Holiness is Hopeful

Exodus 19:1-26

We see in this passage a picture of the holiness of God.  The fearsome sight of a mountain covered in darkness and fire, trembling, while the sounds of trumpets blasting to unspeakable volumes became an image in the collective psyche of Israel for the rest of their generations.  Unfortunately, the idea of holiness often generates in us pictures of fear, or more problematically, irrelevance.  

Back in the 70’s, President Jimmy Carter would often carry his own bag on and off Air Force One. The idea, which I am sympathetic to, was that he was no better than any American, and since he put his pants on one leg at a time like other people, he should carry his own bag like other people.  This practice caused him to lose respect and get a lot of grief.  He was the president—let somebody else worry about the bag.

Carter wanted to be a man among the people, but by being one of the people among other things, he lost his distinctiveness that allowed him to lead the people.  

Holiness is hopeful, because it teaches us that God is different.  God is not pulled down by the brokenness of this world—he is the “Blessed” God—the happy God.  God is not enraged beyond control, but is “patient, not wanting anyone to perish.”  God is not confounded by the problems of this world, but is “the God, only wise” who is executing his plan to take what we “meant for harm to make it good.”

If God is not holy, then his love really isn’t helpful.  We have all seen the mother who loves her son but won’t let him go.  Her love actually crushes the man, because she cannot bear to see the boy face any problem or difficulty without her comfort.  Her love is not free, but bound to the comfort of her child.  She is not different enough to set her affection within a greater scheme for his life.  God’s holiness is hopeful for us because it means that He is different from us and can lead us and this world back to where it is supposed to be.  

Posted by Marc