Out of Zion

Guest (Male): Because our God is holy, we're supposed to also be holy. But what does that really mean? If you think it means to be more religious, you're wrong. And if you feel like you're always falling short of attaining holiness, then stay tuned. Welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I try to share a little inspiration and bring a little peace to the end of your very busy week.

In the middle of the Torah, God tells the Israelites through Moses, "You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy." What does this phrase mean? The command can hardly mean that Israel must be as morally upright or righteous as God in heaven. In modern English, the usage of the term has come to be one about ethics and morality, but the biblical meaning of holy is to be set apart or separated.

Genesis 2:2 says that God blessed the Sabbath, the seventh day, and rested on it and made it holy. That is, he separated the seventh day from the other six days and made it different. He set it apart unto himself. Holy did not mean to be perfect or sinless because God knew the Israelites were going to fail. He gave them a sacrificial way to make atonement for their sins. He knew they would transgress the commandments and he gave them a safety net to stay in fellowship with him.

Obviously, the word holy didn't mean that they were going to be righteous and sinless. It does mean to be separate, though. Israel was to be set apart from all the other nations around them. They were to be his people. They were to worship their God only, and the sign of their covenant was to observe the one day of rest each week. Doing this would make them different from everyone else.

Are you willing to be different from the world around you? Are you willing to let God tell you what is important and how to live, or are you trying to blend in and be accepted? Maybe you're looking for fame and many followers on social media.

Different is not bad. In fact, it's a beautiful thing and in the biblical meaning of the word, it is the defining element of the relationship to God. He is holy. He is different. He is set apart, and therefore we are in relationship with him and we are also holy. We are set apart, we are separated from all the rest to be his people and to reflect his image. With that, I want to wish you a Shabbat Shalom.