Skip to main content

What Does It Mean?


Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. (Psalm 22:3) 
           (Or, "Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praise of Israel") 

            One of my favorite questions: "What does ________ mean?" Today's passage is full of opportunities to ask meaning. First, there is the question of what the Hebrew text means. There are two translations provided in my study Bible. By looking the elements, perhaps the meaning of the whole will become clearer.
            What does "Holy One" mean? What does it mean that God is the Holy One? Does it mean less to say "You are holy"? According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, "holy" means dedicated or consecrated to God. In describing God as holy, it might be better to say that "holy" means dedicated or consecrated as God. Whether dedicating or consecrating "to" or dedicating or consecrating "as," it means setting apart or separating. That thing which is holy is different, special, to be treated with unusual respect. To describe God as "the Holy One" expresses the idea that He is the definite article, the one and only One who is truly holy. While it is true that God is holy, it seems greater praise to express the truth His holiness. He is holy in a way that makes all else profane or common by comparison. 
        To enthrone someone means to establish (or recognize) the authority of that person, effectively to set that person aside as being over everyone else which makes it like being holy. Thrones tend to be set on daises, or platforms, so that they are above those around them. In a sense, to enthrone means to lift up.  It is entirely appropriate for the Holy One to be enthroned and recognized as the Holy One. 
           It is also entirely appropriate for Israel's praise to lift up or enthrone God, which means that He is holy. When you praise, you lift up or hold up (picture raising your hands....) which means you dedicate or consecrate, or declare something to be holy or enthrone something (which separates it from everything else and lifts it up.) These ideas are closely related, perhaps even just different ways of saying the same thing (which is not unusual for Middle Eastern poetry of the time.) All of which is to treat as separate that which is unique.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more