Meaning of Which Art in Heaven Hallowed Be Thy Name
What does hallowed be thy name mean? When we were kids, we all learned and memorized poems and songs that we merely mechanically recited. Mary had a lilliputian lamb, Star light, star bright, Now I lay me downwardly to sleep--but wait, that last 1 isn't a poem or a song--information technology's a prayer. A prayer to God, the Father. Yet so many of u.s. learn to say it by habitual repetition.
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to go on. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to have.
Sometimes, we commit something to memory before we fully understand its meaning. What does hallowed by thy name mean? Let'southward explore that question in this article.
What Does Hallowed Be Your Name Mean?
Allow'southward face it, "hallowed" is not a word we exactly use in our daily lives. For the life of me, I certain cannot call back when I might have used that in normal conversation. When information technology is used, typically it is in conjunction with a cliché or old adage--"hallowed halls." Just do we retrieve that is what Jesus was teaching usa when he taught the Lord'south prayer--to equate the proper noun of God with a building that is old and admired, or had been of import at some point in history and has a adept reputation? No, me neither.
Now, it is quite easy to Google hallowed or hallow and discover that information technology means "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate." I think that we can all concord that is conspicuously our impression when we recite the word. At present I am far from a theologian, merely I dug a flake deeper and did some inquiry.
Interestingly, the Greek discussion we translate as "hallowed" has a couple of different corresponding words in Hebrew and used in the Old Testament-- qadash and godesh. Both take like meanings, and both are similar to the English language word "hallowed." Qadash and qodesh. Qadash, a verb significant to be holy; to sanctify. Qodesh, a noun meaning a sacred place or thing; holiness--something holy.
Between them, the words appear some six hundred and 30 times in the Old Testament. When something is written in the Bible six hundred and xxx times, it strikes me it ways nosotros ought to pay attending.
The Greek word used in the Book of Matthew--hagiazo--ways "to purify or consecrate."
What Is the Lord's Prayer?
We all know the Lord'due south Prayer. I'yard certain even many not-believers could recite the words. But do we know what we are saying? We hear information technology, we say it, and then many times that we don't even recollect about it. Kind of like the air we exhale or even the ground under our feet.
Information technology is what happens when nosotros pray by rote — sometimes we run the hazard of the words condign robotic rather than meaningful. The prayer is spoken, just is it understood and heartfelt?
Our Father Who Fine art in Sky
How often in a group setting have we spoken the Lord's prayer in that way? As well frequently, maybe? I wonder how it strikes the Lord's ears and his centre.
Please practice not misunderstand, I am not at all trying to point a finger or to condemn memorized prayers. I often recite many of the Psalms from memory — Psalm 23 in its entirety, 103:i-iv, and 63:1-two, just equally an example.
And I recite the Lord's Prayer, as well. In doing and so, I absolutely admit at that place are times when the words are just reiterated, only non felt in my heart or even thought about. I get distracted — proverb the words simply not feeling the meaning. I dare say, information technology is man nature and happens to all of united states.
At that place is 1 word, in particular, we seem to fly over, even when we are praying from the heart. We seem to speak information technology, merely non give serious thought. That word is hallowed. Hallowed exist thy name. Hallowed be your name, Lord. Glorious exist your name, our Male parent in heaven.
I am pretty sure that, when we do recall nearly it, we all understand what nosotros are maxim there. Celebrity to your name, Lord. Let your name be holy; sanctified. Let your proper noun be worshiped and glorified. Bless the Lord oh my soul and worship his holy name.
But, how much deeper is the meaning of "hallowed?" And isn't God'southward proper name already hallowed?
(Transcript of the video above) To hallow something is to regard it as holy, to continue it as sacred. Then, when Jesus says you should pray, "Hallowed be your name," it'southward a prayer that the name of God, that God himself and the things of God would be revered; recognized as holy, and worthy, and beautiful.
Information technology'south in a sense, it's Jesus pointing us back to the tertiary commandment: "Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." Right? "Exercise not take God's name in vain," doesn't mean simply don't use God'due south proper name as a curse word, but information technology means don't treat God or the things of God trivially; they're serious, sober, weighty eternal matters.
