Holy God

During our mid-week Bible Study at church, we have been discussing the Names of God.  Last week I shared about a lesson I taught at church on El Kanna, Jealous God.  Today I wanted to share my husband's lesson on El Hakkodosh, Holy God.  Below are his notes from class.

Isaiah 5:16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.

El – strength, mighty, almighty; God

Hakkadosh - sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary: - holy (One), saint.

The idea of the holy (kadosh) implies differentiation: the realm of the holy is entirely set apart from the common, the habitual, or the profane. The holy is singular, awe-inspiring, even “terrible” or dreadful.

• Nehemiah 1:5 And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,

• Psalms 68:35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

The concept is that God is so awesome that He is terrible. He is so holy (other) that it is overwhelming.

The Holy God is utterly unique, distinct, sacred, and set apart as the only one of its kind. The Holy One. The one set apart as utterly perfect and unique, utterly transcending the realm of the finite, the fallen, and the imperfect.

Other forms of El Hakkadosh

1. Holy One

• Isaiah 40:24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

2. Holy LORD God

• 1 Samuel 6:19 Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter.

3. The Holy One of Israel

• Psalms 71:22 Also with the lute I will praise You-- And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.

4. LORD my God, my Holy One

• Habakkuk 1:12 Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction.

Other familiar verses declaring the Holiness of God

• Exodus 3:5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."


• Joshua 5:15 Then the Commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

• Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

• Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

• Leviticus 11:44 For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Understand or seeing the God who is Holy will induce worship:

Psalms 99:1-9 The LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! (2) The LORD is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. (3) Let them praise Your great and awesome name-- He is holy. (4) The King's strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. (5) Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool-- He is holy. (6) Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the LORD, and He answered them. (7) He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them. (8) You answered them, O LORD our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds. (9) Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy.

Let's pray.  El-Hakkadosh You are so unlike anything that I know. You are holy, separate, other than I am. Your ways are higher than mine. My thoughts can not compare to Yours. You transcend anything that I know. Because You are HOLY, I bow before You and worship You. Declaring Your power, might, and holiness. I am overwhelmed by who You are.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings,