Bible Study - Set Apart (1) - Set Apart: The Holiness of GOD - Psalm 99:1-9 - JULY 16, 2023

 

Bible Study – Set Apart (1) – Set Apart: The Holiness of GOD – July 16, 2023

Our focal scripture is Psalm 99:1-9.

GOD is Holy and set apart from everything else in HIS creation.

When GOD revealed Himself to Moses, He did so from a burning bush. Moses longed to see GOD’S face and GOD told Moses in Exodus 33:22-23: ²² and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

But once a person accepts JESUS as his/her Savior, what changes? He or she can approach GOD in confidence and call HIM Daddy. What has changed? The person has been redeemed by the sinless blood of JESUS and has been born-again in the person’s spirit. JESUS pointed this out to the Jewish religious leader, Nicodemus, in John Chapter 3.

Romans 8:15

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship/daughter ship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Let’s read Psalm 99:1-3:

The Lord reigns! Let the peoples tremble.
He is enthroned between the cherubim.

 

The LORD reigns, the psalmist used the personal name for GOD to distinguish the One and True GOD from other gods people at that time were worshipping.

 

The cherubim is a winged angel who serve at GOD’S Throne and whose images were on the ark of the covenant in the temple and GOD is enthroned between them. “The Lord” is a reference to “Yahweh”

Let the earth quake.
² The Lord is great in Zion;
he is exalted above all the peoples.
³ Let them praise your great
and awe-inspiring name.
He is holy.

 

The author of Psalm 99 reveals his utmost respect for GOD when he wrote “the Lord” for the name of GOD. Zion originally referred to the mountain upon which the Israelites worshipped. Then as time went on it referred to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a call to all people to worship the ONE TRUE GOD, Yahweh. JESUS was crucified in Jerusalem by the shedding of HIS sinless blood and all who place their faith in the fact that JESUS was:

Born by virgin Mary, lived a sinless life gave HIS life willingly to pay for the sin of every human who will place his or her faith in JESUS will be born-again in his or her spirit. The person will die one day but his or her born-again spirit will live eternally with GOD as HIS Son or Daughter.

 

When the psalmist penned these words, JESUS had not been born but the Holy Spirit led the Psalmist to pen these words looking forward to this GOD ordained event to save all from eternal death to live eternally with GOD and JESUS in Heaven. GOD gives each person redeemed by the shed blood of JESUS, the Holy Spirit to guarantee, assure that he or she has been redeemed from spending eternity in Hell but in Heaven with all of GOD’S redeemed.

 

 

Let’s read Romans 8:15:

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship/daughter ship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

 

This is the Good News that faith in JESUS brings to all who place his or her faith in JESUS. This is something each and every person must do to receive eternal life through faith in JESUS. Have you made this profession of faith? If not why not.

 

Let’s read what JESUS told Nicodemus when Nicodemus came to JESUS at night to learn more about JESUS. As we read in John 3:1-21:

Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴ “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. ⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven —the Son of Man.^[c]

¹⁴ “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him may^[d] have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God loved the world in this way:^[e] He gave^[f] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. ¹⁹ This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it,^[g] so that his deeds may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Let’s switch to the Old Testament ---

Let’s read Psalm 99:4-5:

 

⁴ The mighty King loves justice.
You have established fairness;
you have administered justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
⁵ Exalt the Lord our God;
bow in worship at his footstool.
He is holy.

 

Examine the lives of the Old Testament founding followers of GOD. GOD was painting a picture of HIS love for them that would be fulfilled at the right moment in time. The Old Testament Patriarchs placed their faith in GOD and what was yet to come. They were looking forward to JESUS and we are looking back to the fulfillment of what has been fulfilled. We, who are alive, are looking forward to the second coming of JESUS, when all who have placed their faith in JESUS are fully redeemed by JESUS.

 

Let’s read Psalm 6-9:

 

⁶ Moses and Aaron were among his priests;
Samuel also was among those calling on his name.
They called to the Lord and he answered them.
⁷ He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud;
they kept his decrees and the statutes he gave them.
⁸ Lord our God, you answered them.
You were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their sinful actions.

⁹ Exalt the Lord our God;
bow in worship at his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.

 

GOD revealed Himself to the Israelites in very graphic ways. JESUS reveals Himself in many ways as well. One way is via the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, WHO calls you to accept JESUS as your Savior. Why not ask JESUS to forgive you for your sins and for HIM to come into your heart, now? Ask HIM to reveal Himself to you as you accept JESUS as your Savior and you build the right relationship with HIM.

 

What do we read in Revelation 3:20:

 

²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

 

What door is JESUS knocking on? It is our hearts door. The most secret area within our body. It is the Holy Spirit Who knocks. As a Christian does that mean we will sin no more. Yes and No. What does a born-again believer do when they sin. Let’s read 1 John 1:9: ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

All born-again Christians must confess their sins in order to remain in fellowship with GOD through JESUS.

 

Step one for any person is to invite JESUS into his or her heart and ask HIM to help you build the right relationship with HIM. Ask JESUS to lead and guide you to those who can reveal truth to you. This may be a pastor or a Bible Teacher. If you do not have a Bible that you can read and understand. Get a copy of the Bible you can read and understand. Ask JESUS to reveal truth to you. One source to check is  Actsclass.blogspot.com. But also ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to a Bible teaching church, or fellowship or teacher where or who you can help you grow Spiritually. An important aspect of growing as a Christian is to put what you learn into action. Test what you are being taught against GOD’S Written Word. If for some reason you feel uneasy where the person is getting his or her information. If from the Bible ask for references to the scripture.

Blessings!!!