Pastor Lynda
MacDonald, Nova Scotia
It is not only possible for man to be
holy, it is commanded!
"YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM
HOLY." 1
1 Pet
The Hebrew word for “holy” is “kadosh”. It means “to be set apart, designated”.
Recently, our Monday evening Bible class
did a study on the word Holy. We found that things as well as people can be
holy. We looked at what holy really means. The word signifies that something has
been designated for a particular use and never to be used for anything else.
For example, I am a seamstress and I have a pair of scissors that cannot
(according to me) be used for anything other than to cut cloth –not paper, etc.
In a sense those scissors are holy –set apart for a particular use.
That caused the question to arise –Do we
make ourselves holy by our living standards? How do we become holy? This is
what we found according to scriptures.
First –God is holy. Secondly, things such
as the Tabernacle articles were holy. God declared ground holy. “For where you
stand is holy ground.” Ex 3:5
Every time we read where the word holy
appeared, we saw that it was not through any ability of mankind but a
declaration by God. He called it holy.
I grew up in church circles where (years
ago) the way we dressed and talked was supposed to make us holy. A bun in my
hair or black stockings under a long dress was holy apparel. If we spoke a
certain way in praying like saying “Goda” and “Heavena”, it gave people the impression of a “holy person”.
I am not mocking; I am serious.
Our Bible search allowed us to come to
these conclusions:
His Word is HOLY
Anything He picks for His use is HOLY. ie, Sabbath
HOLY seems to be attached to a daily
lifestyle where service is given to obeying His Torah (Word).
Our discussion concluded with these
thoughts. We cannot be holy IF we choose to live according to our own beliefs.
We cannot be holy and live outside of His Word. We can be holy IF we walk in His
Ways. What are His ways?
According to Psalm 119, His ways are
1.Law,
2.Instructions,
3.Paths,
4.Precepts,
5.Statutes,
6.Commandments,
7.testimonies,
8.The way of truth,
9. Judgements
10.The Word
Some scriptures about the word Holy
Lev
For I am ADONAI, who brought
you up out of the
Le 23:2
"Tell the people of
Deut 7:6
For you are a people set apart as holy
for ADONAI your God. ADONAI your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on
the face of the earth to be his own unique treasure.
1Sa 2:2
"No one is as holy as ADONAI,
because there is none to compare with you, no rock like our God.
Ps 3:4
With my voice I call out to ADONAI, and he
answers me from his holy hill. (Selah)
Ps 46:4
There is a river whose streams gladden the
city of
Pr 9:10
The fear of ADONAI is the beginning of
wisdom, and knowledge of holy ones is understanding.
Jer 17:22
Don't carry anything out of your houses on
Shabbat; and don't do any work. Instead, make Shabbat a holy day. I
ordered your ancestors to do this.
Shalom!
