HEBREW TREASURES

ק Kuf : The Holy One Of Israel

“I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy … for I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44-45)

The Scripture tells us plainly that, no matter where we go, God is already there. The Psalmist wrote that, whether we ascend into heaven or descend into hell, God’s Presence will be there (Ps. 139:8). So we understand that, if you want to find Him, He can be found (Mt. 7:7). He is everywhere – in the mountains, in the breeze, even within His people (1 Cor. 6:19). Yet, when you find Him, how does one describe God? What words can be used to express His divine nature? For millennia, people have tried and always come up short, for how does one define the indefinable or explain the unexplainable? Long ago, rabbis conceded that this was an impossible task and so it was recorded within the Zohar that:

“He is grasped within all worlds, yet none grasps Him.”

To put it plainly, God is present, not only in every place but, in every situation. Truly He is omnipresent and, yet, He cannot be defined exclusively by these things in which we discern Him for He transcends them all. In other words, even though He is to be found in all that He has created, He is nevertheless set apart from all that He has created – He is separate. In Hebrew, to be “set apart” or “separate” is קדוש kadosh translated as “holy.” He is קדוש kadosh and because our God is holy, He calls upon us, His people, to be קדוש kadosh .

The initial letter in the word קדוש kadosh - ק kuf – has come to represent the concept of holiness or being “set apart” (Shabbot 104a) and, thus, also represents the Holy One. Likewise, those who seek to emulate the Holy One of Israel – those called to be “set apart,” or holy – are also symbolized by the letter ק kuf . You will recall that in our previous installment – צ tzade – those who discern God and strive to obey Him are regarded as being צדיק tzadik , or “righteous ones.” Because these faithful people desire to live by God’s righteous standards, they are regarded in Scripture as a “holy nation” or, in Hebrew, קדוש גין goy kadosh ( Ex. 19:6, 1 Pet. 2:9).

Interestingly, the letter m tzade – the first letter in צ דיק Tzadik - is followed in the Hebrew alef-bet by the letter e kuf which is also the last letter in the word דיק m Tzadik . The point is, those who desire to draw close to Him – those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Mt. 5:6) – are pressing toward His holiness that we may also be deemed holy. There is an inherent cost in this process, however. As a consequence of coming close to Him, we must be willing to crucify our own flesh (Gal. 5:24) and, as Paul wrote:

“… present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1)

In the days of the Temple, an offering unto the LORD was referred to as קרבן korban (please note the first letter in this word is e kuf). Any vessel found in God’s House with ק kuf written upon it, was considered consecrated – קרבן korban - or “holy unto God” (Ma’aser Sheni 4:11). The word קרבן korban comes from the root קרב karav , which means “to come close.” These offerings, then, were designed to bring people closer to God and bring them into that most intimate relationship that exists between a Father and His children. Interestingly, the word קרבן korban , separated into two words – בן קר (kar and ben) – could be interpreted as “to call a son.” So then, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who desire to “come close” to Him and live according to His standards are defined by Scripture as the sons (and daughters) of God. Paul explains that:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14)

The Crown of Holiness

“There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8)

When observing the form of the letter ק kuf , one rabbinical tradition teaches that it is a combination of the letters ר resh and z zayin . When these two letters are read in ascending order – in other words, zayin, resh – the resulting word is ר z zer or “crown.” Zer is the Hebrew term used when describing the crowns that adorned the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 25:11), the Table of Shewbread (Ex. 25:24), and the Altar of Incense (Ex. 30:3). Judaism teaches that these three crowns represent, respectively, the crown of the Torah (the tablets of the Law were kept in the Ark), the crown of the Kingdom (twelve loaves according to the twelve tribes of Israel were arrayed on the Table), and the crown of the Priesthood (the incense burned as the priest entered God’s presence). The Torah, of course, speaks of God’s Word and the obligation to keep God’s instructions – hungering and thirsting after righteousness. The Kingdom speaks of that “holy nation” that is comprised of those who desire to live by God’s holy standards and the Priesthood speaks to our designation as a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9) and those responsible for being oracles of the most High God (1 Pet. 4:11).

