The Holiness Of God

For quite some time, I've found myself in a unique mindset as a believer. I've encountered questions that have led me to reflect on the true God, Adonai, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Many of us have likely heard about Him, His love for us, shown by sending His only begotten son as the ultimate sacrifice for the remission of our sins. And the Holy Spirit, who came after Christ's ascension, to teach us and remind us of all Christ has said to us. We have also likely heard many people speak about Him and, to some extent, may feel familiar with this Spirit and this God.

As I reflect daily on the true nature of God, I am filled with awe. My knees weaken at the thought of His existence, even as I experience moments of trembling and holy fear. In the previous blog, I discussed the prophet Moses, which I will be revisiting once again, as I am reminded of Exodus 33. In this scripture, God instructed Moses to go up with the Israelites, to the land He had promised them. However, due to the sins of the people, God would not go up with them, lest they be consumed. In verse 11, we are told of the relationship Moses had with the Lord, which was described as “a man speaks to his friend.” During this conversation, Moses pleaded with the Lord to accompany them and for His presence to go with them. This is quite understandable, as he was leading the Israelites to the promised land and needed assurance of God's presence. God eventually agreed to this plea, yet, in verse 18, Moses makes quite an unusual request. He asked “please show me your glory.”

The glory mentioned in this scripture is described as splendor, weightiness, burden, or the goodness of God. After Moses requested to see the Lord's glory, God responded,

Exodus 33:19-23 "I will let all my goodness pass before you and will announce my name ‘The Lord’ in your presence. I will show grace to whom I choose to show grace, and will show mercy to whom I choose to show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Look, there is a place near me where you may stand on the rock, and as my glory passes by, I will place you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen."

Further, in the chapter, it is mentioned that the Lord appeared before Moses, declaring His name as He had promised. This event was so profound that Moses "bowed his head towards the earth and worshipped."

Once Moses had inscribed the Lord's commandments, it is noted that his face shone because he had been conversing with God. But after reading the commandments to the Israelites, he covered his face with a veil.

You might wonder, as I did, while reflecting on this scripture: How can a man who speaks to God as a friend still feel humbled in His presence? Because we might assume that conversing as friends would mean he could stand before the Holy One with ease and confidence. Yet, all Moses could do was bow and worship.

Reflecting on this scripture makes me aware of how overly familiar we have become with the holy God. We have been taught that we are friends of the Holy One (which we indeed are through Christ), but this has led to a diminished sense of reverence for His holiness. The gospel of Christ has been presented with so much love and pleasant words, appealing to our ears, that we forget His holiness thereof. Yet, this same God is described as a consuming fire. The one whom the 24 elders bow down to worship, singing holy, holy, holy all day long.

This is the same God referenced by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-5. He asserted that he had seen the Lord, which might be akin to witnessing His glory, as he was unable to fully describe the Lord he had seen. However, he describes the seraphim which stood above the Lord “Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”

First, we notice in this verse that the seraphim had its face and feet covered, emphasizing the humility and holy fear, even the seraphim showed towards the Holy One. After this divine encounter described by Isaiah, he came to a single conclusion. He proclaimed,

Isaiah 6:5 “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts! ”

Through a glimpse of God's Glory, he came to the awareness of his human frailty and impurity.

To understand the holiness of God, I will discuss two aspects of Moses' story in Exodus 33 that can draw us closer to true reverence.

The first aspect addresses those who have not come to know Christ, or are lukewarm in their walk with God. As mentioned earlier, Moses had to cover his face because the Israelites were afraid to approach him. In 2 Corinthians 3, Apostle Paul refers to this story of Moses, elaborating more on why the Israelites could not look at his face. He discusses the glory that came with the law of Moses and the inability of the Israelites to perceive or experience God's glory due to the veil which remained over their faces.

An unlifted veil refers to a hardened or veiled heart, as Apostle Paul describes in verse 15. This is a heart that follows worldly standards and is resistant to God's ways. It is a heart that rejects God and clings to worldly pleasures. However, when we turn to the Lord, the veil is lifted. By accepting Christ into our hearts, we witness the Glory of God, and come to know the true God

Truly, in essence, without Christ, we have no standing with God. His holiness could overwhelm and consume us.

In Matthew 10:28, He said, “do not be afraid of the one who can kill the body but not the soul. Rather fear Him who is able to kill both soul and body in hell.”

But, by professing Christ's name, believing in Him, and accepting Him into our hearts, the veil is lifted. As God reveals Himself to us through this unveiling, He transforms us into the likeness of Christ. The pleasures of this world are temporary and ultimately reveal the vanity of our earthly desires. In the end, death is inevitable for everyone. However, through Christ, we have the promise of eternal life. So why focus on worldly pleasures that are short-lived when the promise of Christ endures now and forever?

The other aspect of Moses' story speaks to believers who have accepted Christ and are walking in His precepts.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 says “Such confidence, we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Our confidence lies in God, not in ourselves. Because we get to behold the glory of God through Christ, should never be a license to dishonor the Holy one. Having the privilege to know him more and witness his glory does not justify becoming overly familiar with Him. Moses, who conversed with God as a friend, bowed and worshipped when he saw God's glory. Thus, in witnessing God's glory, Moses was reminded of his, and the sins of the people, that he pleaded for the forgiveness of their sins.

From the accounts of those who encountered God's glory in the scriptures, we understand that truly witnessing the glory of God even as believers, amplifies our sense of humility. It reminds us of our impurity and makes us realize that seeing His glory is a privilege, not a right. Approaching God's glory with confidence should never lead us to lose our reverence or respect for the Holy God. He is the one who exists before all else. Apostle Paul, in 1 Timothy 6:16, describes this God as “the only one who has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.” In the same way, in Romans 11:33-35, he expressed his amazement,

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways beyond tracing out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him that it should be repaid to him?” For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

What we understand about God, even as believers, is just a small fraction of His true essence. Our mortal nature cannot fully grasp or manage the entirety of God. Even the beings in God's throne room, including the angels and the 24 elders who worship Him continuously, have not comprehended the fullness of the Holy God.

Based on the understanding we have gained from the scriptures about the Holy One, we ought to speak, think, and meditate on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit with utmost reverence. Christ, who is the express image of God, displayed profound reverence and honor for the Father. As His followers, we should strive to replicate this same degree of honor and reverence.

Before He became our Father, He has been God. He came as a man to sacrifice Himself for the remission of our sins, yet He remains God. He dwells within us as the Holy Spirit, yet He is still the Holy God. The God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. This is the Holy God, and He alone is to be worshiped and revered.

All Praise to the Lord my God, who created me, gave me life, and gave me the privilege to behold His glory through His son Yeshua. I decrease daily, so He must increase. All the glory belongs to Him. Amen.