May 2005

KADOSH, KADOSH, KADOSH

Blessings in the Holy One of Israel!

Each night before we read the Bible at bedtime, Neil checks the internet for daily news about Israel. For the past two months, he has been deeply distressed about the political situation, including the flagrant corruption and ungodliness among the nation’s leaders. Equally appalling is the disregard for the Holy Scriptures concerning the Land of Israel and who it really belongs to: the Holy One of Israel. Where are those who tremble at the Word of the Lord (Isaiah 66:5)? The same question can be asked concerning our own country. Jamie has been saddened recently at the staggering number of marriages breaking up, especially among believers. Whatever happened to "holy matrimony"? Do we really know before Whom we stand? "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31) The God of Israel is a God who hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).

The God of the Bible is a Holy God. Yes, He is a God of Love and our compassionate Heavenly Father, but His very essence as seen from an accurate Hebraic perspective is Holiness. Only one word is used to describe God using repetition, the Hebraic way of giving emphasis to something. That word is "holy," in Hebrew Ka DOSH. This truth is established in two Biblical references, one in the Hebrew Scriptures and one in the Brit Ha Dasha (New Covenant). In the prophet Isaiah chapter 6, verses 1 - 3, we read, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim ... and one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy (kah-DOSH, kah-DOSH, kah-DOSH) is the Lord of hosts (ah-do-NAI tz’vah-OAT); the whole earth is full of His glory!" The other reference is found in the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation. A New Covenant prophet, John, had a vision of heaven and saw the God of Israel in a manner similar to Isaiah, including angelic beings located around the throne of God: "And they do not rest day or night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy (kahDOSH, kahDOSH, kahDOSH) Lord God Almighty (ah-do-NAI eh-lo-HEEM tz’vah-OAT), who was and is and is to come" (Revelation 4:8)!

There is no God like the God of Israel! He is AWESOME, and we should constantly be in awe of Him. He is Ha-ka-DOSH ba-RUCH-hoo, the Holy One, blessed be He. He is the God who took off the chariot wheels of the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:25), and the God who put a pillar of cloud between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. (This cloud was miraculously a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other.) This same God parted the waters of the Red Sea, and brought them back again just as the Egyptians were fleeing into it. Our God not only does wonders, He is the Creator of all wonders.

Since the God of Israel is kaDOSH, different, separate, and unique, things connected with Him are also kaDOSH. The very first mention of "holy" in the Bible refers to ground. God’s presence in the burning bush (Ex. 3:5) sanctified or made the very ground on which Moses stood "holy." The second mention of "holy" in the Bible is a "holy convocation," the Passover (Ex. 12:16). KOdesh is the form of "holy" used as an adjective and suffix. Other holy connections include KO-desh ko-da-SHEEM (Holy of Holies), ah-RON ha-KO-desh (Holy Ark), eer ha-KO-desh (Holy City, i.e. Jerusalem), eh-rets ha-KO-desh (the Holy Land, i.e. Israel), keet-VEY ha-KO-desh (Holy Scriptures), lah-SHON ha-KO-desh (the Holy Language, i.e. Hebrew), ROO-akh ha-KO-desh (the Holy Spirit) and sha-BAHT KO-desh (the Holy Sabbath). Other "holy" connections to God include the "holy" place (Ex. 26:33), "holy" garments (Ex. 28:2), "holy" gifts (Ex. 28:38), "holy" crown (Ex. 29:6), "holy" ointment (Ex. 30:25), "holy" vessels (Ex. 30:28) and "holy" day (Ex. 35:2).

It’s one thing for God to be holy, but people? We know ourselves, and most of us have a difficult time seeing ourselves as "holy" because of such Biblical truths as Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing..." We, like the prophet Isaiah, are undone when we have a revelation of just how "Holy" God is. He is a consuming fire, and to be in His presence is humbling, amazing and awe-inspiring.

