Sermon Tone Analysis

The order in which Jehovah—The Great I AM WHO I AM—revealed His names is significant.

In Genesis, the book of beginnings, we see the beginning of sin and God revealed Himself as *Jehovah Jireh* the One who Provides redemption for our sin.

In Exodus, the book of redemption, He shows Himself working as *Jehovah Jireh* as their redeemer by delivering them from the bondage of Egypt.

Then He is *Jehovah Rophe*—their Healer from all the bitterness of life, and *Jehovah Nissi* as the One who will fight with them over the world and their flesh.

Now we come to the book of Leviticus, the book of holiness and worship, where *Jehovah M’Kaddesh* shows a redeemed people how they should live a holy life.

¨     Leviticus 20:7-8 (NIV) 7 “‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep My decrees and follow them.

*I am the Lord, who makes you holy (Jehovah M’Kaddesh--The LORD My Sanctifier).*

Now it is obvious from reading the verses and chapters prior to this that holiness was a lifestyle God wanted for His people Israel.

In fact the major theme of the book of Leviticus is Holiness.

God gave Israel many rules regarding food, childbirth, cleanliness, skin care (to avoid leprosy), ceremonial rituals, etc.

Each time the phrase is given to them “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”

While the dietary laws are no longer in force (Acts 10:9–16; Mark 7:19), God still wants his people to be holy

 

We must be careful when we read these scriptures to not think that holy living is only what you eat, wear, or how you act.

While it is true that our lives will reflect the nature of God as we draw closer to Him, it is not only the outward lifestyle that makes us a holy people.

I know I have to be careful here, because there are some people (e.g.

Amish, Mennonite) who have adopted a strict lifestyle of separation from worldly things (e.g.

electricity, television, etc) and I do not want to sound critical of them.

In fact in some ways I admire their courage to remain consistent in their beliefs.

Sadly this week we saw the killing of 5 innocent Amish girls by an outsider (English) which shows that as much as the Amish people want to be separate from the world, they truly are not exempt from the sin of the world.

However, here to me is the greatest evidence of their holy lifestyle—the fact that they could forgive the man who killed their precious daughters and reach out to the family of the murderer.

I wonder if a similar murder happened in our churches if we would be able to extend the same grace and mercy to the family of the murderer or if we would want justice and hold a bitter grudge against them?

So what does God mean when He revealed Himself to be *Jehovah M’Kaddesh*—*the Lord My Sanctifier*?

What does it mean to live a holy life?

What does it mean for God to sanctify us?

The word that is used here in the name *M’Kaddesh* has at it root the Hebrew word “Kadash~/Kadosh”—which means “to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified.”

The primary meaning of the word is to set apart, or separate.

So Sanctification or Holiness has 2 parts—to set apart */from/* sin, and to set apart */to/* God.

Unfortunately, we have often focused on the first part (separation from sin) and ignored the latter part (separation to God).

So today I want to look at both parts and see if we can come to a better understanding of what to be holy really means in our daily lives.

*6942 **קָדַשׁ* [/qadash/ ~/kaw·*dash*~/] v.

A primitive root; TWOT 1990; GK 7727; 172 occurrences; AV translates as “sanctify” 108 times, “hallow” 25 times, “dedicate” 10 times, “holy” seven times, “prepare” seven times, “consecrate” five times, “appointed” once, “bid” once, “purified” once, and translated miscellaneously seven times.

*1* to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.

1a (Qal).

/1a1/ to be set apart, be consecrated.

/1a2/ to be hallowed.

/1a3/ consecrated, tabooed.

1b (Niphal).

/1b1/ to show oneself sacred or majestic.

/1b2/ to be honoured, be treated as sacred.

/1b3/ to be holy.

1c (Piel).

/1c1/ to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate.

/1c2/ to observe as holy, keep sacred.

/1c3/ to honour as sacred, hallow.

/1c4/ to consecrate.

1d (Pual).

/1d1/ to be consecrated.

/1d2/ consecrated, dedicated.

1e (Hiphil).

/1e1/ to set apart, devote, consecrate.

/1e2/ to regard or treat as sacred or hallow.

/1e3/ to consecrate.

1f (Hithpael).

/1f1/ to keep oneself apart or separate.

/1f2/ to cause Himself to be hallowed (of God).

/1f3/ to be observed as holy.

/1f4/ to consecrate oneself.[i]

*Separate from Sin:*

     As God’s holy people, we are delivered from the power of sin over our lives when we get born-again.

However, there is still the flesh to contend with and the fleshly desires to fight every day as we see in Gal 5:19-21 (NIV).

¨     The acts of the sinful nature (flesh) are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Many of these fleshly desires (hatred, jealousy, fits of rage) are thought to be normal, while we will look down upon those who are involved in sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, etc.

However, as we see in this passage they are all deeds (acts) of the flesh and one is as bad as the other.

The thing that got Israel in trouble was the fact that they followed the patterns of the people around them.

There were terrible sacrifices of the children to the God Molech (Lev 20:2).

They consulted mediums and sorcerers (Lev 20:6).

They worshipped other gods and turned away from Jehovah God.

All of these things were deeds of the flesh that finally ended in the judgment of Israel.

The point of these examples is to show that although Israel had all the right religious rituals and ate the right foods, it was what was in their hearts that defiled them and destroyed them.

It was not because they didn’t do all the regulations exactly and perfectly that God judged them, but rather for listening to other voices, doing what those around them told them to, not listening to His commandments, and not trusting Him to be their all in all (as He had told them when He revealed Himself to them as *Jehovah Rophe* Ex 15:26).

Now God has told them that He is the One who will make them a holy people.

He will show them how to live a life of holiness if they will let Him.

He will show them that separating themselves from sin is not to take away their pleasure, but instead to protect them and keep them safe from the corrupting power of the nations around them.

¨     1 Peter 1:13-18 (NIV) Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

15 But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear (respect, worship).

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

¨     1 Peter 2:11 (NIV) Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

You see here is the key to why we should be separate from sin—sin wages war with our soul.

If we chose to live a life full of fleshly desires there will not be any peace in our minds, wills, or emotions.

Now I know that we have an enemy who constantly wars against us, but when we are living a life separate from sin, we take away a large part of his power over us, because we don’t yield our flesh to his control.

John summarized it well

¨     1 John 2: 15-16 (NIV) 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For everything in the world—*the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does* (KJV lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life)—comes not from the Father but from the world.

*Separate to God:*

I am so glad that our message is not just one of not being able to do certain things as we separate ourselves from sin.

Instead the real power of our message comes from the fact that God wants us to be separate unto Him.

If only Israel had understood this truth then they could have been spared from the years of hardship and destruction that came as a result of their turning away from God. 

W.E.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary says:  “God */calls/* people to belong */(friendship)/* to Him and to serve Him */(laborer)/* in the world.

He sets believers apart */(holy; holiness; sanctify; sanctification),/* granting them */access/* into His presence, bestowing upon them */forgiveness, freedom, grace,/* and */favor./*”[ii]

Now we are beginning to see the real value of being separated as a people to God.

He calls us His people and gives us full access to His presence.

¨     1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

¨     Eph 2:18-19 (NIV) For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,

Friends, no matter what happens in our lives if we are walking with God as His friend, He will be there to take care of us.

“Both the reason and the goal of all God’s ethical requirements is His own holy character (Lev.