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קֹ֫דֶשׁ (Qodesh): Holiness, Sacredness · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking, where the place you come to for
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a deep dive into well foundational concepts straight
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from Scripture. And today we're really zeroing
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in on a word you see just hundreds of times in the Hebrew
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Bible. It's a word that's absolutely
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central, I think, to understanding God himself and
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how he interacts with humanity. That word is holiness.
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We're going to unpack the Hebrew terms quoto, quoto and also
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Mikdash. Our mission really for this deep
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dive is to try and grasp the the multifaceted nature of holiness,
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not just as some abstract idea, you know, but it's something
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really concrete, something that shakes, places, objects, people,
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even time itself. We want to see how it actually
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operated day-to-day in ancient Israel and maybe think about
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what it means for us. That's right.
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That's exactly the goal. We want to get a really
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clearview of how holiness functions.
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It's different dimensions, you could say, and how it really
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shaped the Israelite way of life.
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Every part of it will trace how God himself sets things apart,
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places, people, specific times, all for his own purposes.
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You'll see this idea of holiness is just fundamental to what the
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Bible reveals about God's character and, well, His desires
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for his creation. OK, so let's dive in the
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foundational definition first. When we look at those Hebrew
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terms, quesha and Krdoch, what's the what's the absolute core
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idea they're getting across? Well, at its heart, both quashak
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and quatto, they fundamentally signify a partness, or you could
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say sacredness, the state of being set apart.
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It's all about distinction. Separation, separation.
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And here's something that really helps clarify it.
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This concept stands in direct contrast to another Hebrew word.
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Hersh remains common or ordinary, so.
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It's the opposite of everyday stuff.
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Exactly. This opposition shows that
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whatever is holy is separated. It's distinct from the mundane,
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and because it's distinct, it demands careful treatment.
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Reverence. It means it's reserved for a
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special purpose, usually because God has specifically claimed it
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or his presence is there. So it's not simply good in the
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way we might normally use the word.
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It's more specific than that. It's set apart.
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Set apart for God's special use, or maybe even his presence
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itself. That separation seems absolutely
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key. It is.
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It creates these tangible boundaries, designations within
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the world. It shows holiness isn't some
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vague spiritual feeling. It's about dedication,
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consecration, something being uniquely forgot.
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Now, our sources point out that the the grammatical forms of
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Krusha actually affected specific meaning.
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They add nuances. Can you walk us through those
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different forms? How they shift the meaning
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slightly? Certainly.
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Let's start with a singular form.
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Just this can denote holiness as well an abstract quality just
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sacred as in general. For instance, you read in Amos
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4.2 or Psalm 89 and that God swears by His Holiness.
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Right, that's not a physical thing.
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No, exactly. It's pointing to his inherent
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nature, His character. His Holiness is the ultimate
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guarantee. OK, abstract quality.
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What else? Well, in many contexts kasha
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actually functions more like an adjective in English.
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It describes something as holy. Think of holy ground.
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Nemesh Dyrath back in Exodus 3.5.
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Moses at the burning Bush. Yeah, the ground wasn't special
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before God showed up. Precisely.
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God's presence made it distinct, sacred.
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Or think about the holy garments.
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But Simon cried for the priests in Exodus 28.
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These weren't just nice clothes. They attributed that quality of
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set apartness to the priests marking them for divine service.
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So it describes something as having that quality.
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Yes, and it can also refer to a holy thing, or what is holy just
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in a general sense, anything distinct from the common.
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This could be holy foods, maybe things only priests could eat,
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or sacred vessels use in worship or the Sabbath, which is called
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Shabba. Kya holy Sabbath set apart time.
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Exactly a day distinct from the other six reserved.
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Then when you see Hashiya with the definite article ha, it
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specifically designates the holy place.
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The Holy. Place the outer room of the
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Tabernacle or the temple, and this area was characterized by
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limited access. Only priests could go in there,
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and only when ritually poor. It held specific sacred items
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like the table of showbread, the incense altar, a distinctly
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sacred area. OK, that makes sense.
