Posted on 03/16/2016 4:27:31 AM PDT by metmom
"Hallowed be Thy name" (Matt. 6:9).
God is holy and deserves your highest respect and your humble obedience.
To most people the word hallowed elicits thoughts of Halloween, ivy-covered walls, or starchy religious traditions. But those are all far from its biblical meaning. "Hallowed" in Matthew 6:9 translates a Greek word that means "holy." When Christ said, "Hallowed be Thy name," He was saying in effect, "May Your name be regarded as holy." When you hallow God's name, you set it apart from everything common and give Him the place He deserves in your life.
Throughout Scripture, holiness is attributed to persons or things that are consecrated to God's service. The Sabbath day, for example, was to be kept holy—set apart from the other days (Ex. 20:8). The Israelite priests were to be considered holy because they rendered special service to the Lord (Lev. 21:8). As believers in Christ we are to be holy because we belong to God (1 Pet. 1:15).
Holiness also speaks of moral excellence and purity. God is called the "Holy One" (1 Pet. 1:15) not only because He is set apart from His creation, but also because He is pure and sinless in His character. That's why Isaiah pronounced a curse on himself when he saw the Lord and heard the angels crying out, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isa. 6:3- 5). He was overcome with a sense of his own human sinfulness in the presence of a holy God.
Such a God deserves your highest respect and reverence. He is your gracious and loving Father, but He is also the sovereign, majestic God of the universe. Consequently, you must guard against thinking of Him as a buddy or addressing Him flippantly.
Additionally, He deserves your humble obedience. You hallow His name only when your life is marked by righteousness and moral excellence.
May that be true of you today, and may you seek to honor Him in all that you do!
Suggestions for Prayer
Always approach God with a sense of respect and reverence. Think of specific ways that you can hallow His name today. Ask Him for the grace to do so.
For Further Study
Read each of these verses, noting the specific ways you can glorify God: Joshua 7:19; Psalm 50:23; John 15:8; Romans 15:5-6; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Philippians 2:9-11; and 2 Thessalonians 3:1.
Studying God’s Word ping
The name of the Father, the creator of Heaven and earth, is Yahuah.
His name comprises four letters, presented here in Hebrew order - HWHY.
Hebrew is read from right to left. The Hebrew letters from right to left are Yod, He, Vav (or Waw), He.
In English, the equivalent letters are presented in the reverse order: YHWH
This combination of four letters is also known as the tetragrammaton.
When pronouncing the name Yahuah, the emphasis is on the first syllable.
Phonetically, Yahuah is pronounced YA-hoo-uh.
YA – like the “yah” in Halleluyah, strongly emphasized
hoo – like the “hoot” sound an owl makes, but without the “t”, decidedly de-emphasized
uh – “wha” as in the word “what”, with a moderate emphasis less than that given to “YA”, but more than that given to “hoo”
Why do we call Him God? Was that a translation from another language to English? Just curious-I find language/word origins interesting...
This means His very name is holy. That’s why it’s blasphemous to use it in connection with cursing. For that matter, it’s blasphemous to even use His name flippantly.
We must all eventually answer for every word and deed.
The word “God (or god)” is a title, translating the Hebrew Elohim (or elohim), El (or el), and Eloah, meaning strength, powerful one(s). However, it is often incorrectly used as a substitute for the Tetragrammaton (YHWH). Yahuah is the personal name of the Creator.
Where Elohim is the Hebrew word with the English meaning of “Mighty One(s)” the Greek word with the English meaning of Mighty One is “Theos.” Neither word can be directly related or assumed to be equal to the name Yahuah, the Almighty Creator, because a title is not equivalent to a personal name.
A good word indeed.
If the disciples prayer that Jesus taught them BEGINS with these words, “Hallowed be Thy Name...” how should this not also be the first cry of our heart to God every day, and in every prayer?
Not as a formula, but as a core spiritual hunger and passion?
And in John 17, our Lord’s first cry was - it was time for Him to be glorified.......and when was Jesus glory at a peak?
Contrary to all humane nature - He was most glorified - lifted up - in His death on the cross!
SO, if we pray that He be hallowed, glorified - in us - that means it will be most visible as the cross is worked in our lives - daily.
When I was about 6 years old, I memorized the Lord’s Prayer. There were lots of words that I didn’t understand, so my Dad sat down with me and went through it, word by word, and explained it to me. (I had thought that “Trespassing” meant going into somebody’s yard without permission LOL). Anyway, thirty years later, I listened to JMcA’s teaching on the radio and everything he taught was in harmony with what my Dad taught me so long ago (1959).
Anyway, thanks, metmom, for posting this series. It is very edifying. :-)
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