Holy, Holy, Holy — TDW Kids

What Holy Means

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In Leviticus 10, God said He must be “regarded as holy.” The word holy is all through the Bible. What does it mean?

Set apart. Holy means set apart, different, in a class by itself. God is not just a bigger, stronger person. He is completely different from us. Nothing and no one compares with Him.

Perfectly good. Holy also means pure. There is no sin in God at all, not even a little. Everything He does is right. He never makes a mistake.

Isaiah's vision. Isaiah “saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). The temple was filled with smoke.

Three times. Angels called out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). Even the angels cover their faces before Him.

Still singing. In heaven, living creatures never stop saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” (Revelation 4:8). They never get tired of praising Him.

Woe is me. When Isaiah saw God's holiness, he said, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). He saw his own sin clearly. When we see how pure God is, we see how much we need Him.

Forgiven. An angel touched Isaiah's lips with a coal from the altar and said, “Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged” (Isaiah 6:7). God did not leave Isaiah in his sin.

Who may come? A psalm asks, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?” The answer is, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3-4).

None of us. On our own, none of us has perfectly clean hands and a pure heart. That is why we need Jesus. He is the only one who passes the test, and He brings us in with Him.

Holy and loving. God's holiness is not scary in a mean way. A holy God is a God we can trust completely. He never lies, never cheats and never does wrong. His promises are always true.

Be holy. God says to His people, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). He wants us to become like Him. His Spirit helps us grow day by day.

What we learn. God is holy: set apart and perfectly good. When we see that, we see our need for Him.

What to do. This week, before you pray, stop and remember how holy and great God is. Then thank Him for loving you.

Holiness is at the heart of Leviticus. In Leviticus 10:3, God gives His holiness as the reason for everything that happens in chapter 10.

The root. The Hebrew qadosh (say: kah-DOHSH) carries the idea of being set apart or separate. God is separate from His creation and from all sin. The same root gives words for holy places and holy days.

Moral purity. Holiness is not only separateness but goodness. God's holiness means He is perfectly pure and just. That is why sin cannot simply stand in His presence.

Isaiah 6. Isaiah sees “the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up.” The scene is in the temple, the place Leviticus prepared for. Isaiah is not a priest, yet he is brought near.

The threefold cry. The seraphim cry “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3). Repeating a word was a Hebrew way of stressing it. Saying it three times makes it as strong as it can be.

Heaven's song. Revelation 4:8 shows the same words sung without rest. Holiness is at the center of heavenly worship. It is not a theme for Leviticus only.

Undone. Isaiah's “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5) is the right response of a sinner who sees God clearly. He does not compare himself to others; he compares himself to God.

Altar cleansing. The coal comes from the altar (Isaiah 6:6). Isaiah's cleansing comes from the place of sacrifice, the same pattern Leviticus teaches.

Access. Psalm 24:3-4 sets the standard for approaching God: “clean hands and a pure heart.” The question it raises is who can meet it. No ordinary worshiper can.

The answer. Hebrews 7:26 names Jesus as “holy, harmless, undefiled.” He meets the standard, and He brings others in.

Holiness and love. Holiness is not the opposite of God's love. It is what makes His love pure and trustworthy. A love without holiness would excuse evil.

Holiness for us. 1 Peter 1:15-16 quotes Leviticus: “Be holy, for I am holy.” God's people are called to share His character. Peter writes to Christians, not to priests only.

Near, but not careless. Some think God is too holy to come near. Others think He is so friendly that holiness does not matter. Leviticus 9-10 shows that both are wrong: God came near in glory, and He must be treated as holy.

Application. Read Isaiah 6:1-7. Write down the three steps: Isaiah sees God, sees himself, and is cleansed. Which step do you find hardest?

Coming God's Way

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Nadab and Abihu came to God their own way. God showed that He decides how we come to Him. So what is God's way for us today?

One way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). God has not left us to guess.

Our High Priest. “We have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14). Aaron went into a tent. Jesus went into heaven itself.

Holy priest. Jesus is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). He never did anything God had not commanded. He is the priest Nadab and Abihu should have been.

He understands. Jesus was tempted in every way we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He knows what it is like to be human. He is never too holy to care about us.

Come boldly. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

A new and living way. We have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way” (Hebrews 10:19-20).

Draw near. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). God wants us close. He is glad when we come.

With respect. Coming boldly does not mean coming carelessly. We serve God “with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

In spirit and truth. Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Truth means God's way, not our own ideas. Spirit means from the heart.

With gladness. “Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing” (Psalm 100:2). God likes our songs, even when our voices are not perfect.

Joy and awe. “Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11). The people in Leviticus 9 shouted and bowed. We can do both too.

What we learn. We come to the holy God through Jesus, with boldness, joy and respect.

What to do. This week at church, sing with joy, and also take one quiet moment to bow your head and honor God.

Leviticus 10 raises the question every worshiper must answer: on whose terms do we approach God?

Exclusive access. “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The New Testament is as clear as Leviticus that God sets the way. Exclusive does not mean unkind: the way is open to anyone who comes through Him.

A better priest. Hebrews 4:14 calls Jesus “a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens.” Aaron entered a tent; Jesus entered heaven. The better place shows the better priest.

Holy without exception. Hebrews 7:26 lists His qualities: “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” Unlike Aaron, He needs no offering for Himself (Hebrews 7:27).

Sympathy. Hebrews 4:15 says He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Holiness does not make Him distant from our weakness.

Boldness. Hebrews 4:16 invites us to come “boldly to the throne of grace.” This is the opposite of the fear of Leviticus 10, and it is possible only because of Christ.

The way through the veil. Hebrews 10:19-20 speaks of “a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.”

Clean hearts. Hebrews 10:22 describes worshipers with “hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water,” language borrowed from the priests' cleansing.

The warning remains. Hebrews 12:28-29 ends with the words, “our God is a consuming fire.” Grace does not cancel reverence. The New Testament quotes Deuteronomy 4:24 to make the point.

Spirit and truth. John 4:24 calls for worship “in spirit and truth.” Worship in spirit is sincere; worship in truth follows what God has revealed.

Gladness. Psalm 100:2 commands gladness and singing. Reverence is not gloom. Israel's worship included loud singing, instruments and feasts.

Fear and joy. Psalm 2:11 joins “fear” and “rejoice.” The people of Leviticus 9:24 show both in a single verse.

Self-made worship today. Christians are tempted to worship in ways that suit themselves rather than God. The answer is to keep worship centered on Christ and shaped by Scripture.

Application. Compare Leviticus 10:1-3 with Hebrews 10:19-22. Write a short paragraph on what has changed for worshipers, and what has not.

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Complete all sections to finish!

Read each section and answer the questions correctly.