal of Jesus to overturn the money-changer tables reflects His desire to maintain the sanctity of the temple.

The scriptures tell us that Jesus “would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple,” (Mark 11:16). Apparently people traveled through the temple as a short cut to get from one side of Jerusalem to the other. In doing this, people diminished the sanctity of the temple by constantly mingling the common objects of life with the holy temple, ignoring the word of God to establish a “divide between the holy and the profane,” (Ezek 42:20). The imagery is unmistakable for believers. Believers are called “priests” (Rev 1:6), made holy by the blood of Jesus. The life of each believer should reflect this sanctified state. A life that constantly mixes the holy and the common profanes the name of the LORD, (Ezek 36:20-23).

When John tells us that “and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life,” (Rev 21:27), he is painting a picture of how the New Jerusalem will operate in a sanctified state like the temple. God Himself will dwell in the New Jerusalem and all the people who live there along with all the articles contained in the city will be “HOLY TO THE LORD.” The words of John are supported by Zechariah who wrote,

"In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “HOLY TO THE LORD.” And the cooking pots in the LORD'S house will be like the bowls before the altar. 21 And every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts in that day." (Zech 14:20-21)

The phrase “HOLY TO THE LORD” is the same phrase inscribed on the head-piece worn by the High Priest and written on articles used in the temple. To inscribe this phrase, “on the bells of the horses," (Zech 14:2), requires horses to be located in a Holy place. Horses were generally not allowed in the temple complex. Inscribing “HOLY TO THE LORD” on the bells worn by horses implies that Holiness will extend beyond the temple complex to encompass all of Jerusalem. This understanding is supported by the words of Zechariah who told us that “every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the LORD of host.”

Just as in the vision of John, Zechariah is telling the reader of a future time when not only the temple, but all of Jerusalem will be 'HOLY TO THE LORD.'  Isaiah also foresaw this future time and wrote, “Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem,” (Isa 4:3).

The first century Jew went to great lengths to maintain the cleanliness laws, which are analogous to a condition of holiness. Devout Jews avoided people who were unclean and pressured their acquaintances to do the same. This position resulted in the criticism against Jesus for “eating with sinners and tax collectors” (Mark 2:16)(Matt 9:10)(Luke 5:30). Such people were generally unclean because they continually contacted unclean articles, people, and they did not worship in the prescribed manners.

This practice continues even today in the Orthodox Jewish community and runs contrary to our perception of social norms. Many people are offended by the apparent “standoffish” nature of Jewish people, not appreciating that they are trying to maintain a level of holiness because Jews, and Gentile believers, are both commanded to,

“Be Holy, for I Am Holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16)(Lev 19:20-21)

Maybe believers need to be a little more “standoffish” and practice some of the standards of holiness established by scripture and practiced by our forefathers. In a song of David, after the LORD had defeated his enemies, David said, “The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands,” (2 Sam 12:21). David understood that the blessings of the LORD were related to the holiness of David. Paul called believers to maintain a sanctified condition before God saying,.

"Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1)

"Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him." (Eph 1:4)(Col 1:22)(Heb 3:1)

“Therefore, ‘Come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the LORD. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the LORD Almighty,” (2 Cor 6:17-18).

If not greater obedience to the commandments, how will a believer achieve holiness.

(to be continued - Scott)

YOU SHALL BE HOLY (Part 5 of 7)

I. What is Holiness?
II. Holiness is a Behavior Not a Covering
III. Teaching Holiness Through the Laws of Cleanliness
IV. The Consequences of Not Being Holy
V. The Challenge for the 21st Century Church
VI. Living as a Holy Person
VII Do Not Wear Clothes of Wool and Linen Woven Together

THE CHALLENGE FOR THE 21st CENTURY CHURCH

“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him,” (Eph 1:4)

If holiness involves being separate from the world, it becomes difficult to find holiness in many believers within the greater body of the church. Most believers are too assimilated into the world with few discernable differences from the world. If I asked the typical believer, “what makes you different from the world,” how would they respond?

Some believers might speak of their good deeds. While mitzvoth earn merit with the Father, there are many non-believers that perform good deeds for their fellow man. Even corporations perform their “civic duties” and movie actors and royalty are often depicted helping others in need. Theses acts alone do not make a person holy, especially if the balance of an individual’s life is worldly. Some people might say that they go to church or read scripture, but unless those actions are accompanied by a change in “behavior” (1 Pet 1:15), to quote Peter, even good deeds do not make a person holy.

The constant challenge among believers in the Church is to have an impact on the world, without the world having the greater impact on the Church. If the Church fails to maintain separation from the world, then the Church itself will ultimately assimilate into the world and cease to be a separate and unique entity. Therein lies the great danger. The present day Church is too much like the world. Believers too often go to the same places, laugh at the same jokes, watch the same worldly movies, maintain the same level of tolerance to drinking, accept immodest dress codes, and attend questionable social events.  Remember the warning of the apostle John, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world,” (1 John 2:15). What makes any believer different ?

Fifty years ago, the more conservative elements of the Church of Christ generally prohibited drinking, forms of dancing, immodest clothing, inappropriate social gatherings, and the like. The modern Church mocks that type of behavior as outmoded relics from an uptight generation. Laugh as we may at those “hedges,” as the Pharisees would call them, these restrictions kept the greater body of believers from quickly dissolving into the greater mass of humanity, assimilating believers into the body of non-believers. What can we point to today that we can call a hedge?

My brothers and sisters, the church is in great danger of disappearing by assimilating into the world. This process may reflect the beginning of the great apostasy spoken from the mouth of Paul, a time when the “man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship,” (2 Thess 2:3-4). The “man of lawlessness” is a descriptive name indicating that this man will not follow the law or the commandments, nor will he permit anyone to follow the commandments. The commandments separated the people of God from the rest of the world keeping the nation of Israel and the Church holy and unique, a distinct people for the LORD God. This man’s desire is to do away with the things that separate making all people the same. In this condition, NO ONE WILL BE HOLY.

Remember that “The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good,” (Rom 7:12). In other words, the Law has the power to make us holy, in that, the obedience to the Law separates us from the people who are not obedient to the law, i.e., the lawless. For this reason, Paul warns that in the latter days many believers “will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires and will turn away their ears from the turn and will turn aside to myths,” (2 Tim 4:3).

A recent article from MarketWatch.com entitled, "10 Things Generation Y Won’t Tell You," lists the general beliefs of children born to baby boomers. Many of these beliefs are not conducive to holiness. For examples, Millennials are said to value “equality and diversity,” which means that all lifestyles and attitudes are acceptable. This blending of all lifestyles runs counter to a position calling for separation, or holiness, and accepts gay marriage, abortion, and other social positions that run counter to scripture. Millennials also tend to be a generation of people that dress and act any they want because, “This is me, and I will go out and represent me true to who I really am.” In other words, Millenials do not feel compelled to any higher standard than the one they personally establish. Many Millenials find the standards and teaching of the church at large, weak as it often is, as too restrictive and intolerant. The expectation of the apostles was for believers to maintain a lifestyle separate from the world. This is reflected in the words of Peter asking the rhetorical question,

“What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God,” (2 Pet 3:11).

So what sort of people are we called to be?  People whose lives reflect “holy conduct and godliness.”

(to be continued - Scott)