Hallowed Be Thy Name
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 4/22/2018 AM |
Text: | Jeremiah 9; Lord's Day 47 |
Psalters: | 222, 268, 288, 409 |
- Thy Name.
- God is unknowable because He is Wholly Other, invisible but especially infinite.
- For God to be known, He must reveal Himself.
- After the fall into sin, it became impossible for sinners to know God.
- First, for the infinite God to be known by sinners, God must reveal Himself.
- God gives Himself “names” so we might know Him. His “name” is everything that reveals Him.
- His purpose for revealing Himself to His highest creature is so that He might be thanked and praised.
- Second, for the infinite God to be known by sinners, God must graciously give each of them faith, which enables them to “see” God (John 3:3), i.e., know Him in a personal way (not just about Him).
- God is unknowable because He is Wholly Other, invisible but especially infinite.
- Jesus teaches us to ask our Father to hallow His revelation of Himself and to enable us to hallow His revelation of Himself.
- To “hallow” is to recognize something to be holy, reverend, honorable and distinct; not that we make it holy.
- We ask God to work in our minds and hearts that we may more and more see Him and His glory in all things.
- We ask our Father to make us sensitive to Him so He is glorified and not blasphemed on our account (Ps. 143:10).
- We ask our Father to work in us humility, self-denial, and an heavenly-mindedness which arise from our knowing Him to be worthy to be sought, loved, feared, and honored.
- We ask our Father to make us to hallow His name with others by witnessing to them and praising Him together (Ps. 34:3).
- And we ask our Father to vindicate His name of all dishonor (Psalm 83).
- What is the reason our Lord Jesus wants us to pray this petition and to pray it first?
- His transcendent glory makes Him worthy to be hallowed.
- This is to be our greatest desire; with nothing more important to us.
- Only when we love Him, are we able and willing to pray this petition.