Holy Vessels

Have you ever considered the question, "Am I Holy?"

The reality for me is that I very seldom think about this.  There are times when I do.  In fact, on a regular basis I consider this thought.  Saturday nights.  I have a routine that involves abstaining from intimacy with my wife, I shower and prepare for Sunday morning and I ask God to clean me on the inside and prepare me to speak to His people.  To wash my heart and cleanse me from all unrighteousness so that nothing gets in the way of His message to His people.  But I'm a preacher.  And that's once a week.

I guess I never really thought about seeking holiness when I prepare for something else, something difficult or even mundane.  It's like I only think about this when it's some big spiritual event I'm preparing for.

In 1 Samuel 21 young David, before he succeeds King Saul and takes over the rule of Israel, is actually fleeing Saul for his life.  He comes to the Tabernacle of God at Nob and to the priest, Ahimelek.  David and the men with him are hungry and looking for something to sustain them as they continue to run from King Saul who is pursuing David to take his life.  The only thing Ahimelek has to eat is The Bread of the Presence.  It was bread that was baked every Sabbath (Saturday) and placed before the Lord as an offering.  It pointed back in time to the manna that the Israelites ate in the wilderness. It also pointed forward to Christ being the bread of life.  It was to be eaten only by the Priests who come from the line of Aaron (Moses' brother and the only line who could be High Priest) and who had set themselves apart as Holy by following the prescribed regulations and was only to be eaten in a Holy place.

However, this bread was given to David and his men.  Now, it's not my purpose to get into all of this today but let me just say, Jesus referred to this event when He said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  In other words, God gave man the Sabbath (day of rest) as a gift.  Anyway, I found it interesting that Ahimelek said to David, "there is some consecrated bread here - provided them men have kept themselves from women."  Just like the Jerusalem church determined that the Gentile church should not have to follow every Jewish law but only a few specific ones that would be most detestable to the Jews, Ahimelek breaks down the regulations for being Holy to just one thing - abstinence.

But what is even more interesting is David's reply in verse five, "Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!”

That is incredible to me!  David says that even when the missions he goes out on are not holy, or God ordained/directed, his men still prepare themselves and keep their bodies holy.  Which means that they are ready for whatever God is going to do among them because they are ALREADY holy, ALREADY prepared.

Guess what, YOU ARE HOLY!  You are already set apart for God's good works which He prepared in advance for you to do!  Look at 1 Peter 2:9, "...you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

On the cross Jesus paid your price.  His sacrifice makes you holy.  You are now part of the royal priesthood - the priesthood of Aaron, not by your blood line, but by the blood of Christ Jesus.  That makes you God's special possession!

Now your part is to proclaim the praises of Jesus who called you out of the darkness of sin and pain and hopelessness and into HIS wonderful light!

Every day you are holy and ready to do whatever God places in your path.  Every day you can eat the bread of heaven because you are holy.  Every day you can do whatever God asks because you are prepared supernaturally by the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish everything He sets before you.

You are a Holy vessel.