DEFINITION OF TERMS

HOLINESS
SANCTIFICATION
HOLINESS, HOLY, SAINTS.

This revelation blew me away! Not because we share names, but how could a man who was an adulterer, a murderer, and whose family went astray be considered, even for a moment, holy? Yet King David was God's favourite person! The one he called, 'a man after his own heart.'

First stated in the Old Testament:

And confirmed in the New:

David was far from perfect, as we all know. But when he did wrong, as soon as he realized his mistake, he repented and sought God's forgiveness. He understood the deep truth that when he sinned; he was sinning not against man, but against God himself! When Nathan confronted him over his sin with Bathsheba, he confessed:

But the primary reason he was so loved by God was that, "He will do everything I want him to do." He was obedient to God's will in his life.

But the young King David was not even considered by the prophet Samuel and his own father, as even being worthy of consideration for kingship!

A small lad, he was a simple shepherd boy.

But David had the strength of character and integrity that Saul lacked.

God however saw things in David that the others missed, using him to build the Kingdom of Israel. And to provide, on one occasion, the most perfect picture of human holiness, found in the Bible.

This revelation of the ultimate picture of holiness is of King David taking the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem.

David put God first, by returning the Ark to God's holy city of Jerusalem. At the same time, making the sacrifice, symbolizing repentance.

Normally the ephod was fancily embroidered and worn over the tunic and outer garment. It consisted of 2 pieces, hung round the neck, one to the back, the other to the front, joined together over the shoulder by clasps or buckles of gold and precious stones. Also held together at the waist by a "skillfully woven waistband……. of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen." (Exodus 28:8)

But David wore only a simple, white linen ephod, directly on his body. Linen speaks of righteousness.

The fact that David wore it next to his body expresses an attitude of tremendous humility, as commented on by his wife, Michal.

Now, that was not the normal way for the king to behave! Or a priest! But David didn't care. For he was 100% 'sold out' to worshipping his God.

He went on to place the Ark in a simple tent, known as David's Tabernacle.

And:

David was a real worshipper, setting up the world's first 'worship service' in front of the Ark. So, today, we enter into God's presence through worship.

Michal is a picture of the 'religious' person. Her father, King Saul, was the ideal king from a worldly viewpoint. Tall, handsome and intelligent!

Religious people neither understand nor are tolerant of true holiness. For the 'form' of holiness they display is threatened and shown up for what it truly is by the 'substance' of truly godly righteousness and holiness as displayed by David that day.

There were at least five aspects of behaviour David displayed that day illustrating a perfect picture of human Holiness.

1. Obedience to God's will in taking the Ark to Jerusalem.
2. Repentance illustrated through sacrifice.
3. Righteousness, symbolized by the wearing of the linen ephod.
4. Humility, through discarding his kingly robes.
5. Complete, sold out, Worship of God with shouts, dancing and music.

All of which 'religious' people hate - then and now!

As we come to the end of our study, it is time to summarise the main characteristics of holiness we have discovered over the past 8 weeks.

And then, of course, to seek to live them! Always the most difficult part!

We'll see what it involves.

Obviously, David didn't walk in holiness all the time. However, this picture of bring the Ark back to Jerusalem is a perfect picture of what touches the heart of God. For the Ark represents God, and our response to it, to Him, reveals our true holiness.

MOUNT OF OLIVES

The Mount of Olives is 2,650 feet above sea level. The ridge is two miles long. Beyond the Mount of Olives is the Judea Wilderness. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would come from the east through the wilderness and would enter Jerusalem. Jesus took this route in his triumphal entry. The Mount of Olives may be the location for his return as well.

The cemetery on the western slope is an ancient one, though it is still used for Jewish burials. Some of the tombs along the bottom of the ridge were already old in Jesus’ time. Part of the reason Jewish people are buried here is the belief that the valley in the foreground, the Kidron, is also the Valley of Jehosophat (Joel 3:2, 12), where the final judgment before the Lord will take place.

The olive grove on the left is part of the traditional Garden of Gesemane. Whether this or some other place was the actual location of Gethsemane and the garden (the Bible mentions “Gethsemane” and “the garden,” but not “the Garden of Gesemane”), the location was definitely on the slope of this mountain. Probably the entire ridge was covered with olives in the first century.

The small dome of the Dominus Flevit (“Lord Wept”) Church can be seen in this photograph. To the right of it is a walled road. Tradition holds that Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem happened on this road. When he reached the area of the church, he stopped to weep over the city.

The exact location of this event is not given in the Scriptures, but this road does portray what the actual path looked like, and the church is in a location where the view of Jerusalem is spectacular. If not here, wherever Jesus did stop to weep, the location must have been similar.

Source: http://www.followtherabbi.com