Musing – How might Holiness not get the respect it deserves?

Hebraic Musing – How might Holiness not get the respect it deserves?

Sometimes we don’t appreciate something until we face the possibility of losing it; or worse yet, not until it’s already gone.  It’s easy to overlook what is holy about certain things, like the Sabbath, a Torah scroll, a certain prayer, a certain holiday or a relationship. Think about what holiness actually means – “setting something apart as special, consecrated to God.”

You have things in your life that you want other people to set apart as special, like your birthday or anniversary. You hope your friends regard the time you spend together as special. You hope your spouse regards your marriage as holy and pure and special and wants to keep it that way.  How do you feel when other people don’t respect those times; when they don’t consider them holy, important or special?

How often do we think about what God considers special to Him?  What does He regard as holy, sacred, pure?  What does apathy feel like to Him when someone says “There’s nothing special about that, isn’t it just arbitrary?”  Or “It’s silly for some people to think of that as holy.”

Consider the things that help you experience moments of holiness.  It might be saying grace around the family table, a quiet and intimate moment with your spouse, sharing time with your friends at church meetings, or the goosebumps, “Jesus bumps”, you experience when singing certain songs or being in prayer for something.  How does God feel in those holy moments? How important are those times to Him?  It is easy to forget we are made in His image.  And since we have emotions then He also must have emotions. Selah! We serve an emotional God!  Does He want us to guard and protect those sacred moments because they are an important part of His sacred relationship with us?

The Levites were servants of the priests. They did manual labor and guard duty. Their role was to protect the holy things and holy people. They ensured that there would be a place set apart for people to draw near to God.  People felt the holy presence of Almighty God because of their service. The Levites experienced the awe and knew that God was more real than daily work.  Regarding the tribe of Levi “They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle” Num. 3:7 NIV

Often it is ordinary things that matter. Someone sets up coffee. Someone puts out serving spoons. Another leads a prayer. Another plays an instrument. There is order among the people who fulfill these roles.  People have their assigned places in a church body as well as in their family and the community.

Almighty God took redemption to the next level and He did it with something greater than the Tabernacle. Instead of a tent with His Presence cooped up inside, He sent His Son as a man with God’s Glory dwelling in Him. God took up humanity and resided among us. He personally took charge of the cure we needed by creating a place for holiness to dwell – in each of us!

In the meantime, we wait.  We are servants caring for the holy times, places and things that are special to God.  We have duties to fulfil to God and to our fellow believers.

Points to ponder

Does holiness apply to things?  Or to places?   Or to people?   Or to times?

What might God consider as Holy, but we have ignored?

What is Holy to God in our daily activities?

♫ Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!  All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity. ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,                                  March 15, 2016