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So singular, abstract quality, descriptive, a holy thing of the
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holy place. What about the plural form you
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mentioned? Quadogim.
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What does that tell us? Right, the plural quayam or
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sometimes hakushim. With the article, this most
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notably refers to votive offerings, or you could say Holy
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Gifts, sacred donation. Things people gave to God.
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Yes, items or funds. Individuals dedicated to God for
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the temple, for the worship. The sources mentioned money for
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votive offering, silver perhaps or animals like sheep offered as
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holy gifts. It really highlights how
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individuals actively participated by dedicating their
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own stuff, making it a holy, by giving it to God.
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So it covers those dedicated gifts.
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It does, and it can also just mean more broadly all the holy
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things, a collective term for everything set apart for divine
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use. Got it.
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And then there's that really intense 1, the construct state
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or great shin creation, holiness of holiness is that sounds like
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an absolute peak. It is that phrasing holiness of
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holiness is it denotes something extremely holy or most holy.
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It's like a superlative It is the specific term for the most
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Holy place, also called the Holy of Holies or sometimes Daber.
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The innermost room. The very innermost, most sacred
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part of the Tabernacle or temple.
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This is where the Lord's unique presence was understood to dwell
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most intensely and access extremely limited.
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Only the high Priest. Once a year exactly.
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Only the high priest, only on the Day of Atonement, and only
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after intense purification rituals.
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That restriction just underlines its incredible sacredness.
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Wow. And that term, Kushka Shim, it
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doesn't just apply to the room, it also applies to certain
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sacred objects and offerings that require the absolute
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highest degree of consecration. Extreme care.
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Things like specific sacrifices, sin offerings, guilt offerings,
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certain food offerings, the altar itself was considered most
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holy, and of course the Ark of the Covenant housed within the
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Holy of Holies. So these things carried a kind
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of concentrated holiness. You could say that demanding
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extreme care, any mistake could be dangerous.
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It's really clear then. Holiness isn't just a label.
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Someone's slaps on something, it gets conveyed somehow, it
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becomes real. So how does this apartness
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actually happen? How does something become holy?
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The sources talk about interconnected mechanism.
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You do. It's a dynamic process.
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The first mechanism, the ultimate source, is God's own
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intrinsic nature. Holiness is his inherent
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attribute. God is intrinsically Kodosh.
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He's characterized by majesty, transcendence, inviolability.
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He's utterly distinct, separate from all creation, all impurity.
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So it starts with God himself. Absolutely, and this divine
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holiness and extends to everything directly connected to
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him. His name often calls Shum Korche
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my holy name, It's sacred not to be profaned.
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His spirit rue Quacho, his Holy Spirit, his word decay, holy
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words and his actions think it makes it as 15 again majestic
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and holiness revealed in his victory.
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Everything flowing from his character radiates his
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sacredness. OK, so God is holy and things
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connected to his nature reflect that.
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It's like a source radiating outwards.
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What about the places and objects then?
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The ones we see designated as holy?
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How do they get that quality? That brings us to the second
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mechanism, divine presence and consecration.
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Holiness is conveyed through God's actual presence in a
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specific location or upon certain objects, certain
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individuals. That presence makes them sacred.
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This can happen by God's direct initiative, like at the burning
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Bush, or it can happen through human dedication, using specific
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rituals to set something apart for divine purposes.
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OK, so presence or deliberate setting apart, how does that
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apply to places? It applies very clearly to
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places. A holy place, often called me
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Dash or Kia, is basically where God dwells, where he's normally
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present. This obviously includes the
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Tabernacle and the temple. The text explicitly calls him
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Megash or Kasha because God's presence was there, his dwelling
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place. The main sanctuaries.
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Yes, and also specific areas within those sanctuaries.
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We already mentioned the Holy Place and the Most holy place.
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They had different degrees of God's presence, different levels
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of access, creating a kind of gradient of holiness.
