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This series shall expound upon the names attributed to God, by God, throughout the Old Testament. There are others; however, these are the ones which are used in combination with the name of JEHOVAH. Through these descriptors, His almighty character and identity are revealed. Just as they gave comfort and reassurance to the Israelites and their descendents, so too are they relevant today in encouraging believers to seek and know the true JEHOVAH, the great I AM.
JEHOVAH-M'KADDESH
"The Lord Who Sanctifies"
sanc·ti·fy
1. To set apart for sacred use; consecrate.2. To make holy; purify.
3. To give religious sanction to, as with an oath or vow: sanctify a marriage.
4. To give social or moral sanction to.
5. To make productive of holiness or spiritual blessing.
The Lord, JEHOVAH, commands that His people be pure and righteous. By following the commandments, God's people have been set apart to be holy. The Lord said to Moses, "'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy." (Leviticus 20:7-8)
Because He is holy, the Lord requires that the people, things, and events that are brought before Him be holy. In Genesis 2:3, He declares the Sabboth day holy. In Exodus 13, He declares the first born of man and animal to be holy. In Exodus 19, He requires that the Israelites be sanctified before receiving the law. And in Exodus 28, Aaron and his family must be sanctified into the priesthood.
JEHOVAH-M'KADDESH even instructed the Israelites to embellish their clothing reminders to be holy. He said, in Numbers 15:38-40, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God."
Today we are not required to weave blue thread in our garments. Our sanctification begins on the day that we accept Jesus as our saviour. That act begins the lifelong process of sanctification. We are to continuously move away from the ways of the world and toward the ways of the Lord. Because He sanctifies us, His holiness transforms us through the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul teaches that, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14) We are made perfect by the one offering of the one Christ, God's one son, one perfect sacrifice.
Here is Paul's prayer for sanctification, please accept it in the fullness of grace as it was first offered: M
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
The following were used as references:
Blue Letter Bible
Bread on the Waters
