But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will sanctify My name; indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. (Isaiah 29:23)

Warning Jerusalem of impending judgment, God sent a message via Isaiah the prophet. The message was like a sealed book that no one could read (Is 29:11-12), indicating that “this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote…” (Is 29:13). But one day, “the deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see” (Is 29:18).

Lest God’s people are abandoned with no thread of hope, the prophecy of judgment ends with eschatological optimism: “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale …” (Is 29:22). When God refers to Israel as Jacob, He calls to mind the patriarch’s original name, which was changed when he became a man of faith who took Abraham and Isaac’s God as his God. He did not come by this easily; it took 20 some years of running from his troubles and from God (see Gen 28:20-21; 35:10). Despite all his struggles, Jacob became Israel because he set apart the God of his fathers and put aside all other gods. You could say he sanctified God in his heart.

So now we find in today’s verse God juxtaposing the “Holy One of Jacob” and “the God of Israel.” The people of God were confronted with judgment because of God’s holiness. Therefore they needed to embrace His holiness and live by it. They needed to “sanctify” or set apart God in their hearts with an undivided devotion.

Peter wrote of this concept in his first letter for Christians:

But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence … (1 Peter 3:14–15).

The words “sanctify” and “holy” are related, thus the connection is clear. We must set apart Christ because He is the Holy God. Can I fill my name into the following blank, God is the “Holy One of _______”?

Holy God, because You are holy and set apart from all other conceptions of deity, I set You apart as Lord in my life, so that I might be holy as You are holy, and ready to defend Your unique existence in this pluralistic, multi-faith world.