Jehovah Maccaddeshem: What Does it Mean?
Jehovah Maccaddeshem: What does it mean?
This name of God was new to me. So, what does it mean?
When I began writing this blog about the names of God, I emphasized that the names of God show the character of God. Each name we study is a different facet of the character of God.
We know that Jehovah (Yahwey) is the personal name of God. In most English Bibles this word is translated as LORD-with all capital letters. It means The Existing One.
This week we see another facet of God. This name is special because God Himself uses the name.
Maccaddeshem is a Hebrew word that comes from the word qadash (Strong’s 6942) which means: to consecrate, sanctify, set apart, make holy.
Jehovah Maccaddeshem means: LORD the one who sanctifies (makes holy).
The place we see this best is in Exodus chapter 31. In Exodus, God gave Moses instructions for how the people should worship Him. God gave the Law so they would know what sin was. God gave Moses directions on how to build the tabernacle so they would know how to worship Him. God gave Moses instructions on how to provide animal sacrifices that would (temporarily) atone for sin. God gave Moses instructions on how to consecrate (sanctify, set apart, make holy) the priests.
God gave Moses a lot of specific instructions on how they were to worship Him. In every one of these instructions, God was showing them that the people, places, and things for worshiping Him were to be “consecrated, sanctified, set apart, made holy. “
Then God told Moses to establish the Sabbath day:
“But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.’”
There it is. The name God calls Himself: Jehovah Maccaddeshem-LORD who sanctifies.
It is God who consecrates, sets apart, and makes holy the people, places, and things for His service. It is God who sanctifies.
In Leviticus 19:2 God said “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2.
I think the word sanctify is poorly understood today. It is sort of a churchy word. I suspect that if asked, most Christians could not explain what sanctify or sanctification means. It means to make holy.
All who put their faith in God should strive to be holy because He is holy. Yet cannot make ourselves holy. It only comes from one place:
Jehovah Maccaddeshem – Lord the one who sanctifies (makes holy).
Carla Killough McClafferty