In looking through the former lists, we find, that with the exception of the Free-will offerings, all holy things are made so by the will of God. In other words, they are set apart for God by Himself. These holy things are for this reason to be sanctified, that is, counted as holy, by man.
Thus an Israelite was to sanctify, or keep holy, the seventh day, not to make it holy, but because God had made it so.
In Leviticus 27 we find however that “to sanctify” on the part of man, had another meaning when applied to things which God had not sanctified. In this Chapter, and in some other passages relating to free-will offerings, it means simply to dedicate, or consecrate anything to God. In the 26th verse we find that a man could not in this sense, sanctify anything which the Lord had already sanctified. That is to say, he could not dedicate to God that which was God’s already. A child could not dedicate to his father the house or property which was his father’s and not his own.
It is well to observe this principle, because of late years we have often heard believing people talk of “consecrating” themselves to God, whereas, if they are really believers, they are those who have been already sanctified, or set apart, by God Himself for Himself, and can only sanctify, or consecrate themselves (it is the same word) by counting themselves as holy.
In following out the passages given in the previous lists, much light will be gained on this practical and interesting part of the subject. How does the believer come to be holy? What is meant by his being holy? What is the measure of his holiness? (for we read of holy things, and of most holy things—the same word as Holy of Holies.) In what way is he to sanctify himself? How is he to walk consistently with the fact that he is sanctified, or holy?
The following passages may be of use in helping us to an answer to these, and similar questions. Though with the exception of free-will offerings, all sanctified things are sanctified by the will of God, some are distinguished from others by the means of their sanctification. We find for example things sanctified by the following means in the Old Testament.
3. By the presence of the Ark. 2 Chronicles 8
The tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. Hebrews 9.21.
Aaron, his garments, his sons, and his sons’ garments. Exodus 29:2121And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. (Exodus 29:21).
The leper and the leprous house. Leviticus 14.
In Ezekiel 45, the posts of the house, and the posts of the gate of the inner court. The former temples were but continuations of the tabernacle, upon which the blood had been put.
5. By anointing with the holy oil. The things thus sanctified were: Aaron, his garments, his sons, and his sons’ garments. Exodus 29.
The Tabernacle.
The Ark.
The Table of shewbread and all his vessels.
The Altar of incense.
The Altar of burnt offering and all his vessels.
The Laver and his foot.
(These seven latter things became, by anointing, Most Holy.) The Leper (Leviticus 14) was anointed with ordinary olive oil; in his case the expression “made holy” is not used.
6. By the ashes of the heifer, used in the sprinkling of one who had touched the dead. (Numbers 19) The word “sanctified” is applied to this case in Hebrews 9
7. By water. The people who were to be sanctified Exodus 19 were to wash their clothes.
8. By having been offered before the Lord, for example—The censers of Korah’s company. Numbers 16
9. By touching that which is most holy, as in Exodus 30:2929And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. (Exodus 30:29), where of the seven things made most holy by anointing, it is said, “whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.” See also Matthew 23:17-1917Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? (Matthew 23:17‑19). Also in the case of the three offerings called most holy, namely, the Meat offering, the Sin offering, the Trespass offering, it is said, (Leviticus 6:1818All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy. (Leviticus 6:18)) “every one that toucheth them shall be holy.” See also verse 27 of the same Chapter.
10. By voluntary dedication to God, as in the free-will offerings, and in Leviticus 27
In the New Testament we also find various means of sanctification, answering in some cases to the typical means in the Old Testament.
3. By the Spirit. Romans 15:1616That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:16); 1 Corinthians 6:1111And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11); 2 Thessalonians 2:1313But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: (2 Thessalonians 2:13); 1 Peter 1:22Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2).
In these examples we find, that the Spirit, in the New Testament, answers to the oil in the Old-that the Word of God, in the New Testament, answers to the water in the Old-that the blood of Jesus, in the New Testament, answers to the blood of the offerings, and to the ashes of the heifer, in the Old. In the Old we have the shadow, in the New, the reality.
But by comparing the reality with the shadow, we are helped in tracing out the full meaning of the reality. Can we not thus find our place as holy persons, marked out for us, and that most distinctly?
Have we come to Jesus as the Sin-offering? Have we by faith touched Him, so as to be made whole? The touch has made us holy.
Have we received “the unction from the Holy One?” “the holy anointing oil?” By that touch we are most holy. And why? Because that gift of the Holy Ghost has made us one with Him who is the Most Holy—has made us kings and priests, to reign and to praise with Him who is the King and the Priest forever.
Have we received the “washing of water by the word?” It is that we may be holy and without blemish. Do we realize this? Do we feel that no “consecration” of ourselves by our own will, or by the hands of man, no monastic vows, no “ordination,” could set us apart for God, as we are now, if believers, set apart by the precious Blood, by the anointing of the Holy Ghost, by the Word which is truth? To our natural hearts it is easier to realize the idea of a holy building, of holy places, of holy bread or wine, than of holy persons, made so not by the act of man, but by the act of God. Yet it is the reality, and the only reality of the matter, that if we are saved, if we have received the Spirit of the Holy One, we are holy as no angel can he holy; we are set apart for God, now, and forever—His Temple, His people, the Bride of His Son, to whom it is given to “be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, and to whom it is said in the words of tenderest love and grace, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
“Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” What can we say more, but that being thus made one with Christ in glory, and “having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Not merely refrain in our own persons from unholy acts and ways, but also “purge ourselves from the vessels to dishonor— “that we may be vessels unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”