“THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS”

Hugo McCord

Three times the Israelites were commanded (1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 96:9, KJV) to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,” and one time Christians were told (Psalm 110:3; Matthew 22:41-46, KJV) in advance that they would participate in “in the beauties of holiness.”

Holiness (qodesh, 2 Chronicles 31:18; hagiosune, 2 Corinthians 7:1) is (1) being separated from fleshly defilements and “abominable customs” (Leviticus 18-30; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 1:1-16) and (2) being attached to the Lord in love with all of one’s heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37-38). Beautiful holiness is internal and invisible, a “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). Without holiness “no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

Beauty (hadrath, Proverbs 20:29; horaios, Romans 10:15), the opposite of ugliness, is attractiveness, splendor, and loveliness. Ugly Old Testament worship was offering animal sacrifices (zebahim) by unholy Jews (Isaiah 1:2-17). Ugly New Testament worship by unholy Christians is threskeia (the “ceremonies” of worship without care for “orphans and widows,” Thayer, p. 292; James 1:26-27).

Thus the only worship that the Lord has ever considered beautiful is that which is done by holy, self-denying people (Matthew 16:24; 1 Peter 1:16).

It is sad that the beautiful words spoken to Jews (1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 96:9), and in advance to Christians (Psalm 110:3; Matthew 22:41-46) have been mistranslated by scholars thinking that God was demanding “apparel worn at solemn festivals” (Gesenius, p. 218). It is true that Jewish priests were required to wear “holy garments... for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2, 40), but the non-priests had no such requirement.

The citations specifying acceptable worship (1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 96:9) for non-priests and for Christians (Psalm 110:3) called for nothing external, but only inward devotion, heart-felt consecration, total commitment to the Lord. But the ASV scholars erred in inserting the word “array” in the commandment “worship Jehovah in holy array” both for the Jews (1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 96:9) and for Christians (Psalm 110:3). The NASB also uses “holy array” in one place for the Jews (1 Chronicles 16:29) and in the one place for Christians (Psalm 110:3). For some reason, in two other citations for the Jews, the NASB uses “holy attire” (1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 96:9).

If physical garments, uniforms for worship, were required for acceptable worship by both the Jews and Christians, then the “sons of God” (Job 1:6; Psalm 29:1-2), believed to be angels, will have to put on vestments, for they are given the same command given to Jews and Christians: “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:1-2, KJV), or, as in the ASV: “Worship Jehovah in holy array.”

Not only did the ASV and the NASB err in adding the word for a physical vestment, but the NIV has added another word not in the Hebrew text: “his,” referring to God. Three times (1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 96:9) the Jews are told, and one time (Psalm 29:1-2) the “sons of God” are told, to “worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness,” but the “his” is omitted in the remarks about Christians (Psalm 110:3). It is true that God is “holy” (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 60:6; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8), but textually in 1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalm 96:9 the holiness of the Jews is spoken of, not “his” (God’s), and in Psalm 29:1-2 the holiness of the “sons of God” is spoken of, not “his” (God’s). Then, for some reason, the NIV in Psalm 110:3 pictures some “troops” who are “Arrayed in holy majesty.”

9-30-2000