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And it wasn't just the Tabernacle or temple, other
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sites too. Mount Sinai, for instance, it
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was set apart as sacred when God descended upon it.
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Jerusalem is frequently called the Holy City, your Hakush, or
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my Holy Mountain Harkarsha, because of God's choice to
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associate his name and presence there specifically with the
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temple site. So location matters because God
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chooses to be present there. Presence is key for places, and
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it also makes objects and offerings holy.
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Anything dedicated and consecrated to the Lord is
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considered kush. This is usually conveyed through
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ritual acts of consecration, setting something apart.
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Think of the sacred vessels and furniture for the Tabernacle or
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temple, the lampstand, the altars.
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They weren't just tools. Their use in worship made them
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holy. The special anointing, oil and
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incense. These were designated as holy
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material used in rituals to consecrate people or places.
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Sacrificial animals and offerings.
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Obviously they're a crush in some, as we said, were crush and
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crush him most holy. They were set apart as
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offerings, handled carefully, often consumed only by priests
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in a holy place. Vote of offerings.
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The quash him things, people gave sacred donations.
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Again, something common becomes holy by dedication to God.
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Even spoils of war. Sometimes booty could be
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consecrated to Yahweh, dedicated to him.
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It's really striking how physical and tangible this is.
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Objects. Places.
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What about people? How do individuals or groups
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become holy? That leads us right to the
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thirds mechanism, the separation of people.
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Holiness is conveyed to people when they are set apart by God
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for His purposes, or sometimes through their own devotion to
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Him. The clearest examples are the
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priests and Levites. They're called chesha, holy.
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They wear holy garments specifically because they are
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consecrated, set apart for divine service.
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Their whole role marks them as distinct.
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Mediators between God and the people.
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In a sense, yes. And then there's the entire
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nation of Israel, repeatedly called a holy people, Liam Joy,
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or holy to Yahweh Keshalaiwa. This points to their special
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status, chosen and set apart by God from all other nations, not
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because they were better, but because of God's sovereign
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choice set. Apart for a purpose.
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For his purposes, yes. To bear his name, to be his
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witnesses. And it could apply to
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individuals too. Prophets are sometimes described
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as holy, signifying their special calling, their closeness
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to God. Nazarites took special vows,
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setting themselves apart for a time of intense dedication.
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And you even see Joad consecrating his sons, a
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personal act of setting them apart for God's blessing within
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the family. OK, so people can be set apart
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by God or through their own vows or actions of dedication.
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And you mentioned time itself. How can time be holy?
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That's still hard to picture. Yeah, it's a fascinating aspect.
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The 4th mechanism is the consecration of time.
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Specific periods are consecrated, kept sacred,
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distinguishing them from ordinary common time.
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It creates sacred rhythms. The most obvious examples the
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Sabbath, Shabo Kocho, a holy day set apart right from creation,
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the text and play reserved for rest and worship.
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It literally interrupts the normal flow of the week.
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A holy pause. A holy pause exactly declaring
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that a portion of our time belongs uniquely to God.
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Then there are the holy convocations, Mika Crazia.
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These were special assemblies called at set times for worship
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like the annual feast, Passover weeks, booths.
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These were holy occasions to the community to gather and also the
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year of Jubilee, that special 50th year.
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Right, the reset year. Yes, it was observed as holy, a
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time for rest, for the land, release of debts, return of
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property. You reset things to reflect
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God's justice and sovereignty. These designated times are like
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markers creating periods dedicated to God, reinforcing
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His claim on all of life, including time itself.
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It definitely sounds like getting holiness, whether for a
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place or a person or time, isn't the end of the story.
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It seems like it needs to be actively maintained, guarded.
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It's an ongoing thing. That's a critical point,
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Absolutely critical. This is the 5th mechanism,
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purity and conduct. Holiness is also conveyed and
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maintained through the ongoing maintenance of both ritual and
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moral purity. This distinction between holy
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and common or profane, It required constant vigilance.
