The Holiness of God Part 4: Holiness and God’s Name
This is Part 4 of a series on the Holiness of God. Each week we will study a different aspect of God’s holiness. When you have completed the series, you may experience a change in how you worship, speak, and pray.
Leviticus 24: 10-16: “And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.”
We have been studying the holiness of God, but we have not defined exactly what holy means. In this study, we will learn about what holiness is, and the necessity of holiness in our lives, especially in how it relates to God’s name.
Holy has different meanings. Popularly, holy means moral purity and righteousness. While this is certainly true, it is the secondary meaning in Scripture. The primary meaning of holy in Scripture is “separate.” When the Scriptures speak of God’s holiness, it is primarily referring to God’s transcendence. “Transcendence is a theological term that, when referring to the Christian God, states that God is outside of the universe and is independent of it and its properties. God is ‘other,’ ‘different’ from His creation. He is independent and different from His creatures (Isaiah 55:8-9). He transcends His creation. He is beyond it and not limited by it or to it.”
In reading today’s passage, how does it help you to understand the degree God regards His name as holy? We read that an Israelite is put to death for curing the name of the LORD. This shows you how serious an offense it is to curse God. God holds His Name in such high regard that death was the appropriate penalty for cursing Him. Think about this word when you hear people dishonor God’s Name.
We need to honor and hold sacred God’s Name. The Lord Jesus Christ taught us about the importance of God’s Name in prayer. In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 5-15), the Lord Jesus Christ taught that “Hallowed be thy name” is the first petition of the prayer. It was not part of the formal address: “Our Father, which art in heaven.” Some believe that there is a connection between the first two petitions in the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be thy Name” and “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” The logical connection is that the kingdom will not come, nor His will be done, until His Name is first revered by His people. If it was part of the formal address, it would have been, “Hallowed is thy name.” In the Ten Commandments, God commanded that His Name was not to be taken in vain ever. To blaspheme the LORD, is to commit an offense against His Holiness. How we use God’s name reveals our deepest attitudes about Him. If you have a flippant casual attitude toward His Name, you will have a flippant casual attitude about Him. If we are going to be a Christ disciple, we will reverence God’s Name. God’s people revere His Name.
God demands that His children love and respect His Name. In prayer, worship and Bible study, we are to enter into the time with a deep sense of awe and respect the sacredness of the occasion. I urge you to take some quiet time just to meditate (literally: mutter to yourself quietly) on God’s Name and His Holiness. In doing so, we are demonstrating how serious the matter is and our respect for the living God. Respecting God’s Name in our private devotional life will support our living our lives as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we want to walk in holiness, start with how you treat His Name.
Prayer
Praise God that He is both transcendent and close enough to you to hear your prayer and praise.
Confess ways you have not honored God’s Name as holy in thought, word, or deed.
Thank God that the Lord Jesus Christ has revealed to you the priority off His Name in prayer.
Ask God to manifest His will in your life by His Holy Spirit through your reverence of His Name.
In these studies on the Holiness of God, I have attempted to call the believer to a deeper respect of God’s Name, His Holiness, and the sacredness of the experience of worship. As I write this, it is nine days before April 17, 2022, a day referred to by many as “Easter Sunday.” While this study is not on the subject of Easter, there are many ministers, pastors, church leaders that will have Easter Egg hunts on that day used to remember the celebration of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some may even have Easter bunnies as part of the children’s celebration. Some will even have those egg hunts inside the sanctuary and then proceed to have a service celebrating Christ right after. I am of the opinion that those that have so little respect for the sacredness of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot possibly have the Holy Spirit inside them. Before you say I shouldn’t judge, I want you to know that the Apostle Paul had no difficulties calling out hypocrites and deceivers by name. Moreover, the Lord Jesus Christ had no difficulty calling the Pharisees hypocrites. The point is we must stand for truth. It is too important to just let these things occur without comment. If you attend a church that dishonors the name of God, leave now. There are assemblies of God-fearing believers waiting for you. Go find them.
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