“A Holy God”                                              Late Mr. N. Daniel

II Chronicles 5:4,7,14                                  

The Israelites were establishing a house of prayer. After a long time they had inherited the Holy Land of promise. God showed them the Holy Mountain. It is the hill of Zion. That is the place where Abraham offered his son and God would offer His Son. It was fore-ordained by God that it should be a holy hill so that people may have a holy place to worship a holy God. Remember we belong to a holy God. God is creating a new thought and new understanding in the human heart about Himself. It was a new concept altogether which the world had not known. That is the concept of a holy God who cannot compromise with evil. This concept was not given to this world by anyone else. There are so many religions but they could not create this concept -- the concept of a holy God -- one who demands holiness and perfect obedience from man. If we read Hindu Puranas, we see how easily they compromise with evil. When you come into the religion of Christ, there is a great wall of separation between holiness and unholiness. To strengthen this concept, God gave them instructions to carry the ark which represented the covenant into the Holy of Holies. Verses 10, 11,12.

The priests were sanctified. They entered into the temple. They put on pure linen. They were not women who sold their ears to old women's fables. They did not sell their eyes to see the movies. We can sell our senses to wickedness and evil and come to the presence of God on Sundays. Do you understand that you worship a holy God? Do you have a concept of God’s holiness? When they entered, they were warned to enter with purity. They were not only carrying the covenant box on their shoulders, they were carrying a concept of God - a sense of God. They were entering with eyes that could see God; with ears which could hear the voice of God. When you enter into God’s presence your whole personality should enter. You cannot keep your eyes for yourself. When you come into the presence of God, do you look at others? You must not have other thoughts. You look at a woman, and do you allow the devil to make wicked thoughts rule your mind? You have forgotten that God has a plan for your life. If you allow your mind to wander you have not realized that you belong to a holy God. As the heathen enter into their temple full of sin, lies and wickedness, you also enter into the house of the holy God. Unsanctified men with unholy thoughts deliver the holy Word from the pulpits. They have not sanctified themselves. Remember this is wickedness. Our Christian churches have fallen from the standards of Christ. We live among heathen people. Sin and righteousness seem alike to them. Do you compromise with the sons of Belial? God is sad.

Here the ark of the covenant is carried to a place which was specially built for it. The sanctified priests and Levites were singing and praising God for His mercy endureth for ever. Can we say this with our whole heart? His righteousness lasts forever. It grips your whole personality - your eyes, ears, mouth, feet and hands. Then there will be nothing unconsecrated in you. When you walk into the Holy of Holies, with the ark of the covenant on your shoulders (in others words, with your faith in Jesus who died and rose again for your sins), heaven will descend in that place. Here that actually happened. II Chron. 5:13,14. Our God is a holy God. One day we must stand before Him. The priests and the musicians were sanctified. They sang the Word of God to praise Him. When the glory and the presence of God came in, they had to go out. I wish we all would feel such presence of God. What an experience! That was the first day when the Holy Spirit filled the ark. God was showing them how the place of worship should be.

Isaiah 51:7 "You that have my word established in your heart, my righteousness has come to you. My righteousness will last from generation to generation. Your children will get that righteousness. The fear of God will come to them." Nowadays the righteousness at home is neglected - children are allowed to do anything. Parents compromise with evil. They ought to put on sackcloth and cry, "O Lord, where is the concept of holiness? Where is righteousness?" We enter into the temple of God with our lips. But God says, "Their heart is far away from me" (Ps. 29:13). The eyes are sold to Satan, the ears listen to wicked stories, the hands write things that would wound hearts. Brother against brother, sister against sister fight for a little gain of money. One can't forgive his brother or sister. Is. 54:10 You can possess this promise when you don't compromise with evil. When you lose God's peace, negative emotions fill your personality -- husband against the wife and wife against the husband, brother against sister and sister against brother. Your whole personality is defiled.

God says, My covenant of peace shall not depart from you. Is.56:7 The Lord led the Israelites to the house of prayer. His salvation will last for generations. Ps. 103:7,8. God wants to demonstrate His abiding presence. II Cor. 6:14. We are co-workers with God. He invites you to come into His presence to work with Him in His everlasting purposes, that you may share the conquest of Jesus on the Cross over the evil and wickedness of this world.

You may know the law but you cannot stand before the judge. You can't stand before God and pray. Does your dress show that you are a child of God? Does it show the meekness and humility of God? God prescribed to me my dress. I escaped many temptations thereby. Don't receive the grace of God in vain. II Cor. 6: 1-8 "By love unfeigned, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost and the Word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness"!

A Christian is looked down upon by all who are not children of God. Only people with covetousness say, "O you live in this big house!" A doctor came to the Fellowship and said, "I don't have such a carpet." A true servant of God won't want to possess anything. When my wife sold her jewels and used the money for God's work, we felt free. We could travel anywhere without any thief being attracted by her jewels. If anyone wants to steal, I can give him my Bible. I possess nothing else. II Cor. 6:10. When you want to build the Kingdom of God, you will see these things happening in your life. God is a faithful God.

You belong to Jesus and a Holy God. Your house belongs to God. God is with you!

You are not afraid to be alone! II Cor. 6:18.