“Ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” (Leviticus 20:26, KJV)

ABSTRACT

This article examines the profound biblical identity of the Ivri, or Hebrew, as one who crosses over from worldly conformity to divine allegiance, tracing this motif from Abraham to the remnant church as the essential dynamic of redemption.

SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD: WHO DARES TO CROSS THE RIVER?

What does it mean to be a stranger by divine appointment? We live in a world that prizes belonging, that sells identity as a product of culture, nation, or tribe. Yet scripture introduces us to a people defined by a verb, a people perpetually in motion. The term “Ivri”—Hebrew—stems from the root “avar,” meaning to cross over, to pass through. This is not a static label but a directional one. From the moment Abraham left Ur, the narrative of salvation has been a story of crossings: out of Egypt, through the Jordan, out of Babylon, and into the gospel rest. Our purpose here is to trace this scarlet thread through the tapestry of revelation, to understand how the very mechanics of redemption demand that we, like our father Abraham, become those who cross over. This crossing is the heartbeat of the Plan of Redemption, a daily exodus from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV). “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV). “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, KJV). “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18, KJV). “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:4, KJV). “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12, KJV). Ellen G. White wrote, “The plan of redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ‘the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.’” (The Desire of Ages, 22, 1898). Sr. White further explained, “God is the fountain of life; and when one chose to depart from Him, he chose to separate himself from life” (Education, 27, 1903). The inspired pen notes, “But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 68, 1890). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster” (Gospel Workers, 315, 1915). A prophetic voice once wrote, “In the plan of redemption there are heights and depths that eternity itself can never exhaust, mysteries that will ever remain mysteries” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 76, 1896). In The Acts of the Apostles we read, “The plan of redemption is far-reaching, and the kingdom of grace is to be established and maintained for the sake of the kingdom of glory” (The Acts of the Apostles, 65, 1911). This foundational crossing redefines existence itself, yet how does this ancient verb shape our understanding of divine election?

WHAT DOES THE NAME HEBREW TRULY MEAN?

A name often cages a thing in time, but the title “Ivri” shatters its own cage. To the modern ear, “Hebrew” signifies an ethnicity, a language, a historical people. We file it away in a mental drawer labeled “ancient things.” But the Spirit, through scripture, does not deal in dead labels. It deals in living realities. The root ‘ayin-bet-resh’ carries the kinetic energy of a river in flood. It means to cross over, to pass through, to transgress a boundary. This is not a title one is born with in stillness; it is a title one earns in motion. When God called Abram, He did not give him a new static name first; He gave him a command that embodied the name: “Get thee out.” The name followed the action. One becomes a Hebrew by crossing. This linguistic truth forms the bedrock of our peculiar identity as a reforming people. We are not defined by what we are, but by what we have left behind and what we are moving toward. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went” (Hebrews 11:8, KJV). “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward” (Genesis 13:14, KJV). “He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be” (Genesis 15:5, KJV). “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6, KJV). “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10, KJV). “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13, KJV). The inspired pen states, “God has called His church in this world, as He called ancient Israel, to stand as a light to the nations” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 528, 1890). Sr. White affirms, “The Lord has set apart him that is godly for Himself, and this consecration to God and separation from the world is plainly declared and positively enjoined in both the Old and New Testaments” (The Review and Herald, July 5, 1875). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The world is not to be our criterion. We are to be separate from the world in spirit and practice” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, 146, 1901). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligently studying the word of God, and striving to conform their lives to its precepts” (Prophets and Kings, 626, 1917). In Christ’s Object Lessons we read, “The followers of Christ are to be separate from the world in principles and interests, but they are not to isolate themselves from the world” (Christ’s Object Lessons, 340, 1900). The messenger to the remnant clarifies, “It is impossible for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure” (The Faith I Live By, 221, 1958). This dynamic identity as a crossing people establishes our first principle, but what inner force compels a soul to make such a rupture?

WHAT FORCE COMPELS SUCH A RADICAL RUPTURE?