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How so? Ritually.
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Or ritually to interact with holy things, or even just to
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enter holy spaces, individuals had to maintain ceremonial
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cleanliness. This meant following specific
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laws, specific cleansing procedures like washing or
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waiting a certain period after becoming unclean.
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This created a clear distinction, as Litica says,
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between the holy and the common. These laws weren't just
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arbitrary rules. They reinforce the sacredness of
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God's presence, the seriousness of approaching him.
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They were like guardrails. Protecting God's holiness and
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the people too. Yes, protecting the people from
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the sheer intensity of that holiness.
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But beyond the ritual aspect, there's the deeply important
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concept of moral purity for people.
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Holiness is conveyed through moral goodness, uprightness
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actively emulating God's character.
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The be holy for I am holy command.
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Precisely that command echoes through Leviticus, for example,
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Leviticus 20.26. You shall be holy to me, for I
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the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples
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that you should be mine. This isn't just about avoiding
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unclean food or touching a dead body.
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It's a call to reflect God's very nature.
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Compassion, justice, mercy, righteousness.
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These are core to God's character and therefore core to
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the holiness He calls His people to.
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So the moral life is part of holiness.
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An essential part, the Mosaic Law provided that external
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standard, the guidelines for living this distinct consecrated
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life. And it's not just human effort.
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The texts also say God himself causes himself to be hallowed,
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and he works to keep his people pure and sacred.
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It shows that this transformation is a divine work
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happening in response to his initiative and setting them
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apart. It's a call to a complete life,
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set apart in ritual, yes, but also in their very being, their
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actions reflecting the moral perfection of the God who called
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them. Let's zoom in on one of those
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terms again. Mikdosh, you said it means
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sacred place or sanctuary. How specific does it relate to a
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holy location? Is it always a building?
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Migosh primarily means that yes, sacred place or sanctuary.
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It's denotes A consecrated place where God dwells, where he's
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normally present, where sacred objects are kept, where worship
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happens, and it's holiness comes directly from that divine
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presence. Our sources stress it often
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refers to a building dedicated to God's service, a place where
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the Lord is normally present if ritual and moral purity are
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maintained. OK.
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So it's tied to presence and purity.
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Right. It refers clearly to the
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Tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and its precincts.
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Leviticus 16 uses a related phrase, medasha kosha, and
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later, of course, it denotes the Jerusalem Temple and its
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precincts, including specific areas within it.
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It could also refer to earlier Israelite sanctuaries, perhaps
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Shiloh, where the ark rested. And interestingly, as we noted,
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it's not exclusively for Israelite places.
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It can sometimes refer to sanctuaries of other nations,
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like Moab or Tyre. Showing the concept of a
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dedicated sacred space was wider.
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It seems so, even if the object of worship was different.
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But what's really fascinating is how Mikdash gets used
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prophetically. It's used to describe a future
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sanctuary or even God as the sanctuary.
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Ezekiel 11.16 for instance. God promises the Exiles, yet I
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have been to them a little sanctuary, Mikash, in the
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countries where they have gone. Wow, so even without the temple
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building, God himself becomes their holy.
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Place like a powerful image, His presence becomes their
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protection, their sacred space, even in exile.
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And Ezekiel 37 promises a future everlasting sanctuary within
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them, an intimate, enduring presence that goes beyond any
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physical building. That really expands the meaning
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from a physical building to God himself being the sanctuary.
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That's quite a shift. OK, let's revisit the Holy of
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Holies, Kushim. That phrase, for something
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extremely holy, evokes such a sense of awe, of untouchability,
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almost. It absolutely does.
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It signifies the most sacred, the extremely holy part within
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the Tabernacle and temple, the absolute epicenter of holiness.
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It's that specific innermost part of the sacred building,
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uniquely separated, dedicated. Consider the central point of
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God's presence. Think of it like layers of
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increasing sanctity. And this is the very core.