There is another crown mentioned where God’s house was concerned and that was the crown of the High Priest of Israel. Scripture tells us:

“Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” (Ex. 39:30)

The Hebrew term translated here as “crown” is נזר nezer . Though not identical to זר zer , it is, nevertheless, a related term. Still, there is an important distinction. The word נזר nezer denotes something that is truly set apart for devotion and divine service. It is, in fact, the word from which nazarite (in Hebrew נזיר nazir ) is derived. This specific crown designates him as the High Priest and, consequently, most holy, set apart and authorized to lead other priests in the worship of the Almighty. So then, this crown separated him further, even from the others of the “kingdom of priests” and elevated him above all those who comprised the “holy nation.” In fact, it signified that the others were to submit to and follow his leadership even as he submitted to and followed God’s instructions. This crown, I submit, speaks ultimately of the one that can be worn only by our heavenly High Priest Y’shua (Heb. 8:1).

It is our High Priest Y’shua who provided the means that we might “become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21) It is Y’shua who has made us “kings and priests to His God and Father” (Rev. 1:6). It is He who will bestow upon the faithful a crown – a זר zer – a word synonymous with the form of the letter ק kuf , which in turn is the letter used to designate or “crown” those vessels considered as holy.

The Mystery of His Holiness

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

As I said earlier, our Father can be found if you look for Him but it should also be understood that, in effect, He is hidden. I mean that, when I behold the majesty of the Rockies or look through a telescope into the vastness of space, I can’t see Him and, yet, by virtue of what I do see how can I doubt He is there? His creation declares His glory (Ps. 19:1) even if I can’t see Him. Thus we understand that He purposely hides Himself but for this reason: that I might be provoked to look for Him (Prov. 25:2). In other words, the true extent of His glory, His majesty and His holiness is, initially at least, a mystery.

When the two letters that form e kuf – r resh and z zayin – are read in descending order, they spell the Hebrew word רז raz or “mystery.” I believe it is fair to say that most students of the Bible feel that the more we learn of God’s Word, the more questions we have. One can spend a lifetime seeking to know Him through prayer and His Word only to conclude that, when all is said and done, we will have only scratched the surface. That this is true serves to remind us that there is none like Him (Is. 46:9); He is truly set apart from all – He is holy. Yet, there are times that He allows us to peer beyond our human limitations and “see” Him within His Creation and within His Word.

I believe that Paul hints at these encounters when, speaking of the hidden wisdom of God, He tells us that:

“God has revealed them (the mysteries) to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” (1 Cor. 2:10)

In short, there are times that the Holy Spirit touches us and permits us to peer into these mysteries and “see” Him. I should point out here that the word ק kuf actually means “to touch.” Even more interesting is the fact that the numerical equivalent of the word קוף kuf (186) is identical to the value of the Hebrew word מקום makom (186), the Hebrew word for “place.” When the definite article is attached to this word ( המקם ha’makom ) the result is “the place.” According to rabbinical sources, this phrase is synonymous with the LORD in that He is not limited to existence in just “a place,” but can be found in every place. Thus, He is המקם ha’makom , “the place.” Though He is ever present in every situation and every place, in order for you and me to “see” Him, the Spirit of God must “touch” ( קוף kuf ) us. Consider an experience Abraham had.

The LORD Is Seen

“Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.”

(Gen. 22:4)

In Genesis 22, God instructed Abraham to take his “only son Isaac” and offer Him as a burnt offering on a mountain that God would show him (Gen. 22:2). On the next morning, Abraham, Isaac and two servants and journeyed to the land of Moriah. On the third day of the journey, Abraham looked and saw in the distance the place to which he was to go. After viewing the place, he then turns to his servants and tells them to wait where they are while he and Isaac go and worship. Notice, though, He also tells them that both he and Isaac would return to them (Gen. 22:5).

We know that Isaac was the son of promise through whom God would propagate the covenant made with Abraham (Gen. 17:19). As Abraham prepared to offer Isaac as God had commanded, Scripture says that Abraham laid the wood of the burnt offering – literally, the “tree” - upon Isaac (Gen. 22:6). The picture is, then, Abraham takes his one and only promised son, places a tree upon him that he must carry up to the top of a hill, where he is to then be offered as a sacrifice. Why? The writer of Hebrews says that Abraham had concluded:

“That God was able to raise him up, even from the dead (Heb. 11:19)

In Abraham’s heart, Isaac was as good as dead but, because he believed God’s promise concerning Isaac, he was confident that God would be obligated by His own Word to raise Isaac up from the dead. Thus, Isaac is the picture of the one and only Son of the Father – the Promised Seed – who carried the tree to the hill to become the perfect sacrifice and who the Father raised from the dead to live forevermore. Still, though we understand that Abraham was walking out a Messianic prophecy, the question remains: what made Abraham so confident? According to Y’shua, Abraham saw something that caused him to rejoice.