We misunderstand separation if we view it as a grim exercise in self-denial. I often meet souls who view the call to come out as a divine subtraction, a life stripped of joy. Nothing could be further from the prophetic truth. The engine of the crossing is not fear, but a specific quality of love—a love so potent, so distinct, that it creates a magnetic pull away from the gravitational field of the world. We cross because we are drawn. The prophet Jeremiah captured this divine mechanics: “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” The love is cause; the drawing—the crossing—is effect. This love is not a syrupy sentiment; it is the foundational, creative force of the universe, focused through the lens of covenant. When this love truly touches the heart, the pleasures of Egypt grow stale, the fashions of Babylon seem ridiculous, and the approval of Ur feels like a prison sentence. The crossing becomes not a duty, but a desire, a running toward a voice that is singing over you. “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3, KJV). “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, KJV). “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:4-5, KJV). “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5, KJV). “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” (1 John 3:1, KJV). “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19, KJV). Ellen G. White wrote, “It is through the gift of Christ that we receive every blessing” (Steps to Christ, 9, 1892). Sr. White reveals, “When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience” (The Desire of Ages, 668, 1898). The inspired pen notes, “The law of love calls for the devotion of body, mind, and soul to the service of God and our fellow men” (The Acts of the Apostles, 565, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The love of Christ constraineth us; for we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 223, 1889). A prophetic voice once wrote, “The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world” (The Desire of Ages, 324, 1898). In Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing we read, “God’s love is the law of heaven, and it must be the law of earth” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 76, 1896). This drawing love is the irresistible motive, yet how does this inward transformation manifest in outward, tangible obedience?

HOW DOES LOVE BECOME VISIBLE ACTION?

Love that does not act is mere sentiment, a cloud without rain. For the Ivri, the love that draws inevitably expresses itself in a posture of joyful obedience. This is where our theology meets the ground of daily life. Our responsibility toward God is not a ledger of debts but a map of the crossed-over life. It answers the question: What does the drawn life look like? It looks like Abraham building altars at every stop, a habit of worship marking the new territory. It looks like Joseph refusing Potiphar’s wife because he understood sin as a vertical offense before it was a horizontal temptation. For us, it looks like Sabbath-keeping, a weekly crossing into sacred time. It looks like dietary obedience, a daily crossing away from the defiling tables of Babylon. It looks like plain dress, a visible crossing away from the pride of life. Each command is a boundary line, and by crossing it in faith, we declare which side we are on. My own journey taught me that keeping the Sabbath was not about losing a day but about gaining a sanctuary. “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15, KJV). “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3, KJV). “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3, KJV). “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22, KJV). “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:22, KJV). “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14, KJV). The inspired pen states, “In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up all that would separate us from Him” (Steps to Christ, 44, 1892). Sr. White instructs, “The life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the life that many choose; but it is not the life that God has planned for us” (Steps to Christ, 44, 1892). Through inspired counsel we are told, “True sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect conformity to the will of God” (The Acts of the Apostles, 531, 1911). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Obedience to God is liberty from the thralldom of sin, deliverance from human passion and impulse” (The Ministry of Healing, 131, 1905). In God’s Amazing Grace we read, “We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith” (God’s Amazing Grace, 245, 1973). The messenger clarifies, “The Lord calls for a reformation. A reformation is needed in order that the light of truth may shine forth to the world” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, 146, 1904). This visible obedience is our covenant response, but does this separation condemn us to a life of isolated irrelevance?

CAN THE SEPARATED ONE TRULY BLESS OTHERS?

Here lies the glorious paradox that Babylon cannot comprehend: radical separation is the prerequisite for universal blessing. The world believes that to influence society, you must join it, adopt its methods, and speak its language. Divine strategy inverts this logic. Abraham was blessed to be a blessing precisely because he left Ur. Joseph saved Egypt precisely because he refused to become an Egyptian. The salt must be distinct from the meat to preserve it. The light must be distinct from the darkness to dispel it. Our responsibility toward our neighbor flows directly from our separation from our neighbor’s sins. We do not love the world by loving its ways; we love the world by bringing it something it does not have—the principles of the crossed-over life. This means our homes should be havens of peace that neighbors notice. Our businesses should be models of integrity that puzzle competitors. Our medical work should offer healing that confounds secular medicine. We cross over not to escape the world, but to gain the perspective and the purity needed to serve it effectively. “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2, KJV). “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, KJV). “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10, KJV). “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Peter 2:15, KJV). “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9, KJV). “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27, KJV). Ellen G. White wrote, “Our neighbor is every person who needs our help” (Christ’s Object Lessons, 376, 1900). Sr. White explains, “The suffering and destitute of all classes are our neighbors; and when their wants are brought to our knowledge, it is our duty to relieve them as far as possible” (Christ’s Object Lessons, 376, 1900). The inspired pen notes, “The Samaritan had fulfilled the command, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,’ thus showing that he was more righteous than those by whom he was denounced” (Christ’s Object Lessons, 377, 1900). Through inspired counsel we are told, “First of all is the work in the family; next they should seek to win their neighbors to Christ” (Sowing Beside All Waters, 71, 1910). A prophetic voice once wrote, “We are to be in the world as a corrective influence, as salt that retains its savor” (The Desire of Ages, 306, 1898). In Welfare Ministry we read, “In ministering to the poor, we shall have opportunity to preach the gospel” (Welfare Ministry, 104, 1952). This missional paradox resolves the tension, so what ultimate hope frames this entire journey of crossing?