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And the access was so restricted behind the veil.
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Yes, separated from the holy place by that thick veil, the
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Parshan. That veil wasn't just fabric, it
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symbolized the immense gap, the awe required between a holy God
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and sinful humanity. And inside primarily the Ark of
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the Covenant itself, a most holy thing, holding the tablet to the
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law. This innermost room is also
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called the Day Beer, meaning the backroom or Oracle Place, place
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of ultimate sanctity. Are there key passages that
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mention it specifically? Well, yes.
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Exodus 26.33 describes its set up in the Tabernacle.
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First Kings 8.6 and Second Chronicles 3.8 talk about
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placing the Ark there in Solomon's Temple.
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Sometimes in prophecy, like Daniel 9.24, the phrase might
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even refer to the temple complex more generally, highlighting its
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supreme sacredness in that context.
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OK. Now let's circle back to those
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votive offerings, the caution What exactly were these and why
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were they important for sort of everyday holiness practice?
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Right. The vote of offerings.
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These were essentially holy gifts, sacred donations that
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individuals dedicated or consecrated to God.
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The plural caution is the typical term, and their purpose
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was very clear. These were sacred things set
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apart for the worship, for the cult dedicated to the Lord.
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They were explicitly separated from the common, the hush, and
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because of that had to be treated with care and reverence.
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So it was a way for individuals to actively participate and
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setting things apart for God. Exactly a tangible act of
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devotion. And they could take various
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forms. Money was common money for
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votive offerings like silver, dedicated to the temple
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treasury. Animals too, like sheep, offered
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as holy gifts. Beyond the standard required
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sacrifices, treasures, spoils from war could be consecrated
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first. King 7 mentions David bringing
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question holy gifts, likely treasures to dedicated to the
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temple project. So quite a range of things could
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become holy gifts. Yes, and they even had
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designated storerooms shahuqua kojam for them in the temple
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complex. This shows they were managed
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carefully, kept separate. They were sacred, meant for
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religious use, supporting the priests, maintaining the
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sanctuary, not for personal gain.
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It's helpful to see the whole timeline, the sources, layout,
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and the cast of characters involved.
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It gives a real sense of how holiness unfolds through the
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biblical story. Can you paint that picture for
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us? Trace that development.
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Sure, it's a narrative that starts early and runs right
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through. We see holiness declared right
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at the beginning, with gone at the burning Bush, declaring the
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ground holy ground just because he's there.
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Exodus 3. Soon after, in the song of the
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Sea, God himself is praised as majestic and holiness.
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Exodus 15. His nature.
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Then at Sinai, the whole nation of Israel is designated a holy
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nation. Goykosh.
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Exodus 19. And they're commanded to
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consecrate themselves before approaching God.
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Purification is required. God also sets apart the 7th day,
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establishing the Sabbath as holy time.
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Exodus 20. So right away place, God's
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nature, people and time are marked as holy.
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Exactly. Then comes the command to build
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a sanctuary, the Mikuja Exodus 25, and it's specifically
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designed with levels of holiness.
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The holy place, the most holy place separated by the veil.
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The priestly garments are specified as holy garments,
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marking the individuals. Fast forward to the monarchy,
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King David brings those votive offerings.
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Question dedicating resources First King 7.
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Later a prophet like Alicia is called holy by the Shunamite
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woman in Second Kings 4, signifying his divine connection
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and Isaiah's vision. Of course the Seraphim crying
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Holy holy holy quasha squash quasha.
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Isaiah 6, highlighting God's supreme intrinsic holiness.
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It continues even through exile. Yes, the concept remains
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absolutely central. Ezekiel hears God promised to be
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a sanctuary, a metered for the Exiles Ezekiel 11.
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And even after the return, Nehemiah refers to Jerusalem as
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the holy city. Nehemiah 11.
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Its sacred status endures. Zechariah even looks forward to
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a time when holiness will permeate everything.
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Even everyday objects like pots and horse bills will be holy to
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the Lord. Zechariah, 14.