And then, when the Christian prays, "Hallowed be your proper name," it's a want for the name of God and the fame of God to be known worldwide, to be known globally in the life of a Christian, brightly in the life of the local church. And then equally information technology spreads, as sinners are converted, as churches are planted, as churches grow, the name and the fame of God is hallowed through lives of religion and godliness.
Let U.s.a. Glorify God'due south Holy Name
Thus, we are conspicuously not wrong to glorify God'southward holy name. Unmistakably, that proper name is holy--set up autonomously above all others. His name is to be worshipped by his creation above all other gods and government, as the ane, true God. Yahweh.
In his book, The Unseen Realm, Michael Heiser makes a very stiff case that there are indeed other, bottom, elohimin the spiritual earth, who are beneath God. (He peculiarly notes Psalm 82, where "elohim" is used in the plural in the original Hebrew).
Our Begetter is the Rex of Kings; Lord of Lords; Lord of Hosts. Simply whether Heiser is correct or not, and I believe he is, this only serves to magnify the importance of God's proper noun being hallowed--holy and gear up apart above all others. Past each of usa.
Indeed, I believe that Jesus was teaching usa that we must not accept God's proper noun lightly. He is not "the man upstairs" or "the big guy." He is, always has been, and always will be the "Most High God"; El-Shaddai, Jehovah, Adonai. The great I AM.
Only I recollect there is something more that we may be missing.
What is in a Name?
What does hallowed exist thy proper noun mean? I believe that it isn't simply God's actual proper noun that Jesus referred to--as I take pointed out, God has many names. Which of those are nosotros to hallow? I believe it is God himself we are to glorify. It is who God is that we are to glorify. His character. His attributes. Those are what God's name represents.
Here in the physical world, we each at some signal in our lives want to "make a name for ourselves." When I was growing up, my dad always encouraged me to "get out there and do something great. Make a name for yourself."
Even now, when you hear someone's name--practise nosotros really think of it just every bit a name, or do we chronicle it to who and what they are? If I say "Mother Theresa", what comes to your mind? We each certainly conjure upward more her image.
We even use her proper name every bit a description of others. On the flip side, the same affair with any number of other historical and fictional characters. Baton Graham. Albert Einstein, Superman, and even Darth Vader. Every president who lived in our corresponding lifetimes. Jesus Christ. Each has an associated reputation or continuing--a name.
Matthew wrote the words of Jesus teaching us to pray in affiliate six, verses 9-13. "This, then, is how yous should pray: 'Our Father in sky, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come up, your volition be washed, on earth as information technology is in heaven.'"
God made u.s.a. in his image — pregnant, he created us to be his imagers just every bit Jesus was. "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all cosmos" (Colossians ane:fifteen). In John, 14:vii, Jesus told his disciples, "If you really know me, you will know my Father every bit well. From now on, y'all exercise know him and have seen him."
During cosmos, "Then God said, 'Let u.s. make mankind in our image, in our likeness'" (Genesis i:26). Nosotros were created in God'south paradigm--after His likeness. But God is invisible, and then this could not possibly have been a concrete likeness.
Jesus wanted u.s.a. to pray that nosotros be contributors to God's holy proper name--how he is known, who he is. We are to help hagiazo--to purify and consecrate--God'due south name in the eyes of others. When others await at us--his epitome-bearers--they ought to see glimpses of God. It is why his Holy Spirit dwells in u.s.a., to empower us, then in seeing us, others would run into who God is.
In Exodus 34:6-seven, God describes himself for united states. "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming 'The Lord, the Lord, the empathetic and gracious God, boring to acrimony, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining honey to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.'" That is who God is. His proper name. Hallowed be his name.
Why Does This Matter?
I finish with a question and a challenge.
The question to ask yourself: when others see you, who and what you lot are, and how you lot live, do they see the fruit of God's Spirit--"love, joy, peace, abstinence, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control"?
The claiming: commit to taking a few minutes, lonely, to recite the Lord'south Prayer. When you say information technology, experience the words you're that saying. Think about it.
So ask the Holy Spirit to help y'all live it.
For farther reading: What Is the Meaning of the Lord'south Prayer? (Our Father Who Art in Sky)
Is Jehovah the True Name of God?
Is There Power in the Name of Jesus?
What Types of Prayer Are in the Bible?
What Are All the Names of God Found in the Bible?
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/digitalskillet
Source: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/prayer/why-do-we-say-hallowed-be-thy-name.html
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