Text: 1 Chronicles 15:11-15
Memory verse:
”God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.“
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭89‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The idea behind the concept of holiness is “separation”. Its root meaning is “to separate or cut off” from everything that is sinful. It is to “set apart” from the common. It also means to be pure and unstained by the darkness of sin or evil. To be unholy is to live in commonness.
”This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.“ ‭‭(I John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬).
The sin of Uzzah and the Israelites that brought about his tragic death can be summarized as the desecration of God’s holiness. They tampered with God’s holiness when they turned what God set apart as uncommon to ordinary and common things. They carried the ark of God’s presence on an ordinary cart instead of on shoulders; everybody got involved in carrying it instead of the Levites who were set apart for such; Uzzah, who wasn’t even a Levite touched the ark and could also have seen the inside of the ark in a bid to stop it from falling, which was only permitted for the high priest. Thus, that became the climax of desecrating God’s holiness! So God’s holiness had been violated in many ways before the final judgment that led to the death of Uzzah.
This is called profanity. That is, to turn holy things into unholy; to treat holy things with irreverence or to abuse holy things like Esau, who treated his birthright as an ordinary thing (Gen 25:32). For whatever reasons, the children of Israel handled the ark of God’s presence, a symbol of his holiness, as an ordinary and a common thing. God still reacts today when His holiness is tampered with. For example, your body is God’s temple, and it’s holy. Fornication, adultery, and all sexual sins turn the body into common use and will attract God’s wrath. ”Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.“ ‭‭(Heb.‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬).
So, when David returned to carry the ark, he did not only ensure that the Levites were in charge, but he also ensured that they were sanctified ‭‭(I Chro‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬). He did the right thing.
Friends, God reacts when what He has set apart as uncommon is turned to common and ordinary things. He blesses those who respect His holiness. Receive grace to be holy in all your ways, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer points
1. Father, please, help me to live holy and to respect Your holiness in all things, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, sanctify me daily, lest I set myself up against You through sinfulness, in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. I choose to live holy because I know that nothing sets one up against God as touching His holiness.
2. I will not defile my body because it is God’s temple, and it’s holy.