Close on the heels of our study of mentoring relationships in scripture, we turn our focus toward the One Who desires to mentor everyone!  Our heavenly Father created us to have a deep, abiding relationship with Him.  He designed us FOR Him to love Him and to serve Him.  He does not force us into that relationship, but He calls us toward it with creation, conscience, and personal conviction of sin.  He gently draws us to Himself through the call of the Holy Spirit on our lives.  When we say no, it breaks His heart.  When we say yes, eternity opens up with all the possibilities of complete and total JOY. 

As we look at what being “set apart” looks like, I am always reminded of a prayer spoken from the heart of Mister Steve “Papaw” Wilson of FBC Raymond, MS.  He bowed his head and addressed God with these words: “Lord, here we are again talking to You.  Thank You that You are so very “OTHER” than us!  You are high and lifted up and holy and worthy and wonderful.  We are just sorry ole sinners, You are not.  We need You to save us and cleanse us and set us on our feet to work for You.  Call us to our knees to worship You. Send us out to serve You. We pray this prayer humbly in the Name of Jesus.” 

Yes, God is “OTHER” than us.  He is everything we are not so that He can help us to come to Him in love and service.  In this first lesson on what it means to be set apart, we first look to the holiness of the One Who made us.  The next five weeks, we will see how He (the One set apart in holiness) sets us apart to accomplish His will and plan through our surrendered lives.  Our upcoming lesson titles will direct us toward how to live set apart, chosen, SENT lives:  Christ is the One Who sets us apart.  We are set apart but never alone.  We are set apart in our thought life.  We are set apart in the way we live and conduct our lives.  We are set apart for the complete, whole, long wonderful journey that leads to eternity with Christ.

Our study takes us to the center book of scripture.  The Book of Psalms was then and is now the book of worship, praise, lament, rejoicing, suffering, confession, devotion.  The Psalms lift up praise to The Holy and Righteous One.  Many of our mental and spiritual pictures of God are formed as we read The Psalms.  

Psalm 99 appears to be a three-stanza poem or song lyric.  Song lyrics are simply poetry that sings.  The first stanza of this song (verses one through three) ends with “holy is He.”  The second stanza (verses four through five) also ends with “holy is He.”  Stanza three covers verses six through nine.  The last line of the song sums it all up by declaring the fact that it is the Lord our Who God is holy.  Let there be no confusion…just making certain and sure that the reader of any and all generations would have no doubt about it.  

Psalm 99 is one of six “enthronement” Psalms (47, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99).  These were probably used at feasts and festivals where God was lifted up as King.  Yes, He is king over all other kings and Lord over all other lords.  The attribute that sets Him apart from all other kings is His holiness.  This Psalm declares that truth.  When someone asks you how you know God is holy, you can simply turn to Psalm 99 and read it with them.  Scripture is our most significant resource on Earth.

Stanza One
The Lord reigns.  The people tremble in response to that.
The Lord is enthroned above all the angels.  The earth simply shakes with that truth.
The Lord is great in Zion, which is another word for the mountain city called Jerusalem.
The Lord is exalted above all peoples.  Our response is to praise His great name.
Holy is He.

Stanza Two
The Lord loves justice.
The Lord established equity.
The Lord carried out justice and righteousness with the people of Jacob.
We are to exalt Him and worship by bowing at the footstool of His feet.
Holy is He.

Stanza Three
Moses and Aaron and Samuel had direct access to God.  They called on Him.
God answered them (and many others in scripture) in miraculous ways.

For the most part, these three men listened and obeyed God when He spoke. In verse 8, the author of this Psalm does exactly what we must do when we see the holiness of God.  In awe and reverence, we turn from telling others ABOUT Him and speak to Him directly, acknowledging Who He is and all that He has done.  The to close the Psalm, the writer points back to the throne Occupant and declares with proof, our holy God is the forgiver of repentant confessors of sin and the avenger of those who refuse Him.  We are finally reminded to exalt God and to worship Him alone. 

Holy is the Lord our God.