Holy - Holiness
Table of Contents
Holy - Holiness: Part 3
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 Lev. 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 t his 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.
1. By the presence of God. Ex. 3:5; Josh. 5:15.
2. By the glory of God. Ex. 29:43.
3. By the presence of the Ark. 2 Chron. 8
4. By blood. Heb. 9:13, from which verse we learn that the things purified by blood were thereby sanctified.
The things to which the blood was applied in type, are as follows:The book of the land. Heb. 9:19.
The people. Ex. 24:8.
The tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. Heb. 9.21.
Aaron, his garments, his sons, and his sons' garments. Ex. 29:21.
The leper and the leprous house. Lev. 14.
In Ezek. 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. Ex. 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 (Lev. 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. (Num. 19) The word " sanctified " is applied to this case in Heb. 9
7. By water. The people who were to be sanctified Ex. 19 were to wash their clothes.
Aaron and his sons to be washed. (Ex. 29) The Levites who are called holy (2 Chron. 35:3) were to be thus washed. (Num. 8) In other examples of washings, the terms sanctified, or holy, are not used.
8. By having been offered before the Lord, for example-The censers of Korah's company. Num. 16
9. By touching that which is most holy, as in Ex. 30:29, where of the seven things made most holy by anointing, it is said, "whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy." See also Matt. 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, (Lev. 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 Lev. 27
In the New Testament we also find various means of sanctification, answering in some cases to the typical means in the Old Testament.
1. By the Father. Jude 1; John 17:17.
2. By the Son. Heb. 2:11; 1 Cor. 1:30.
3. By the Spirit. Rom. 15:16; 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2.
4. By the word of God (" the truth.") John 17:17; Eph. 5:26; 1 Tim. 4:5.
5. By prayer. 1 Tim. 4:5.
6. By relationship. 1 Cor. 7:14.
7. By the Blood of Jesus. Heb. 10:29; 13:12.
8. By the Will of God. Heb. 10:10.
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."
Holy - Holiness: Part 1
What is it to be holy?
I think we may say that holiness is one of the words of Scripture, to which most of us attach but a vague meaning. We know for example that a saint means a holy person. But the expression " a saint " conveys to many people an idea of superior goodness, so that were you to say to them, " Are you saints?" they would understand it to mean, "Are you specially good?" "Are your ways, and your hearts, and your tempers better than those of most people?" And naturally they would hesitate, and ought to do so, as to whether the word saint, could in any degree apply to them. I am referring now to Christians only, to whom the word saint is not a nickname expressing contempt and dislike. We know that to many it is nothing more than a term of reproach.
Let us look into the Word of God, to see in what manner the word is there used. We first find the expression in Gen. 2:3. We there read that God hallowed a certain day. In other words, He set it apart for Himself.
In Ex. 3:5, we next find it, "Holy ground,"-holy, because of the Lord's manifested presence. The same in Josh. 5:15. If you look carefully into the Hebrew Concordance, you will meet the word again, in speaking of the following days, persons, or things;1st & 7th Days of Unleavened Bread.
The Firstborn of Israel
The habitation of Jehovah.
The nation of Israel.
The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle.
Garments for Aaron (especially the Crown).
Gifts of the children of Israel to the Lord.
Aaron and his Son.
His son's garments.
The Wave Breast.
The Heave Shoulder.
The Brazen Altar.
Whatever touched it.
The Tabernacle.
The Incense Altar.
The Anointing Oil.
The Ark.
The Table and his Vessels.
The Candlestick and his Vessels.
The Laver and his foot.
The Perfume.
All the vessels of the Tabernacle.
The Meat Offering.
The Sin Offering.
The Trespass Offering.
The Peace Offering.
Every one that touched offerings of the Lord made by fire, or that touched the flesh of the Sin Offering.
The Linen Coat.
The Fruit of the 4th year.
The Priests.
The Holy Convocations, viz.- The Sabbath. The Passover. Unleavened Bread, 1st & 7th days. Day of Firstfruits. Feast of Trumpets. Day of Atonement. Feast of Tabernacles (1st & 8th days).
The Shewbread.
The Year of Jubilee.
Any beast, clean or unclean, presented to the Lord.
The exchange of any such beast.
A House, or Field dedicated to the Lord.
The estimation of such a field till the year of Jubilee.
Every devoted thing.
Tithes of seed or fruit, herd or flock.
Exchange of the two latter.
Water mentioned in Num. 5:17.
The Nazarite.
The Man whom the Lord chooses to come near to Him.
The Censers in Num. 16, because "they offered them before the Lord."
The firstling of a Cow, Sheep, or Goat.
The Camp.
The 3 Cities of Refuge west of the Jordan.
Things set apart for the Temple service by David and others.
The places whereunto the Ark of the Lord had come.
The Temple itself.
Heaven.
The Levites.
The Sheep-gate.
Zion.
The Lord's Throne.
The Spirit.
Sinai.
The Arm of the Lord.
The Promise of the Lord.
The Remnant of Israel.
The Covenant.
In the future, it is applied to restored Israel-The Cities of the Lord-The oblation of the Land-The whole limit around the house of the Lord-Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah.
Above all, we find the word applied to the Lord Himself, and to His Name.
Of these things, we find seven called Most Holy, or Holy of Holies,-and seven more which become Most Holy by anointing. The former are:I The Holy of Holies.-2 The Perfume.-3 The Meat Offering.-4 The Sin Offering.-5 The Trespass Offering. -6 The Shewbread.-7 Every devoted thing.
The latter are:—1. The Tabernacle.-2. The Ark.-3. The Table and all his Vessels.-4. The Altar of Incense.-5. The Altar of Burnt Offering, and all his vessels.-6. The Laver and his foot.
Besides this, in the future, the Oblation of the land, and the limit round the house, are called Most Holy.
( To be continued.)
Holy - Holiness: Part 2
We will now refer to those passages which specially belong to the New Dispensation. Old Testament persons and things which are spoken of as holy in the Old Dispensation, and thus mentioned in the New, are not included in the following list, nor are Angels, Prophets, and the Scriptures, because though the word Holy is not applied to them in the Old Testament, they were already holy in Old Testament times. Nor is John the Baptist, (called holy, Mark 6:20) included in the list specially belonging to the New dispensation.
One example only is given of each.
Luke 1:35-" That holy thing."
John 10:36-Jesus.
" 17:19-Christ and His people.
Acts 9:13-The name of saints, (holy people) given to believers. (They are called by this name 48 times, not including passages where believers in other dispensations are also called Saints.)
Rom. 12:1-The bodies of believers.
" 16:16-" An holy kiss."
1 Cor. 3:17-" The temple of God is holy, which ye (believers) are."
" 7:14-The children of believers called holy, the unbelieving husband or wife said to be sanctified.
Eph. 3:5-Apostles and Prophets of New Testament.
" 5:26-The Church.
1 Thess. 5:27-Brethren
1 Tim. 4:5-Every creature of God sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
2 Tim. 1:9-Calling.
" 2:21-The man purged from the vessels to dishonor is sanctified.
Heb. 2:11-Christ and His brethren.
1 Pet. 2:5, 9-Priesthood and nation, as applied to Christians.
2 Peter 1:18-" The holy mount."
" 3:11-" Holy conversation."
Rev. 20:6-He that hath part in the first resurrection.
" 21: 2-City (from Heaven) called (v. so) Jerusalem (from Heaven.)
(To be continued.)
Errata.-P. 35, line 15, read, Aaron and his sons; line 16, his sons' garments; p. 36, line 4, add No. "4 The candlestick and his vessels," alter the following Nos. accordingly.