“No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
1 Samuel 2:2
History and Context:
This is the song of Hannah after her son Samuel was born. Hannah was barren and is first seen weeping before God, asking for a son. She promises God that if He gives her a son she will give him back to serve God all his life. Then God gives her Samuel, who becomes the last, and one of the greatest, judge of Israel. He is also the one who God used to anoint the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. This scripture comes out of Hannah's song of praise to God after He gave her Samuel.
The Text:
The text says simpy that God is holy, and that there is no one like Him. What is holy? Holy means to be set apart. It means you are set apart from something, and it implies that yo are set apart for something. God has set Himself apart from the world and from all false Gods. He is holy! He is holy because there is none like Him, because He has set Himself apart. But why has He set Himself apart? Partially, He did it for us! He set Himself apart for us. So that we could see Him, so that we could find Him, and so that we could see what it means to be Holy. Jesus told us that we should be holy just as our Father in heaven is holy!
The Challenge:
The challenge is to see His example and to follow it. Who are we supposed to be set apart from? We should be set apart from this world. Jesus said we are in this world but we are not of this world. So set yourself apart from the ways and the thought processes of this world and preserve yourself for God. Be holy even as your father in heaven is holy!
The Prayer:
Lord, you are holy! You are the holiest of holies! Help me to walk in that same holiness. Help me to set myself apart for you. Help me to find your thoughts and your actions, and to not follow the thoughts and actions of the world. You are holy Lord! In Jesus name, Amen!
That prayer definitely resonates with me as well! Holiness has lost its power nowadays...we definitely need to be set apart!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that! It is so easy to get caught up in the way things normally go. I find myself always needing to remind myself to be set apart.
ReplyDeleteGreat description and context of this passage. We are called to live a life that is different from the normal world. We can should be apart from sin but still be down to earth. So that others can see Christ through us.
ReplyDeleteSo true! We can't make the mistake of trying to be like the world but we also need to be able to relate with them in order to reach them.
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