Holiness in the Old Testament
Isaiah 6:1-10
November 14, 2010
I. Introduction
A. A confession
B. How important is holiness?
1. R. C. Sproul (The Holiness of God, pp. 2425)
2. J. I. Packer (Knowing God, p. 183)
3. Other reasons for the importance of this
subject:
a. We are commanded to be holy (1 Peter
1:14-16).
b. Christians are destined to be holy
c. It is the basis and motivation for our
worship (Psalms; Revelation 4:8-11).
d. We cannot see God without it (Hebrews
12:10, 14).
I. Introduction
C. Why authors deal with holiness as they do
1. J. I. Packer: no chapter on the holiness of
God in Knowing God
2. R. C. Sproul (The Holiness of God, p. 53)
3. How would you define “holy” and its
opposite?
D. My approach
1. An attempt at a definition of holiness
2. Holiness as revealed in the Old Testament
3. The problem with holiness
4. O. T. indications of the solution
5. Practical implications and applications
II. A definition of the holiness of God
A. The incomparable (unrivaled) excellence of
God (Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy, p. 104)
II. A definition of the holiness of God
B. The unfathomable excellence of God (Tozer,
p. 104).
C. The collective excellence of God (Kenneth
Prior, The Way of Holiness, p. 17; Sproul, p.
57).
D. The awe inspiring (fear/reverence producing)
excellence of God (Packer, p. 183).
E. The holiness of God and the glory of God
(Exodus 33 and 34).
III. The holiness of God is revealed at the
exodus.
A. Exodus 3:5 (“Take off your shoes. . .”)
B. Exodus 5:2 (“Who is the LORD . . .?”)
C. Exodus 12:12 (judgment on the gods of
Egypt)
D. Exodus 15:1-18 (Israel’s song)
E. Exodus 18:11 (Jethro)
F. Exodus 19:4-6 (a “holy nation”)
G. Exodus 20:3 (“No other gods . . .”)
H. Exodus 32ff.
IV. The problem of a holy God and sinful men
A. Isaiah 6:1-5 (see Exodus 33:1-3; Habakkuk
1:13)
B. Moses strikes the rock (Numbers 20:12;
27:12-14; Deuteronomy 32:48-52)
C. Uzzah touches the ark (2 Samuel 6:1-11)
D. Nadab and Abihu – “strange fire” (Leviticus
10:1-10)
E. Joshua 24:19
V. God’s provision for a sinful people
A. The Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 34:9ff.)
B. The promise of divine cleansing (Isaiah 6:6f.;
52-53; Ezekiel 36
C. Deuteronomy 30:1-6f.; Jeremiah 31; Ezekiel
36:16
VI. Conclusion: Implications and applications
A. God’s holiness is the standard which reveals
man’s sin and need of salvation.
B. God’s holiness is a death blow to pluralism.
C. God’s holiness is the motivation and content
of our worship. (If His holiness is infinite, then
worship should never be dull or repetitive –
we’ll be doing it for eternity.)
D. God’s holiness is the basis for our faith and
confidence.
E. Grasping God’s holiness sustains us in
suffering and silences our objections (Psalm
73; Job; Habakkuk 3; Hebrews 12:10, 14).