WHAT CITY AWAITS THE PERPETUAL CROSSER?

The life of the Ivri is one of perpetual motion, but it is not aimless wandering. Every crossing here is a rehearsal for the final one. Abraham lived in tents, a sojourner, because “he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” This is the consummation of the Plan of Redemption. The entire narrative—from Eden lost to Eden restored—is one grand crossing. Our weekly Sabbath crossing points to the eternal Sabbath rest. Our separation from worldly pleasure points to the eternal joy of the Father’s presence. Our pilgrim status confesses that here we have no continuing city. I feel this acutely when national fervor rises or when cultural milestones pass me by; I am a resident alien. But this very dislocation fuels my hope. We are not building utopias here; we are practicing citizenship in the New Jerusalem. The crossing will cease only when we have finally, fully, crossed the last river and stand on the farther shore, in the city whose light is the Lamb. Then, and only then, will the name “Ivri” find its perfect, eternal rest. “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10, KJV). “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:16, KJV). “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1, KJV). “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2, KJV). “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him” (Revelation 22:3, KJV). “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4, KJV). The inspired pen states, “Heaven is a school; its field of study, the universe; its teacher, the Infinite One” (Education, 301, 1903). Sr. White assures us, “There, immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love” (The Great Controversy, 677, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more” (The Great Controversy, 678, 1911). A prophetic voice once wrote, “The family of heaven and the family of earth are one” (The Desire of Ages, 25, 1898). In The Adventist Home we read, “In the City of God there will be no failures” (The Adventist Home, 543, 1952). The messenger concludes, “The inhabitants of the earth, in their present state, are not prepared to dwell in the presence of God” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 340, 1890). This blessed hope is our final anchor, but how do these truths coalesce into a reflection of God’s own heart?

HOW DO THESE CONCEPTS REFLECT GOD’S LOVE?

The entire architecture of the crossing—the call, the separation, the obedience, the mission—is not a celestial test of endurance but a monumental sculpture of God’s love. His love is not passive affection; it is active, intervening, and boundary-crossing. He crossed the chasm of sin to redeem us. The Plan of Redemption is the ultimate “crossing over” of God Himself in the person of Christ. Therefore, when He calls me to cross over, He is inviting me into the rhythm of His own heart, into the very dynamic that motivated salvation. My separation reflects His holiness. My obedience reflects His faithful character. My mission to bless reflects His gracious purpose. In this light, every peculiar doctrine, every seemingly restrictive command, becomes a love letter, a detailed map drawn by a Father who has already traversed the dangerous terrain to bring me home. This realization transforms duty into devotion. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10, KJV). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, KJV). “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9, KJV). “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16, KJV). “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17, KJV). “I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3, KJV). Ellen G. White wrote, “The Father loves us, not because of the great propitiation, but He provided the propitiation because He loves us” (The Desire of Ages, 57, 1898). Sr. White reveals, “It is through the gift of Christ that we receive every blessing” (Steps to Christ, 9, 1892). The inspired pen notes, “The law of love is the foundation of God’s government” (The Great Controversy, 493, 1911). Through inspired counsel we are told, “God is love, and all His works are done in love” (The Review and Herald, August 17, 1897). A prophetic voice once wrote, “Love is the underlying principle of God’s government in heaven and earth” (The Desire of Ages, 22, 1898). In Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing we read, “God’s love is the law of heaven, and it must be the law of earth” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 76, 1896). This divine love is the source and pattern for our own, compelling a specific response toward the One who loved us first.

My responsibility toward God, framed by the crossing, is one of whole-souled allegiance and deliberate consecration. It means I accept that my primary citizenship is not of this world, and I order my life accordingly. This is personal. For me, it means my worship is not a weekend activity but the orienting principle of my calendar, protecting the Sabbath as a holy trust. It means my body is not my own to defile, so I choose foods and beverages that honor the temple of the Spirit. It means my mind is a battleground, so I guard its gates against the media and entertainment that would sow seeds of Babylon. It means my wallet is an instrument of stewardship, funding the advancement of a kingdom that is not of this earth. This responsibility is not a negotiation; it is the non-negotiable condition of abiding in the Vine. It is the daily, practical outworking of saying, “I have crossed over. I am on Your side.” It is a joyful burden, for His yoke is easy when worn in the freedom of the crossed-over life. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30, KJV). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1, KJV). “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, KJV). “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17, KJV). “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33, KJV). “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17, KJV). The inspired pen states, “True sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect conformity to the will of God” (The Acts of the Apostles, 531, 1911). Sr. White instructs, “Our hours of leisure, our means, our talents, should be devoted to the service of God” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 622, 1881). Through inspired counsel we are told, “The Lord requires us to obey the voice of duty, when there are other voices all around us urging us to pursue an opposite course” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 420, 1890). A prophetic voice once wrote, “God requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take place” (Selected Messages, book 1, 366, 1958). In Messages to Young People we read, “The Lord wants the will; He wants the heart” (Messages to Young People, 151, 1930). The messenger clarifies, “It is only as we separate ourselves from the world and walk in the path marked out for us by God that we reach the place where strength is to be found” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 512, 1889). This vertical allegiance naturally bends my posture toward those around me.

