Hallowed Be Thy Name
(Matthew 6:9-13 NASB)
"Pray, then, in this way:
'Our Father who art in heaven, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. {10} 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. {11} 'Give us this day our daily bread. {12} 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. {13} 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.'"
In this third lesson on the Lord's Prayer, we come to the first petition. Jesus instructs us to make this request, "Hallowed be thy name."
One of the things parents do while waiting for a child to be born is to pick a name for their baby. They begin by bouncing names off one another. How does this one sound and this one. Does this name sound good with our last name? How does the first name sound when you say it with the middle one. These names might be part of family history or they might have come from a grocery store booklet with the imaginative title, "What to Name Your Baby." Names are also chosen according to what's popular at the time. There are years when it seems that all the little girls were named Shanna and the little boys, Sean. There is no reason for it, it was just the popular thing to do. What's in a name anyway? In our day, not much, but it was not always so.
In biblical times names meant something, they were descriptive of their owners. The first man was called Adam, which means, "man or mankind." God named him Adam because he would be the physical father of all humans. His wife was called Eve, which means, "life," or "life-giving". God named her Eve because she was to be the mother of all humans. Names in the Bible mean something. They speak truth about their owners, they represent them, they reveal facts about them.
When God chose Abram He re-named him Abraham, which means, "father of a multitude". He named him Abraham because he would become, the father of the nation Israel and, particularly, the father of all believers in Christ. Abraham's name revealed who he was. So it is with the name of God. It represents Him, it reveals to us who He is, His name is inseparable from His person. The name of God stands for God Himself. Consider a few illustrations of this truth.
(Psalms 5:11 NASB) "But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And mayest Thou shelter them, That those who love Thy name (That is those who love you, God.) may exult in Thee." The name God means nothing if it is nothing more than three letters from the alphabet. It is not the word but the person the word describes that matters. God's name describes His person.
(Psalms 20:1 NASB) "May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!" Will the name God, in some magical way, help His people in time of trouble? No! God, however, will. The Psalmist is saying, "may Jehovah Himself answer you in the day of trouble. May God set you securely on high."
(Proverbs 18:10 NASB) "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe." This is the same as saying, "The Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to Him and are safe." God's name stands for all He is, His character and attributes, His divine perfection's.
God explained to Moses what His name represented in Exodus 34:5-7 NASB. "And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. {6} Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; {7} who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." This is the person identified by the name God. If this is not the person that comes to mind when you say or hear the word God, you are not speaking of the God of the Bible. God's name stands for all the Bible says He is. The Bible's God is the only true and living God.
(Psalms 9:10 NASB) "And those who KNOW (This word means to discern, understand, comprehend or be made privy to something. In this case it speaks of knowing who God is as revealed in the scriptures. It speaks of a personal knowledge of God by revelation of the Spirit.) Thy name (Who you are.) will put their trust in Thee; For Thou, O LORD, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee." To know something is to understand it to be true and factual. What we believe to be true and factual forms our beliefs, it governs our passions, feelings, desires, and, therefore, our will. Our wills are enslaved to our desires. When God causes us to know Him we desire to love and trust Him, therefore, our will is moved to do just that. "And those who KNOW Thy name will put their trust in Thee; For Thou, O LORD, has not forsaken those who seek Thee." To know the name of God is to know Him. And there is much to know.
It is impossible to reveal all that is in our Father's name. He is Elohim, the "Creator God." He is El Elyon, "the possessor of heaven and earth." He is Jehovah-Jireh, "the Lord will provide.' Jehovah-Rapha, "the Lord that healeth", Jehovah-Raah, "the Lord our Shepherd", Jehovah-Tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness." Our God is Jehovah-Sabaoth, "the Lord of hosts", Jehovah-Shama, "the Lord is present and near", and He is, "the Lord who sanctifieth thee",
( Jehovah-Maqodeshkim).
In the person of Jesus Christ he is called the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Resurrection, The God Shepherd, the Branch, the Bright and Morning Star, The Lamb of God, the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley, the Door. He is, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father. This is God, He and His name are one. His name stands for very specific truths concerning His person.
In the early days of the twentieth century a theologian by the name of Charles Gore, while writing on this text, asked, "How is it that some people are so shallow-minded as to suppose it makes no difference what a man believes about God? History proves it matters. The civilizations which have grown up under the influence of Jewish, Greek, Mohammedan, Buddhist, and Christian beliefs about God have been MORALLY DIFFERENT CIVILIZATIONS. The necessary connection between the intelligence and the will in man makes is necessary that belief should, in the long run, mold one's behavior." What Mr. Gore is saying is this. The kind of person you are is directly connected to what you believe about God. A. W. Tozer said this, " No religion has been greater than its idea of God." Likewise we may add, "No church is greater than its understanding of God." And again, "No Christian is greater than his or her understanding of God." When it comes to religion, the church, and living the Christian life I cannot emphasize enough that, "THE DETAILS MATTER." We must know who God is so we can think about Him, speak of Him, act toward Him, and worship Him properly. This is exactly what we ask for in the first petition of the Lord's Prayer when we pray, "Hallowed be Thy name."
The word, "Hallowed," means to set something apart from all else as Holy. It means to consecrate, to venerate something or someone in one's mind. In this case we pray that GOD be Hallowed. By this request we are declaring our desire that GOD be thought of, spoken of and treated as Holy by all and in all. That He be glorified, is to be our first and primary concern. By this request we are asking God, by His overruling providence, to direct and dispose of ALL THINGS to His own glory. To pray "Hallowed be Thy name," is to ask God to make this true in OUR lives especially. "Oh God grant that we should properly think of, speak of, and worship You". All things that God has made exist to bring glory to His name, to hallow His name, (Romans 11:36). This is especially true of the Christian. It is the special duty and privilege of Christians to Glorify, treat as Holy, to Hallow our God.
