Post by Mark on Jun 16, 2008 4:32:40 GMT -8
Kadosh
"Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts
Who was and is and is to come."
Nowhere will we find the Hebrew language more dynamic, nor the Hebrew understanding more elusive than in the word "kadosh". It means holy or sanctified, dedicated or sacred. Yet, these definitions, even collectively, do not grab onto the meaning of kadosh. This is partially because the allusiveness is not simply a cultural struggle. Jewish sages and rabbis have burdened over the idea of holiness to give it justice and to grasp an intellectual understanding of it. Simply put, the only true example that we have of holiness is the manifest example of Adonai Himself.
At the same time, He demonstrates His holiness to us in ways that we should be able to comprehend. The Seraphim declare, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3). He has demonstrated His holiness to us by several examples: the ground on Mount Sinai,
the Festivals of Adonai including the weekly Sabbath, the land of Israel, the nation of Israel (a Holy People), the inner courts of the Tabernacle, the clothing of the priests, the gifts and offerings brought to Adonai, the articles of worship in the Tabernacle, the man who is under a vow unto Adonai, the Name of Adonai. The consistent element contained in all of these is the desire to draw close to Adonai in intimacy, separating ourselves from any weight of encumbrance so that we might be nearer to Him, choosing between the kadosh and tuma (that which is spiritually sub-standard).
Still, in the New Testament reference from which this prayer is taken, Adonai Tsay-vah-oat is declared to be He who was and is and is to come (Revelation 4:8). This distinction makes Him alone the only One who is holy and who can be declared utterly holy. By all the rest, we are told in Hebrews 10:1, we only bear a glimpse of His holiness. Yet, still, without them, we have no glimpse at all.
It is our desire to draw close to Adonai in intimacy, to understand holiness and walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him: to be holy because He is holy. This means separating ourselves from those things that are tuma and grabbing onto those things that He has described as being holy. This is why the Sabbath and the festivals are so important to us: while the Temple and Priesthood are beyond our grasp, the opportunity to separate ourselves for His purposes, denying our own agendas and putting Him first at the appointed times is a step toward holiness.
"Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts
Who was and is and is to come."
Nowhere will we find the Hebrew language more dynamic, nor the Hebrew understanding more elusive than in the word "kadosh". It means holy or sanctified, dedicated or sacred. Yet, these definitions, even collectively, do not grab onto the meaning of kadosh. This is partially because the allusiveness is not simply a cultural struggle. Jewish sages and rabbis have burdened over the idea of holiness to give it justice and to grasp an intellectual understanding of it. Simply put, the only true example that we have of holiness is the manifest example of Adonai Himself.
At the same time, He demonstrates His holiness to us in ways that we should be able to comprehend. The Seraphim declare, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3). He has demonstrated His holiness to us by several examples: the ground on Mount Sinai,
the Festivals of Adonai including the weekly Sabbath, the land of Israel, the nation of Israel (a Holy People), the inner courts of the Tabernacle, the clothing of the priests, the gifts and offerings brought to Adonai, the articles of worship in the Tabernacle, the man who is under a vow unto Adonai, the Name of Adonai. The consistent element contained in all of these is the desire to draw close to Adonai in intimacy, separating ourselves from any weight of encumbrance so that we might be nearer to Him, choosing between the kadosh and tuma (that which is spiritually sub-standard).
Still, in the New Testament reference from which this prayer is taken, Adonai Tsay-vah-oat is declared to be He who was and is and is to come (Revelation 4:8). This distinction makes Him alone the only One who is holy and who can be declared utterly holy. By all the rest, we are told in Hebrews 10:1, we only bear a glimpse of His holiness. Yet, still, without them, we have no glimpse at all.
It is our desire to draw close to Adonai in intimacy, to understand holiness and walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him: to be holy because He is holy. This means separating ourselves from those things that are tuma and grabbing onto those things that He has described as being holy. This is why the Sabbath and the festivals are so important to us: while the Temple and Priesthood are beyond our grasp, the opportunity to separate ourselves for His purposes, denying our own agendas and putting Him first at the appointed times is a step toward holiness.
