- Sanctify a Holy Place
Exodus 30:29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
This promise is tricky. The promise is that whatever touches a sanctified vessel or object shall be holy. Moses was commanded to make a holy anointing oil, and with it he was to anoint all the tables, altars, lampstands, basins and all their utensils along with the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony. This action sanctifies them and makes them holy. They are holy because God says so and His Word makes them holy. Then the promise: whatever touches them shall be holy.
These objects are consecrated (sanctified, made holy). Then Aaron and his sons, as High Priests, are consecrated with the holy anointing oil and thus they are holy when performing prescribed services and sacrifices. The High Priest then may make the people holy as he brings them before the Lord.
Anyone who approaches the Lord in worship and truth, in prayer and praise, must he holy. Anything or anyone unholy, unclean, impure, or with a taint of sin will immediately die if one touches the Holiness of God. Holiness kills sin, and unfortunately, also the contaminated sinner. Throughout the Torah the Lord could not have emphasized the purity of His Holiness better than He did. God is holy! Anything touching holiness, without first becoming clean, forgiven and holy, will surely die in a holy presence. This happened with Nadab and Abihu and Uzzah, not to mention Ananias and Sapphira. You shall not mess with the holiness of God! Do not presume.
But the Lord says, “Come unto me, touch me, handle me, and live.” Jesus Himself touches unclean people with leprosy and disease, and unclean dead bodies, and instead of becoming defiled himself He cleanses, heals, gives life, and sanctifies the defiled and unclean person. This is the power of touching a holy thing: whatever touches them shall be holy. The power of holiness when it touches you is the power to make you holy, not to kill you. The holiness of Jesus makes alive, does not kill; it cleanses, does not defile; it makes holy, does not condemn. Jesus, the Holy Thing, touches us with the Holy Spirit through the Gospel and makes us Holy. Through the blood of Jesus we may, and we must, approach a Holy God. When Jesus touches us we shall be holy. You are sanctified through faith. Jesus is our sanctification. This holiness is in the cleansed heart, not in a tent or building.