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That's quite a trajectory. And who are the key figures, the
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main players we should keep in mind when thinking about
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holiness in the Bible? Well, number one absolutely is
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Yahweh himself, the God of Israel.
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He is intrinsically Kodosh. His name is holy, His Spirit is
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holy, His Word is holy. He's the source of all holiness.
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Then you have the nation of Israel as a collective called to
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be a holy nation, a holy people set apart by God's covenant.
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The chosen people. Chosen and set apart, then more
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specifically the priests and Levites.
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They are consecrated for divine service, explicitly called holy,
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wearing those holy garments. Aaron, the first high priest, is
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a key figure here. Individuals can also be holy.
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Nazarites take special vows. Prophets are sometimes described
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as holy, reflecting their dedication and calling.
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We saw Job consecrating his sons, even non human figures.
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Angels are identified as holy ones.
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And rulers played a role. Yes, kings like David bringing
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votive offerings shows their role in supporting and
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dedicating things to God's holy service.
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And interestingly the sources mentioned almost as a
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counterpoint, Balls assembly being consecrated by his
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worshippers. It shows the concept of
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dedication for religious purposes existed elsewhere, but
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often from the biblical perspective, directed towards
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false gods and involving impure practices.
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Which brings us to that term, Quado, the temple prostitute you
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mentioned. It's explicitly noted as
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unrelated, despite the sound similarity.
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Yes, and that's a crucial distinction.
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Quato, despite sounding similar to Quado, refers to someone
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involved in cultic prostitution. These practices were common in
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some surrounding Pagan religions, but we're vehemently
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condemned in Israelite law. It represents a complete
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perversion of true sacredness. It highlights the stark contrast
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between Yahweh's called a moral and ritual purity, and the often
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immoral practices associated with other deities.
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True holiness for God is about purity and righteousness, never
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about sexual immorality used in worship.
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It underscores that distinction. We've definitely touched on this
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all the way through, but it feels like we need to underline
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it one more time. The moral and ethical dimension
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of holiness. It's not just about external
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rituals, is it? It's about our character.
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It absolutely is foundational. You can't separate them in the
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biblical view. While holiness certainly
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involves being ritually set apart from the common, it's
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strongly embodies moral purity and goodness.
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That command be holy quadosh, because I, Yahweh, am holy
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quadosh. It's a direct call to emulate
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God's character. Is so holiness is reflected in
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how we live, how we treat others.
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Exactly. Through compassion, mercy,
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justice, uprightness, these are reflections of God's own holy
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character. The Mosaic Law provided that
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framework, those external standards to help shape the
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people towards that moral holiness.
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But again, it's not just human striving.
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God himself is active in making his people holy and setting him
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apart, in enabling the transformation.
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It's a response to his initiative, a call to a whole
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life live distinctly set apart in obedience and reflecting his
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moral perfection in our actions and attitudes.
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This has been incredibly helpful, this deep dive into
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Kashi, Khador and Migash. It really shows just how
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comprehensive this idea of holiness is in Scripture.
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It's not just some minor theme, it feels woven into the very
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fabric of God's character and how He relates to the world He
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made. It touches everything.
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It really does. It reveals a God who is himself
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utterly distinct, utterly pure. And yet in his amazing plan he
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invites his creation, invites us into a relationship with him,
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into a separated, set apart life.
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A life that involves both, well, appropriate reference and
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ritual, but fundamentally moral uprightness that reflects Him.
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He gives us a framework for understanding who he is and what
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he desires for us. A life that mirrors his glory.
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So maybe a final thought for you, our listener, to take away.
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If holiness fundamentally means set apart by God or for God, how
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might really grasping that ancient concept reshape your
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daily choices right now? How does knowing that you're
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called to live a distinct life, a life set apart in response to
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God's own holy character and his call on you, how might that
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change the way you view your purpose today?
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Thank you for joining us on this deep dive at Reformed Thinking.