Seth and I were invited to a pastoral consecration service by one of the studio families, and we were so delighted to attend.  I try to make it to as many student/parent extra-studio activities as I can–simply because I love being a part of your lives.  One of my students danced to the powerful Nicole C. Mullen song “Come Unto Me” and did an awesome job!  It was a very God-honoring service.  However, it did cause me to leave with one thought running through my mind: How come the church doesn’t use the word “consecrated” much anymore?

To be consecrated means to be set apart for the work of God.  God instructs us in Leviticus 20: 7 to, “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.”  (This was, of course, as He was instructing the Israelites not to be like the pagan nations around them.)  It was interesting to me that the word (from the Hebrew qadash) is most often found in the Old Testament.  In fact, the verb form of it appears 172 times in the Bible.  The obvious point is this:  as believers in Christ we are called to be set apart unto the Lord.  Perhaps the usage of such a scholarly word puts some people off?  I don’t know.

It gets better.  The Hebrew word Kedesh (Hebrew for sanctum or sanctuary) is the noun form of qadash and it is the name of four places in Palestine, and there is one that I am particularly interested in today: Kadesh Barnea.  Kadesh Barnea is located in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land, and it’s where the Israelites rebelled against the Lord (Numbers 14). 

1. In order to be set apart we need to be set apart from something.  God was calling the Israelites to be set apart from the nations around them.  They were not to sacrifice their children and they were not to worship other gods.  They were, however, to trust the Lord to deliver them.  They were to set themselves apart, even while surrounded by hostile peoples.  However, they did not trust in the Lord to deliver them, and the Lord punished them by causing them to wander 40 years in the desert (one year for each day the spies were in Canaan).

2.  In order to be consecrated we need to be humbled.  The Bible is chock full of people being humbled and it is no different today.  In fact, Moses (a prince of Egypt) had to spend years working in the desert tending sheep before God called him to lead the Israelites to freedom!  Shepherding is dirty work.  The Israelites had to spend 40 years wandering in the desert before they could enter their Promised Land.  If you don’t think that was humbling for them….

3.  Consecration often follows a wilderness season.  If you are in a wilderness season right now, don’t think that God can’t and won’t use that to His glory.  God uses the wilderness seasons in our lives to teach us things and draw us closer to Him.  I’ll never forget hiking several miles in the Israeli desert to the wilderness oasis of En Gedi.  Even though it was early morning the temperature was already well over 100 degrees, and as we were hiking members of  our group slowly dropped off and headed back to the cool air conditioning of the bus.  The rest of us continued to climb over the desert sand and rocks.  We were sweaty and disgusting and just when we desperately wanted to turn back we made it to the most beautiful waterfall.  It was set back among the lush plants and tiny crevices in the rocks.  The mist from the waterfall cooled us down, and wow, was it ever worth it!  The wilderness journey was tough, but it was so worth it!

4.  Consecration will bring us full circle.  The Israelites were right where they needed to be BEFORE they rebelled against God.  How many times are we in that position?  God brings us to His perfect place and then we just rebel?  He needs to lead us through the wilderness so that we are humbled and realize that HE is our sanctuary.  After 40 years of wandering, God brought the Israelites right back to the place where they first began: Kadesh Barnea.

To close I will leave you with this poem by Beth Moore.  It’s called “Blessed Anonymity.”

There is a name above all names–
Let mine be lost in His.
Hide me in His crimson heart,
O secret way of bliss.

Blessed anonymity,
Count my life but loss.
Jesus the One and Only,
Tread over me dear cross.

One life alone worth finding
Nail mine unto the tree.
Till Jesus ever shining
Is all beheld in me.

Bring Him forth each day I live
And leave me in the tomb.
I see no other glory
Make not the smallest room.

Amen, enjoy your weekend!

Kirsten