My responsibility toward my neighbor is the horizontal expression of my vertical crossing. Because I have been drawn by love, I must now be a conduit of that love. Because I have been blessed through separation, I must now be a bearer of that blessing. This means my neighbor—defined as anyone whose path I cross—is not a threat to my purity but a mission field for my compassion. Practically, for my community, this means we operate schools that offer a distinct, God-centered education. We run health ministries that teach and practice the divine laws of well-being. We extend material help without discrimination, modeling the generosity of our God. We speak truth with clarity and kindness, even when it is unpopular, because real love warns of danger. We do not withdraw into a holy huddle; we engage society at its points of need, offering the principles of the kingdom as the only lasting solution. We remember that we were once strangers in Egypt, and that memory fuels empathy. Our separated, peculiar lives are to be so compelling in their integrity, peace, and joy that they provoke the question: “Why are you different?” And that question is the open door for the gospel. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18, KJV). “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10, KJV). “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4, KJV). “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, KJV). “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3, KJV). “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24, KJV). Ellen G. White wrote, “The good Samaritan fulfilled the command, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’” (Christ’s Object Lessons, 377, 1900). Sr. White explains, “Our neighbor is every soul who is wounded and bruised by the adversary” (Christ’s Object Lessons, 376, 1900). The inspired pen notes, “We are to love others as Christ has loved us” (The Desire of Ages, 424, 1898). Through inspired counsel we are told, “We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the suffering and afflicted” (The Ministry of Healing, 148, 1905). A prophetic voice once wrote, “We are to give the world a representation of the character of God” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, 22, 1909). In Welfare Ministry we read, “In helping the poor we should give them something better than mere temporal food” (Welfare Ministry, 104, 1952). This dual responsibility completes the cross-shaped life of the Ivri, so how do we now live in the tension of the already and not yet?

CONCLUSION: LIVING AS CROSSERS NOW

We are the people of the crossing. This is our heritage and our calling. The Plan of Redemption reaches its fulfillment in us only as we embrace this identity in its totality—drawn by love, obedient in duty, and compassionate in mission. The world is pressing in, demanding conformity, but the voice from eternity still says, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate.” Will we, as a community, have the courage to be Ivri? Will I have the courage? The river is before us, deep and wide. But on the other side, the mighty God is singing, and a city with foundations awaits. Let us cross over together, holding fast to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, until the day breaks and the shadows flee away.

 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee” (Genesis 12:1, KJV).

This article is presented as a study resource for those seeking to understand the biblical call to separation and holiness. For further study on the Three Angels’ Messages and the distinctive mission of the remnant church, we invite you to visit www.faithfundamentals.blog.

SELF-REFLECTIONS

How can I, in my personal devotional life, explore the Ivri concept more deeply, allowing it to transform my daily choices and priorities?

How can we present this theme of separation to varied audiences, from long-time members to newcomers, while upholding biblical truth?

What common misunderstandings about separation exist in my community, and how can I address them gently with Scripture and Sr. White’s writings?

In what ways can our congregations live out this crossing, becoming beacons of distinct love and service amid worldly pressures?

Concept	Hebrew/Greek Root	Meaning	BIBLICAL APPLICATION
Ivri (Hebrew)	Avar (עָבַר)	To cross over; pass through; transgress (boundaries)	Leaving worldly customs (Ur) for God’s standards.
Kadosh (Holy)	Qadash (קָדַשׁ)	To be set apart; separate; distinct	The call to “peculiar” living (diet, dress, Sabbath).
Agapē (Love)	Agapaō (ἀγαπάω)	Divine, unconditional, principle-based love	The motive for separation; love for God and neighbor.
Ger (Stranger)	Gur (גּוּר)	To sojourn; dwell as a foreigner	Our status in this world; the basis for empathy.
Ecclesia (Church)	Ek-kaleo (ἐκκαλέω)	To call out; the called-out ones	The community of those who have “crossed over.”

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