Yahweh Mekoddishkem

 

And the LORD said to Moses, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and son the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” (Exodus 31:12-17 ESV).

 

The meaning of holiness among God’s people has always been a thorny one causing disagreement. It was true in Jesus’ day, much as it is today. The Pharisees were adamant that holiness came to an individual who obeyed the laws of God, both those that Moses brought and all the thousands more that the Rabbinical Law added. As the Apostle Paul began his missionary journeys he also began to write of the futility of anyone who tried to obtain holiness from their own works. His declaration was that God was the source of holiness and His work of grace was in the process of completing that work in every believer’s life. The source of that belief is found in our reading today.

 

Here we learn that Yahweh Mekoddishkem, “the LORD who sanctifies you,” had made his people holy. Mekoddishkem (pronounced “M-qadash-kim”) comes from the Hebrew word qadash, meaning “set apart, consecrated, sanctified, prepared, dedicated, hallowed, or made holy.” This process literally takes a lifetime to complete. The length of that “lifetime” varies depending on the work of the Holy Spirit. I am often found working with people who somehow miss the key element of sanctification. It often presents itself in our desire to “do better.” We miss the point if that become our focus in living. Of course, I would never suggest that we no responsibility to participate in the work of God in our life. However, we must cease to believe and practice a theology that we can do it without him. He is Yahweh Mekoddishkem, trust Him to lead and direct you throughout your life in everything you do.