The Important Connection
Moses was dead (Joshua 1:2). It was bittersweet, for he was the last of a generation that had to die before the next generation was allowed to stop wandering in the desert and living in tents. Israel’s inheritance awaited them – nice cities, homes, gardens, and more. After his death, they could possess this inheritance. And yet Moses was the great leader who led them out of slavery with amazing signs and wonders.
But he was gone, and his spiritual son, Joshua, was about to take over for him. In three days, He would lead this chosen nation into the Promised Land. For over four hundred years, this had all been in the works. It started with Abraham, whom God chose to help Him redeem fallen humankind; Messiah would come through his offspring. As a thank you, God promised him some land.
Abraham and his descendants would have to wait for the land, however. Yahweh wouldn’t simply take it from its current occupants and give it to him. In His justice, He would wait until the sins of the inhabitants reached a level that justified it (Genesis 15:16).
It was time.
What should be done to prepare for the momentous fulfillment of this great four-hundred-year-old promise? Four centuries is a long wait. Certainly, something very special should be done over the next three days to celebrate and prepare. Should they fast? Pray? Worship nonstop for the next seventy-two hours? Throw a three-day party? Whatever we do, it needs to be monumental, they probably thought.
There was a lot of packing to do, of course, but a very important spiritual assignment was given in order to prepare for this historical crossing over. “Qadash yourselves,” Joshua told them, “for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5). Qadash is an important Hebrew word meaning “to set apart.”(1) In biblical contexts, it was most often used as being “set apart UNTO God.” There is another Hebrew word for separation FROM, nazir,(2) but qadash is separation UNTO. It is often translated using theological terms like sanctify or consecrate, but don’t let that complicate this simple concept. The Biblical concept of qadash is simply “to separate and set apart a person or object unto God.”
Setting something apart to God meant it was dedicated to or reserved for Him. For example, furniture and utensils in the temple were qadash-ed to God, meaning they were not to be used for any other purpose. The same was true with people. The Israelites were to be qadash-ed to God – they must not give themselves to the worship of other gods.
On special occasions, the Israelites were often asked by God to qadash themselves to Him, drawing near in an extra special way. This would be like a husband and wife getting away for a day or two, perhaps even for a vacation, to separate themselves from other activities and spend extra, quality time connecting with one another. Occasionally, God asked Israel to qadash themselves to Him in this additional manner.
The key to truly understanding God’s heart in the use of qadash is the “unto Him” aspect. We have made sanctification and consecration religious and legalistic, interpreting them as separating ourselves FROM certain activities. This is inaccurate; they are actually relational concepts. A poor understanding of this has hindered our connection to the Lord. Consecration is for connection. In the same way that the wedding vow is relational, so is spiritual sanctification.
The Lord’s request to Joshua and the Israelites before this monumental occasion was simple: “Draw near to Me. Let’s celebrate this new day by celebrating one another’s company.” How refreshing is that!
Interestingly, the Old Testament word for “holy” is qodesh, a derivative of qadash. Like sanctification, being holy doesn’t mean to be separated “from sin,” but rather separated “unto God.” Inanimate objects were actually called “holy” (qodesh)(3) in Scripture, as were places and days. Obviously, this was not because they hadn’t sinned. It was due to the fact that they had been “set apart to God” (qadash). Holiness isn’t defined by sinlessness! It is defined as “belonging to God.”
It is comforting to know that my relationship with God centers not around my outward performance but my inward heart. I’d rather reach toward God than run from sin. I’ll take a God who wants me more than my good works any day. There’s a vast difference between performing for acceptance and performing from acceptance. God has already “accepted” us through Christ’s sacrifice (Ephesians 1:6). Connect with Him. Celebrate His love and acceptance, allowing the power of His purity to flow through you.
Then, like Joshua and the Israelites, prepare to move into your glorious future, found through your union with Him.
Pray with me:
Lord, help us to keep our walk with You simple, resting in Your grace and trusting in Your love. Keep us from striving toward perfection and consecration in our own strength. Remind us of Your desire that we draw near to You, and that from this connection we receive power to walk in holiness and consecration.
We draw near to You now, Father, responding to Your call to qadash ourselves. As we do, fill us with power and purity. Make us more like You in all our ways. We are confident that as we do, Your life will flow through us to others. You will do for us as You did for Israel, working wonders through and for us. In Jesus’ name, we receive this. Amen.
Our decree:
We declare that we will pursue the Lord, drawing near to Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Today’s post was adapted from a chapter in my book The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books.
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James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6946.
Ibid., ref. no. 5139.
Ibid., ref. no. 6944.