Psalms 96:1-11 declares that we are to, "Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. {2} Sing to the LORD, bless His NAME; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. {3} Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. {4} For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. {5} For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. {6} Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. {7} Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. {8} Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His NAME; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. {9} Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. {10} Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity." {11} Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains;" "Hallowed be Thy Name!"
Those who fail to Hallow the Name of God will answer to Him. Consider the price Moses and Aaron paid for treating God as un-holy.
(Numbers 20:8-13 NASB) "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and SPEAK to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink." {9} So Moses took the rod from before the LORD, just as He had commanded him; {10} and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" {11} Then Moses lifted up his hand and STRUCK THE ROCK TWICE WITH HIS ROD; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. {12} But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as HOLY in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."
Someone might say, what was the big deal? God told him to speak to the rock, Moses struck it instead, the result was the same. The people got water to drink. Why then were Moses and Aaron punished? They were punished because they refused to Hallow God's Name. That is, they treated Him disrespectfully. They treated Him as they might a mere man. They didn't pay attention to the details of God's instructions. They modified His word to them. It was as if they didn't think He was Holy, deserving perfect respect and obedience. At that moment Moses and Aaron didn't venerate God in their minds or by their actions. What THEY FELT AND THOUGHT was more important than the revealed will of the living God. Brothers and Sisters, to disobey God is to express unbelief, it is to treat Him as if He were not Holy. It is to declare that we know better than God what is best for us. It is to prove that His glory is not our central concern.
Saul refused to treat God as Holy and was removed from his throne, (I Samuel 15:11). Uzziah refused to Hallow God's name by defying His instructions and God struck him down, (II Samuel 6:7). Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu were killed by God because they decided that the details, the instructions God had given as concerns the worship of Himself didn't matter, (Numbers 3:4). Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, to God. They did not treat God as Holy and He killed them on the spot, (Acts 5:1-11). The Corinthian Christians came to the Lord's Table, the Lord's Supper, in an unworthy manner. That is, they refused to celebrate the Supper as per the instructions given by Christ. These Christians did not treat God as holy, they did not Hallow His name. Therefore, He disciplined them. Many were weak, sick and some died for their arrogance and disrespect to God, (I Corinthians 11:27-30).
Ladies and Gentlemen, Jesus instructs us to pray, "Hallowed be Thy Name." Or, "Let Thy name be treated as Holy by me."
John Calvin put it this way: "That God's name should be hallowed is to say that God should have His own honor of which He is so worthy, so that men should never think or speak of Him without the greatest veneration."
One cannot treat God as Holy or hallow His name if he does not believe in Him in the first place. So, one must begin at the beginning. (Hebrews 11:6 NASB) "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
You say, "I believe in God." But the question is, "Is it the God of the Bible that you believe in our just a reasonable facsimile?" Is the Bible the basis of what you believe about God. You must believe the truth about Him. Therefore, you must labor in the word and doctrine to learn the truth about Him. Many people say they believe in God, but what they believe can't be found in the Bible. Their Idea of Him is contrary to that revealed in the scriptures. What they believe then, is a lie. You treat God as unholy every time you think a thought about Him that is not true. When you doubt His faithfulness, His power, His love, His justice. When you misrepresent Him as you speak to others, you dishonor Him. Martin Luther summed it up with these words, "How is God's name hallowed amongst us? When both our doctrines and our living are truly Christian." BROTHERS AND SISTERS THE DETAILS MATTER. They matter because the glory of God is at stake. Therefore, we pray, "Hallowed be Thy name."
John Gill from long ago wrote, "In the use of this petition we pray that the glory of God may be more and more displayed and advanced in the world in the course of His providence, that His word may run and be glorified in the conversion and sanctification of sinners, that there may be an increase of holiness in all His people, and that all profaning of the name of God among men my be prevented and removed."
David Brainerd, a missionary to the American Indians, had set God apart in his heart as Holy, and said, "My heaven is to please God, and to glorify Him, and give all to Him, and to be wholly devoted to His glory: that is the heaven I long for, that is my religion, and that is my happiness, and always was, I suppose, ever since I had any true religion; and all those that are of that religion shall meet me in heaven. I do not go to heaven to be advanced, but to give honor to God."
One lover of the true God prayed this: "May I become, through Thy help, blameless, just and holy. May I abstain from every evil, speak the truth and do justly. May I walk in the straight path shining with temperance, adorned with incorruption, beautiful through wisdom and prudence. May I meditate upon the things that are above and despise what is earthly, for a man can glorify God in no other way save by his virtue, which bears witness that the divine power is the cause of his goodness."
So, as we pray, "Hallowed be Thy Name," let us also confess and repent of our past failures and sins. Sins by which we have failed to glorify God and have instead dishonored Him. I speak of things such as pride of heart, laziness, neglect of spiritual pursuits, stubbornness of will, and the cherishing of sinful thoughts and sights. Let us together seek those graces that will enable us to Hallow His name as we ought. For this we need a fuller knowledge of Himself; an increase of holy fear in our hearts; increased faith, hope, love, and worship. Let us pray that we will live blamelessly before the unbeliever so that God's name will not be blasphemed by them. Finally, "Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," for Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name."
This is the first petition to which all the others must be subject. Everything we request of God in prayer must have the Hallowing of His name, His glory, in view. If this is not the case we have not prayed as Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name."