Gordon MacDonald, in his book Ordering Your Private World, told of an experience in his own life that illustrates this truth. "Some years ago, when Gail and I bought the old abandoned New Hampshire farm we now call Peace Ledge, we found the site where we wished to build our country home strewn with rocks and boulders. It was going to take a lot of hard work to clear it all out....The first phase of the clearing process was easy. The big boulders went fast. And when they were gone, we began to see that there were a lot of smaller rocks that had to go too. But when we had cleared the site of the boulders and the rocks, we noticed all of the stones and pebbles we had not seen before. This was much harder, more tedious work. But we stuck to it, and there came the day when the soil was ready for planting grass." -Our Daily Bread.
We see in the names of God a deliberate order and pattern, a progressive revelation, step by step God reveals who he is to us through the opening books of the Bible.
“Genesis, the book of beginnings, reveals the beginning of sin. It therefore also reveals the provision of redemption from sin under the name of God, Jehovah jireh, God will provide. Exodus, as the book of redemption… where Jehovah’s people were redeemed from bondage in Egypt. In exodus was also the revealed name of Jehovah-rophe, Jehovah who heals life’s wounds and sweeten’s it’s bitter experiences as signified by Israel’s experience at Marah. Then came the revelation of God as Jehovah-nissi at Rephidim, where Amalek, the enemy, opposed and fought against Israel, Jehovah the banner over his people in holy warfare…” -Nathan Stone, Names of God
After sin has occurred in our lives, then God redeems us, through faith, and also delivers us from bondage to sin, he delivers us from slavery, then he heals our wounds, and turns the bitter waters sweet, then he is our banner of victory as we fight the spiritual battles in life and take territories for God’s kingdom. And in all of this, then we see the book of Leviticus, all about holiness, and we see the next name of God in our series, Jehovah M’Kaddesh, which means God who sanctifies.
Though we sinned many times, God delivers us, redeems us, heals us, and is the banner over us, and in all of this God begins to sanctify us, to make us more and more like Jesus.
In the book of Leviticus chapter 20, it says, “‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.” -Leviticus 20:7-8
The name of God: Jehovah m’Kaddesh which means The Lord who sanctifies you.
The book of Leviticus lays out the ways in a which a redeemed people ought to live as a result of what God has done in them, in the most pure and holy way, fearing God, loving God, and obeying God’s ways in all things.
God is so many things to us,
Elohim, God our creator
Jehovah, God our Lord
El-Shaddai, God Almighty
Adonai, God our master
Jehovah-jireh, God who provides
Jehovah-rophe God who heals
Jehovah-nissi, God our banner
Now, Jehovah M’ Kaddesh, God who sanctifies.
God provides salvation for us through Jesus Christ. God provides healing to us as well. God’s banner is over us as we Christians fight our battles. Now God also sanctifies us.
The sin problem is the single greatest problem, the problem of rebellion, the problem of wickedness. Jesus pays off our sin debt. Now, as we journey along the path of life, we learn not to sin. The Holy Spirit is our teacher in that. God sanctifies us.
He sets us apart from the world and slowly makes us ready for paradise. That is the journey we are on now. We are learning holy love as a lifestyle instead of selfish sin. We are learning to ignore the flesh and live by the Spirit’s leading. We are learning to be all God has called us to be in Jesus.
We are like Israel in the wilderness on our way to the promised land. Our promised land is the New Jerusalem. And we want to persevere on the journey. And always be reminded that the generation that escaped Egypt rebelled against God in the wilderness and they died in the wilderness, aside from Joshua and Caleb. It’s a good reminder, to avoid sin like the plague on this journey. We too can die in the wilderness if we reject the leading of the Holy Spirit, as the Israelites rejected the leading of Moses, and worshiped the golden calf.
It's amazing how we try to test God in this area, and say well Jesus paid my sin debt so I can sin as much as I want now. The whole point of all that was for Jesus to pay it off, so you would respond by repenting, putting your faith in Him, and by submitting to the Holy Spirit’s leading, you no longer live as a slave to sin. You live free, sanctified, holy, pure and so you are now ready for paradise. Today you may be living a lifestyle of secret sin, and I want to warn you, you won’t get into heaven living that way. Repent, give it over to Jesus, ask his forgiveness, and he will forgive you anew, and guide you to safety in Himself.
What golden calf needs to be burned out of your life? Our God is a consuming fire. He will deliver you from any sin or addiction. Ask Him for help. But be aware, he is God who sanctifies you. Submit to that sanctification. Learn from the trials and tests. He loves you. He will guide you home safely if you submit to Him in all things.
