Key Verse: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."
Revelation 4:9
In Leviticus, the book of the law, God repeated over and
over to his people, a command along the lines of, "You are to be holy to
me because I, The Lord, am Holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to
be my own." (Leviticus 20:26) The Lord is Holy. He calls His followers to
be Holy. Now, in this prayer, Jesus calls us to proclaim that even His name is
to be regarded as "Hallowed," or "Holy." But what does that
mean, really?
A quick dictionary definition says, "sacred, or
dedicated to God." A quick definition of sacred, could be, "secured
from violation." To be Holy is to be set apart. It is to be something
completely other. God is Holy. In Leviticus, the high priest was ordered to
wear a plate on his turban which read, "Holy to the Lord," because
the priest was set apart to serve God only.
Left to ourselves, we are not holy. God is as different from
us as man is to a fish and our understanding of that difference is about as
limited as a fish's understanding is of that difference.
We are not holy, we are common. Our prayer needs to
acknowledge that fact. We need to acknowledge to whom we are praying, "Our
Father," where He resides, "In Heaven," and His superiority to
us, "Holy is your name," before we rush into our own petty list of
grievances, requests and complaints.
When we pray, we are not just talking to our friend down the
street. We are addressing the Divine, who desires a relationship with us and
who is eager to listen and be in relationship with us. Through His Son Jesus,
in us, we become Holy as He is Holy, set apart, dedicated to God. We need to
sustain that connection with Him, our Holy head to live out His Holy life on
this earth.
God Himself, takes His own name so seriously that His third
commandment instructs us in how to treat, even His name, with reverence.
"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not
hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name." (Exodus 20:7) When we say
phrases such as: "My God!" and "O my God!" or "O
God!" we take a sacred, Holy name and turn it into a common, slang
expression without thought or respect toward the one to whom we are referring.
"Hallowed be your name," is a prayer of praise. "O, my God!" can be a prayerful
address, but when it is used in the common mode of simple exclamation it should
not come out of the same mouth that prays, for one gives honor, but the other
is profane.
Even in Heaven, the creatures round His throne, constantly
praise God for how "other," and "Holy," set apart, He is.
He is the only uncreated being. All else, angels, creatures, and humans, we are
created by His Will. We address our Creator, when we pray to Him. He is Holy!
Jesus instructs us to remember this when He teaches us to pray, "Hallowed
is your name!"
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