Daily Bread 2-16-18
The Sermon on the mount
Matthew 6:9
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
ref. - Dt 32:6 - Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee? Hath he not made thee, and established thee?
Mt 23:9 - And call no man your Father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Lk 11:2 - And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Lv 10:3 - Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
Isa 6:3 - And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory.
In previous lessons in this Sermon on the Mount, we have heard from Christ what we are not to do. And now, as he always did and will, he fills the void of what we should not do with what we should do. This is an explanation of how we ought to pray in a manner that pleases God. Christ instructs us that we acknowledge God for who he is; The creator of all things above, on, and below the earth. We also acknowledge that he is in heaven and over all things. Rather than just acknowledging him we must also give him all power and give much respect and fear to his name. Hallowed means to deem as holy(Spiritually pure and sinless. Perfect.), and sacred(synonymous to holy), consecrated(set apart as holy), and revered(regarded with deep respect and love). The name of God is to be first put in the highest place as we begin to pray. And we must not only declare it, but we must believe in our hearts and love the name of our God over all other things. This is the beginning of instruction to have our prayers effective. The one reference in Matthew 23 also says, "Call no man your Father upon earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." How many of us are using this name incorrectly and referring it to people on earth? You see, if we are to strive for perfection we must also become obedient to even things that we see as small. This one thing could be hindering our prayers as we have given someone else the name that only belongs to our God. A Preacher is a Preacher, a Dad is a Dad, and God is our Father. Let us not put anyone or anything on a level field with our God. Also, in Deuteronomy 32:6 it says, "do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?" If we think that we have anything to offer to repay him we are mistaken. He created all things and out of the dust he can create them who will do greater things than we will ever do. So to think that we are of value or that we can do something to repay him is also false and according to the scripture, foolish. A gainsayer will tell us of our worth to gain our reverence, a true minister of God will tell us of God's worth to show his reverence. And this is how we must be when we go to him. And finally, reverence(deep respect, love, and awe) to Him also means that we are serious and truthful and that we do put him above all others, knowing that through his Son Jesus Christ we can be saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost. These are the words of Christ and these are the words that will set us free, but only of we put them into practice!!! Have a great day!!