Pearls of the Word

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For I am holy

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"Preserve my soul for I am holy [chassid]; O You my God, save your servant who trusts in You" (Psalm 86:2 Interlinear).

The Hebrew word chassid (plural chassidim) means holy, faithful, pious, good. For God, the 'saints' are those who make a covenant with Him by sacrifice of peace offering, "Gather my saints [chassidim] together to me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice" (Psalm 50:5). Thus, in the first Covenant, the Hebrews were the 'saints' of God.

In the renewed Covenant, the 'saints' are those who were sanctified in Jesus Christ by His sacrifice (1 Corinthians 1:2). Because of His covenant, God commits Himself: He keeps the souls of His saints (Psalm 97:10), He guards their way (Proverb 2:8), He does not forsake them (Psalm 37:28) and their death, that is to say the eternal life with Him, is precious in His eyes (Psalm 116:15). In spite of this, we have to implore God because of our sins, "For this (sins), let every saint [chassid] pray to You at a time of finding" (Psalm 32:5-6 Interlinear).