God's Holiness

So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!” The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.” For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town. Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven. [1 Samuel 5.10-12]

Ekron was the third place the Philistines sent the Ark of God. It had first been taken to Ashdod then to Gath. Everywhere the Ark was taken was stricken with a plague of tumors.

Interestingly enough, even when the Philistines wised up and returned the Ark to Israel at Beth-shemesh, 70 Israelite men who looked into the Ark there died as well. It seems most people simply did not take the Ark of God seriously ...until folks started dying! Then, the fear of God emerged!

Is it any wonder then what Jesus would teach His followers first in His instructions on how to pray?

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. [Matthew 6.9-13]

The first thing Jesus taught us to pray was placed first for a reason - a big reason. He taught us to first pray (say) "may Your name be kept holy." This is something we see the Philistines (and even some Israelites) failed to understand and, as a result developed fear of God the hard way! Having discussed this, we should consider these important scriptures:

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! [Psalm 111.10]

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. [Proverbs 1.7]

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. [Proverbs 9.10]

Without fearing the holiness of God, there is little hope of understanding God at all. At best, God's love is misunderstood unless comprehended as it relates to His holiness. In fact, God's love is only as fickle as human love unless the foundation of His holiness is understood and feared. God's unmatched love is only possible because of His holiness.

God's love, that sent His Son, is first and foremost, holy. Everything God has anything to do with is "perfect." That is why the sacrificial animals of the Old Covenant had to be "without defect." That is why God's perfect Son could be the only sacrifice for humanity. God's holiness and His love - His love and His holiness - cannot be separated and subsequently, will never operate independently of each another. Consider the following:

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. [Luke 1.35]

“Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” [Mark 1.24]

If the angel who announced Jesus' birth to Mary called Him holy, and demons recognized Him as holy, shouldn't we, as humans, acknowledge His holiness as well? In fact, 40% (the first four) of the Ten Commandments are all relative to God's holiness (this goes for the Son as well).

Should it not pique our interest that medical issues and weather phenomena were interpreted as God's way of communicating in today's OYCB reading (plagues and voice of "thunder")? Would we not do well to at least consider medical issues and weather as possible communications from God today? Why wouldn't we? Because we have believed the lies of Satan that these things are not communication from God (likened to telling Eve, "you won't die...") and we therefore do not fear God who controls them thus signaling that we have no concept of His holiness. The only thing left then to get our attention (since we are so calloused to God's normal methods of correction) is eternity in hell.

Father, I am going to stop right here and say, thank You for Jesus. May Your Name be kept holy! May I learn more and more to fear You - to comprehend Your holiness - so that I might experience the depths of Your love! So be it!