Qodesh (קֹדֶשׁ): Holy

I have studied the Hebrew root, קֹדֶשׁ - qodesh, which is related to that which is holy. There are several words based on this root:

Qodesh: Apartness, sacredness (noun)

Qadash: To be set apart, consecrated (verb)

Qadosh: Sacred, holy (adjective)

In the Bible, words for "holiness" appear more often than words for "love". This is definitely not the case in typical modern English texts. The idea of holiness and something sacred is almost lost in modern western culture. There is much to say about this, but my takeaway after having studied the concept in an ancient Israelite context is this: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. They were not the same. Heaven is associated with holiness, whereas the (fallen) earth is where the common and profane is found. They stand in contrast to each other. In the exchange between Ammon and King Lamoni, we read

28 ...And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth?

29 And he said: Yea, I believe that he created all things which are in the earth; but I do not know the heavens.

30 And Ammon said unto him: The heavens is a place where God dwells and all his holy angels. (Mosiah 18)

The common man does not know the heavens. But God wants us to become holy. Since the normal state of earthly things is common, it requires a special act to bring a thing or person into a state of holiness. Sanctification is the preparation for heaven. This is what the temple is for, both ancient and modern. The vast majority of uses of the words for "holiness" in the Old Testament is related to the temple. It is all over the tabernacle descriptions in the Pentateuch, Solomon's temple in Kings and Chronicles and Ezekiel 40-48, where we find Ezekiel's temple vision. Both the holy place and the holy of holies were found in the temple, the latter being a replica of heaven. Here was the throne of God and the cherubim (angels) like Ammon described, like Lehi saw in his vision in the first chapter of the Book of Mormon, etc. A temple on earth offered man the opportunity to enter into the sacred and become holy, a prerequisite for communing with God. It is almost like we can consider the temple, and Christ's sacrifice symbolized there, as the portal to the otherwise unreachable heaven. It is the way to holiness, the connection point between heaven and earth.

In a previous post, I shared Leviticus 10:10.

And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean

The strong emphasis on separation from the unclean in the Old Testament, especially in temple settings, is another indicator of becoming holy as an essential prerequisite for being in God's presence. Here is another example.

And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. (2 Chronicles 29:5)

Under wicked kings in Judah, the temple had become corrupt and needed to be sanctified as did the Levites who performed the temple service.

This context is not that different from our understanding of the concept of holiness and sanctification in the church today. Still, it does influence my reading of Book of Mormon passages containing these words and sheds new light on them. I obviously don't know but I imagine that the Nephites, who came from an ancient Israelite culture, had a word that similarly encompassed holiness, sanctification, consecration and setting apart or separating from the unclean and related that primarily to the temple.

Let's read Alma 5:53-54 through this lens

53 And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?

54 Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance

The words in bold are all related to the Hebrew 'qds' root, or at least would probably be if this were an English translation of a Hebrew text. "Holy One" is a name for God used in the Old Testament, often combined with Israel to become "Holy One of Israel". Nephi makes it clear that this is Christ. The Holy One invites us to separate from the unclean and become sanctified (qadash) like He is. This happens by the Holy Spirit ("ruach ha-qodesh" in Hebrew) according to Alma. Instead of trampling the Holy One under their feet, Alma invites them to become holy instead, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

"The holy order of God" is a term that is quite unique in the Book of Mormon. It is explained in the D&C but is completely absent from the Bible. Interestingly, it makes a lot of sense in an Old Testament context even though the term is not found there. The holy order of God describes what we today call the priesthood. In Old Testament times this was inseparably linked to the temple. The primary responsibility of a priest was temple service. To "walk after the holy order of God", as Alma puts it, may describe participation in ancient temple rites where the way to holiness (i.e. God's presence) is found. According to Alma, it was also the means by which they were brought into the church in the first place.

The pattern is clear. God is holy and dwells in heaven. We can only get there by separating from the unclean of this earth. By the way of holiness in the temple, the holy order of God and the Holy Spirit, we can become sanctified.

I will spend my next post commenting on Alma 13 within this context.