By Andrew Williams
Series: He Is (Week 3: The Names of His Righteous Character)
Opening Prayer
Holy God, we surrender to Your refining fire. Set us apart for Your purposes and make us holy, as You are holy.
Today’s Scripture (NLT)
Leviticus 20:8
“Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy.”
This week, we move into the names that reveal God’s perfect moral character. In the midst of a long list of laws and decrees in Leviticus, God gives the reason behind them all. He declares, “I am the Lord who makes you holy,” or Yahweh Mekoddishkem.
This name reveals that God is the one who sets us apart. The word “sanctify” or “make holy” means to be set apart from the common and dedicated to a special, sacred purpose. God’s people were to be different from the nations around them, not to be snobbish, but to be a reflection of their unique God. This name shows us that holiness is not something we can achieve on our own through rule-keeping. While we have a part to play (“Keep all my decrees”), it is ultimately the Lord Himself who performs the work of making us holy.
To know God as Yahweh Mekoddishkem is to embrace the process of sanctification. He is the one who convicts us of sin, cleanses us, and progressively makes our character more like His. He is committed to our holiness, to setting us apart as His treasured possession for His glorious purposes.
Disciple’s Life Tip: Interact with God as Yahweh Mekoddishkem. Is there an area of your life that feels “common” or conformed to the world? In prayer, surrender that specific area to Yahweh Mekoddishkem and ask Him to “set it apart” for His use and His glory.
Closing Prayer: Yahweh Mekoddishkem, thank You for not leaving us as we are. We yield to Your sanctifying work in our lives. Make us holy, that we might be a people who beautifully reflect Your character to the world. Amen.