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”

(Jn. 8:56)

How and when was Abraham able to see Y’shua’s day? I believe that it was when he saw “the place afar off.” Remember that המקום ha’makom – “the place” - is a phrase synonymous with “the LORD.” So, when Abraham saw “the place,” not only did he view the spot on Mt. Moriah he was to take Isaac but, he saw a vision of the LORD. The word translated as “afar off” is מרחק merchok . This word can mean in the distance of space – from where Abraham stood to the top of the mountain – or it can mean in the distance of time. In other words, Abraham saw the place on Moriah that the Lord had spoken to him of and, in that place, he saw the Lord in the distance of time. Notice that after this, he then tells the servants to wait for both him and Isaac!

God “touched” Abraham, permitting him to “see” Him in that “place” and in that situation. That is when Abraham knew that both he and his son would be returning. Furthermore, when queried by Isaac as to where the sacrificial lamb was, Abraham confidently replied that God would provide Himself a lamb (Gen. 22:8). Yet, we see that a ram, not a lamb, was the animal God provided in the thicket. Why? Because Abraham saw Y’shua’s day – God providing Himself as a Lamb – and he rejoiced! Thus, he called the name of that place יראה יהוה YHVH Yireh , literally, “the LORD, He will be seen.” However, it is also understood to say, “the LORD, He will see to it” – that is, that God would provide HIMSELF a Lamb.

Remember, though God is in every situation and in every place, He is nevertheless hidden. Still, there are times when God’s Spirit touches ( קוף kuf ) us and allows us to see Him and, when we do, guess who we see? Y’shua told us that if you have seen Him you have seen the Father (Jn. 14:9). So when we see God revealed in this place or that situation, we, like Abraham, see Y’shua, the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8)!

Many years later, Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, returned to this same place on his flight from Esau. Scripture tells us that he decided to stay there for the night and, so, placed stones at his head and went to sleep. He dreamed of a ladder that reached up into heaven upon which the holy angels of God ascended and descended and, standing at the top of the ladder was the LORD. Jacob awakens to acknowledge that “the LORD is in this place” (Gen. 28:16) and so he called that place “the house of God” and “the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:17).

That this “holy place” was where Jacob saw angels “ascending and descending” is very important because of something we have learned from the letter ק kuf . Remember, the words זר zer and רז raz represent the ascending and descending aspect of ק kuf , which is the letter that represents the Omnipresent and Holy One of Israel. Scripture tells us that the Holy One – Y’shua – ascended up on high and gave gifts unto men (Eph. 4:8). However, we understand that before He ascended, He first descended.

“Now this, ‘He ascended’ — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” (Eph. 4:9-10)

I believe this passage teaches us that Y’shua descended from heaven to earth that He might save us from our sin. The mystery ( רז raz ) of this descent is that God became flesh in order to save mankind. By that I mean, God provided Himself a Lamb. Yet, how does one explain what, to human comprehension, is unexplainable? It is a mystery and, yet, it is a fact. Because He did descend, He has also ascended and now wears the crown ( זר zer ) of King and Priest. Furthermore, as King and Priest, He has promised “gifts” to those who descend to their knee and confess Him as Lord. To those who humble themselves even as He humbled Himself, He promises that we may one day ascend and “sit together in the heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6). On that day, the most important aspect of these promises will become reality, for on that day, He will no longer be hidden from us – we shall see Him “as He is” when He is revealed (1 Jn. 3:2).

Thus, the LORD will be seen in all of His glory and, perhaps for the first time, we will begin to truly grasp the immeasurable extent of what has been, to this point, hard to contemplate and define – His holiness. In the meantime, there are mysteries that, by His Spirit, He has allowed us to understand, questions He has already answered. In my opinion, chief among them is this:

“Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know?” (Prov. 30:4)

I do. It is Y’shua, the Holy One of Israel!