There are two groups of people called by God to be "holy" in the Holy Scriptures: the Jewish people and the Body of Believers in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah. Both groups were called to be witnesses, to reflect the Holy God who chose them. Israel’s calling is found in Exodus 19:4-6: "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (goy ka-DOSH)." This holy nation was to be distinct, different, separate from all other nations on the face of the earth. That’s why God gave the Jewish people the "Law of Separation." He wanted His people to separate themselves unto Himself–to show that He was their first priority. Israel was to be different from all other nations because her God was different from all other gods.

In much the same way, New Covenant believers are called to be holy, unique and separate (1 Peter 1:15-16). As a holy priesthood, we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (1Peter 2:5), just as Israel was instructed to offer physical sacrifices (Leviticus 17:5). "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (1Peter 2:9) As He is The Light, we are to reflect that light in a lost and dark world (Matthew 5:16).

The question still remains: "How do we become holy?" The first part to the answer is positional. We are made holy by being "in Messiah." He imparts holiness to us through His Holy Spirit, the ROO-ach ha- KO-desh. His death on the tree made our "sanctification" possible: "Therefore Yeshua also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate" (Hebrews 13:12). "It is His doing that you are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He has become wisdom for us from God, and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well!" (1Corinthians 1:30 JNT) Although holiness is a gift from God, there seems to be a walking out of this gift through faith and obedience that can make a believer in Yeshua stand out in a crowd, on a bus, in an office, in the classroom, even in the supermarket. "Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 6:17-18, 7:1)

Just as Israel today needs to renew her vision of being a "holy nation," and act upon this, the Body of Believers in Yeshua needs to embrace her God-given destiny of being a royal priesthood and a holy nation (a corporate calling) so that our Holy God is glorified in the earth. Yeshua is coming back for a "holy bride," one without spot and wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). Our marriage relationship with our Heavenly Bridegroom is called ki-du-SHEEN, literally sanctification.

In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Philippians 2:15), there are some holy lights shining in the Holy Land and here in the U.S. that have recently come to our attention. These lights are believers who are "separate," "different," "unique" and "new," with focus on the word "new." The Holy Scriptures connect our being holy or separate with being new: "Therefore, if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (II Corinthians 5:17). Ephesians 2:14-16 tells us that Yeshua, our peace, has made both Jew and Gentile one, "so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."

The new, holy happening is the reconciliation through the Messiah Yeshua of Jews and Arabs who at one time harbored deep hatred for one another. Now they love as friends and brothers. Their stories are on a DVD called "Forbidden Peace," produced by Jews for Jesus. It is an excellent production which ushered a holy hush into our home as we listened to the stories of Israelis and Palestinians who all agree that the only hope for peace in the Middle East is an encounter with the Holy One of Israel through His Son, Yeshua. Order this DVD, be blessed, and pass it on to minister hope and life to others!

The other new, fresh, holy happening is a music CD called "Sons of Abraham Worshiping God Together, A Blessing in the Midst of the Earth." This CD was produced live at the Word Wide Watch Convocation in Jerusalem. The worship team of Adranly and Boskey are a blessing as Jews and Arabs praise and worship the Lord together in the beauty of holiness. The CD is not "slick" and "professional," but we find it to be "holy" and "anointed" for what it represents and how it touches the heart (of the listener and God)! Included on the album is the song "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh" ("Holy, Holy, Holy").

During a ministry trip in April, Neil ministered at Praise Cathedral in Tampa, FL on the Book of Esther. His unique message on "holiness" from this book prompted the host pastor, Pastor Mike Thomas, to make the following comment at the close of Neil’s message: "...It was the kindest sermon on holiness that I’ve ever heard... the most scriptural, kind and loving... I consider myself to have learned something today, I think we all have...To be holy, we cannot be anti-semitic, nor can we be racist or prejudiced... how we have narrowed holiness to hairline and hemline, how we did that, I’ll never know but we did it..."

We have packaged this tape along with another message called "Kadosh" that Neil gave many years ago. Jamie listened to it and felt that it was so anointed it should be reintroduced with the message based on the Book of Esther. Enjoy a double blessing!

Giving thanks at the remembrance of His holiness,

Neil & Jamie

P.S. May all you precious Mothers and "Mothers in Israel" experience the joy of seeing your children bow before the Holy One of Israel! Keep pondering God’s promises in your heart. He is Faithful.