Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9)
Like most of you I’ve heard this phrase, “the beauty of holiness,” most of my life but, until now, I’ve never stopped to truly contemplate what it means. I can tell you that the Hebrew word translated as beauty, הדר hadar, indicates something considered to be exceptional — something to which one would extend preferential treatment. More specifically it is associated with an adornment, specifically one that befits royalty. As used in this verse, the word literally means “holy array” thus alluding to the holy garments worn by the priests of Israel. In fact, one translation renders this verse as, “Worship the Lord in the beautiful garments of holiness!”
So on one level of understanding, the psalmist reminds us that all who come before the Lord should do so with the appropriate reverence and respect that is due Him as King of Kings. We wouldn’t appear for an earthly king wearing ragged clothes or unwashed faces; likewise we shouldn’t be so lax in our respect for God that we would approach Him in filthy clothes and with dirty hands. More importantly, why would we think it appropriate to come before Him with the presence of sin in our life? As it is written, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3-4).
I understand that we do not possess garments comparable to those worn by the priests of Israel. Still, Peter said that we are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,” who are called to proclaim His praises (1 Peter 2:9). So then, seeing we are tasked with being His dutiful and obedient representatives, should we not adorn ourselves with holy living that identifies us as His own special treasure? If all the world is called to tremble before Him, should we not set the example and array ourselves in humility? And as His betrothed, should we not make ourselves ready and be prepared to meet Him dressed in garments without “spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (Ephesians 5:27)?
We live in a world that grows more casual and more apathetic with every passing day. But as the people of God, we should not let the world’s mindset and cultural trends suck us into thinking that serving God can be accomplished in the same manner. There is a protocol when approaching the Sovereign of the Universe and, in my opinion, many believers have forgotten this. So then, we need to extract ourselves from the mindset of the world and remember that we are called to be a set apart people and to worship the Lord in a manner that is pleasing to Him; that is the beauty of holiness.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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