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Pastor's Blog July 25, 2019

"EVERY Pot Shall Be Holiness"

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Last week Zechariah 14:20 helped us see that God's holiness is oriented to ensuring that everyone will be included in the new heavens and new earth.  In Zechariah 14:21, we find that God's holiness is also oriented to ensuring that everyone is identified as God's people: "Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts.  Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them.  In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts" (NKJV).  

Zechariah 14:21 builds on the new creation vision of v. 20: every pot in the city of Jerusalem and throughout Judah will be "holiness to the Lord."  Instead of there only being a certain set of pots used in the temple sacrifices, now everything in the new Jerusalem and the new Judah will be available for use in worshiping God; every item will participate in God's holiness. 

But God's holiness will not only extend to the utensils used in his worship - it will also extend to his worshipers.  In the Old Testament, only the Levites could use the pots that were specially designated to cook the sacrificed meat.  Now, however, v. 21 gives us a picture of "everyone" being able to perform this priestly function.  God's holiness will enable every worshiper of God to fully participate in giving worship and service to the Lord of hosts.  Especially relevant for Zechariah's audience was the fact that there would be no more Canaanites. 

Canaanites were the traditional enemies of God's people and often attempted to disrupt the worship of Israel's God by introducing the worship of Baal.  But in the new Jerusalem that is transformed by God's holiness, there are no more Canaanites to disrupt the worship of God.  Zechariah 14:21 doesn't tell us if the Canaanites will simply vanish as a people or if they will be transformed from enemies of God into his ardent followers.  Nevertheless, this text does clearly show that God's holiness is so far-reaching and inclusive that it changes everyone and everything. 

As we worship God together, let us remember that the ultimate aim of the holiness of God is our joy and peace as we worship him - both now and in the future.  God uses his holiness to make us his friends, which is an encouraging thought.