Praying the Names of God for 5 DaysSample

HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL - QEDOSH YISRAEL

The title “Holy One of Israel” emphasizes God’s uniqueness, otherness, and mystery as well as his call to his people to become holy as he is. The Israelites were to be set apart for God, devoted to his service, and committed to honoring his character by reflecting it in all their relationships. In the New Testament Jesus was recognized as the Holy One of God by demons who were threatened by his power and purity. As believers, we are called to reflect the character of Christ, to be holy even as he is holy.

When you pray to the Holy One of Israel, you are praying to the God whose holiness not only encompasses his separation from evil, but also his power, knowledge, justice, mercy, goodness, and love.

God Reveals His Name in Scripture: Leviticus 19: 1-4, 9-18; Isaiah 12:6

Open your personal Bible translation and read the same passage. Make a mark where you read the word “holy,” the phrase “I am Yahweh your Elohim,” Or “Quedosh Yisrael.”

Yahweh spoke to Moses, 2 “Tell the whole congregation of Israel: Be holy because I, Yahweh your Elohim, am holy.

3 “Respect your mother and father. Observe my days of worship. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

4 “Don’t turn to worthless gods or cast metal idols. Never make any gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

9 “When you harvest the grain in your land, don’t harvest the grain in the corners of your fields or gather what is left after you’re finished. 10 Don’t harvest your vineyard a second time or pick up fallen grapes. Leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

11 “Never steal, lie, or deceive your neighbor.

12 “Never swear by my name in order to deceive anyone. This dishonors the name of your Elohim. I am Yahweh.

13 “Never oppress or rob your neighbor. Never keep the pay you owe a hired worker overnight. 14 Never curse deaf people or put anything in the way of blind people to make them stumble. Instead, fear your Elohim. I am Yahweh.

15 “Don’t be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people, and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly. 16 Never gossip. Never endanger your neighbor’s life. I am Yahweh.

17 “Never hate another Israelite. Be sure to correct your neighbor so that you will not be guilty of sinning along with him. 18 Never get revenge. Never hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am Yahweh.

6 “Shout loudly and sing with joy, people of Zion! Quedosh Yisrael is great. He is among you.”

Understanding the Name

Qedosh is Hebrew for “Holy One,” a title for God that appears most frequently in the book of Isaiah, though it also appears in some of the other prophets (notably Hosea, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Habakkuk) and in Psalms and Job. It emphasizes God’s otherness, separateness, and mystery. The term most frequently used for “holy” in the New Testament is hagios.

To understand the title “Holy One of Israel,” Qedosh Yisrael (ke-DOSH yis-ra-AIL), we need first to understand that holiness is grounded in God’s nature. It refers not to one of his attributes but to the totality of his perfection. In his holiness, God exists above and apart from the world he has made.

Things, times, places, people, and other created beings became holy by virtue of their connection to God. Thus, the people of Israel became holy because God had chosen them. Their holiness was to be expressed and maintained through ritual practices and adherence to moral laws, which set them apart for the service of God.

It is important to realize that God’s holiness involves not just separation from sin but his absolute hostility toward it. Christ ultimately bridged the chasm between God and sinful human beings by making himself the perfect offering for our sins. Believers are called to be holy as he is holy and are enabled to imitate Christ by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Connecting to the Name

1. In Leviticus 19, God links his commandments to his name. Why do you think he keeps reminding the people that he is “the Lord your God?”
2. If this were the only passage of Scripture you had ever read, what would it lead you to believe about God’s character?
3. Notice that all the commands involve relationships. What kinds of relationships are highlighted in this passage?
4. Read through these commandments prayerfully, asking the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to make changes in order to live according to God’s guidelines for holiness.
5. What relationships in your life need attention, repentance, or forgiveness?
6. How can you pursue being generous, loving, honest, truthful, and just toward those in your sphere of influence? Think of some specific examples.
7. What would your life look like were you to live in the constant awareness that Quedosh Yisrael is great and that he is among you?

Praying a Passage with God’s Name

Focus on the name Qedosh Yisrael, Holy One of Israel, as you read Isaiah 30:15. This is what Adonay Yahweh, Quedosh Yisrael says:

“You can be saved by returning to me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting me.”

Thank God that we can be strong by resting in him rather than by giving in to our fears.

Praying the name Qedosh Yisrael for Myself

Consider the price God paid to ransom your soul from the power of evil. Praise him for the freedom that comes from living in his presence.

Our obedience to God, and our holiness, is rooted in our identity as his children. Do you believe that you are a child of Qedosh Yisrael? Ask God to remind you of this truth. Ponder on a way you might be able to remind yourself of your identity throughout the day.

Promises from Qedosh Yisrael

19 Humble people again will find joy in Yahweh. The poorest of people will find joy in Qedosh Yisrael. Isaiah 29:19

14 With one sacrifice he accomplished the work of setting them apart for God forever.

15 The Holy Spirit tells us the same thing: 16 “This is the promise[a] that I will make to them after those days, says the Lord: ‘I will put my teachings in their hearts and write them in their minds.’” Hebrews 10:14-16