Skip to main content

94. Hallowed Be Your Name


Matthew 6:9, Luke 11:2, Revelation 4:1-11
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!"


Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy

 and "What a Beautiful Name"  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

211. The Sons of Thunder's Request

Matthew 20:20-28 , Mark 10:35-45 , Key verse: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43B-44 In our readings for yesterday, in which Jesus outlined what was about to happen to Him, for His disciples, the passage in Luke ends: "The disciples did not understand any of this. It's meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about." ( Luke 18:34 ) Now, we see just how truly clueless they were. Jesus had laid out a plan before them of pain and suffering and death and now James and John are focused on a promotion. The disconnect is so obvious. It's really not important to know whether James and john came up with this request on their own or if their mother put them up to it. The request was made and James and John thought that they could handle the responsibility that would come with it. What is that saying, "Fools rush in where angels fe...
Post a Comment
Read more

174. Pleading for the Fig Tree

Proverbs 27:18 , Luke 13:6-9 Key Verse: He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored. Proverbs 27:18 We have here three main characters: a master, who acquired the tree in hopes of eventually enjoying its fruit, a servant, who looks to the tree to reflect his care and attention, and lastly, the tree itself. The master has the right to expect his investment to pay off. The servant, who has obviously put much effort into the tree, would also like to see fruit. The servant's interest is not only to show his own talent in gardening, but because he wants to please his master. Both the servant and the master are dependent upon the tree to do what it was designed to do. Their little parable is an interesting way for Jesus to finish off His exhortation to, "repent or perish."  God is the Master. He had a purpose for you before you were even born. ( Jeremiah 1:5 & Psalm 139:16 ) He planted you on this earth to ful...
Post a Comment
Read more

204. Come Like a Child

Psalm 127 , Matthew 19:13-15 , Luke 18:15-17 , Mark 10:13-16 Key Verse: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 The attitude of the disciples isn't much different than the attitude of many people, even Christians, today. Instead of seeing children as a blessing from the Lord, too many regard them as a burden to bear that gets in the way of our own selfish happiness. Family size is determined by what we think we can afford rather than openness to God's blessing, trusting God to provide. Satan hates children. Children represent innocence. The sooner he can corrupt and or damage a child, the happier he is. This is why Jesus warned in Matthew 18:6: "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drown in the depths of the sea." To corrupt or damage ...
Post a Comment
Read more