That God is all-powerful is a reminder that no being has equal or greater power than He has. That He is all-knowing reminds us that no other being equals or surpasses God in knowledge. That God is eternal and thus uncreated sets Him apart from every created being. That God is sovereign tells us that no other entity outranks Him in position or authority. To know God to be set apart from and superior to any other being is to know Him as holy.
The basic meaning of the term “holy,” which occurs hundreds of times just in the Old Testament, is “separate from” or “set apart from.” As holy, God is different from all other beings. Each of His eternal attributes, as well as the totality of all of them, sets God apart as unique, unrivaled and unmatched. He is in a class by Himself. In short, God is holy.
Twice the Bible reflects God’s transcendent holiness by the triplicate ascription of holiness to Him. In Isaiah’s well-known vision, the prophet saw the Lord “high and lifted up.” He also heard the seraphim calling back and forth, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:1–3). The other occurrence was in connection with the apostle John’s vision in Revelation. He saw living creatures around the heavenly throne crying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Rev. 4:8).
Set apart
God is set apart or distinct from all that is creaturely, material and earthly, being Himself uncreated, spiritual and heavenly. In the Old Testament both people and objects are described as “holy” in the basic sense of being separate or different. The people who are termed “holy” are those set apart from ordinary pursuits and unto divine service. The priests of Israel were holy in this sense. Rather than street clothes or casual wear, they also wore holy garments that were especially set apart for wearing during their divine service. Various holy furnishings and objects in the temple were those set apart for divine service or separated from ordinary, everyday use. Thus the basic idea of “holy” is double faceted. To be “holy” speaks of being set apart from, as well as set apart unto, ordinary functions and unto specialized or spiritual use in relation to God and His service.
Moral and ethical purity
God also stands apart in moral or ethical purity. This is what most often comes to mind when we think about holiness. Since God is holy, no impurity or moral failure exists in Him. He is separate from all that is sinful, as well as all that is creaturely. God’s holiness sets the standard for His people. In instructing Moses, God said, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy’” (Lev. 19:2). In like manner the New Testament repeats this standard for all who are followers of Christ, saying, “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Pet. 1:15–16). The Godlike moral and ethical behavior that answers to God’s holiness or separateness is expressed in the commandment of 2 Corinthians 6:17 about Christians in relation to unbelievers, “Come out from among them and be separate.” In simple expression, this commandment is “be holy.”
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