Hallowed Be Thy Name

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Jeremiah 9; Lord's Day 47
Psalters: 222, 268, 288, 409
  1. Thy Name.
    1. God is unknowable because He is Wholly Other, invisible but especially infinite.
      1. For God to be known, He must reveal Himself.
      2. After the fall into sin, it became impossible for sinners to know God.
    2. First, for the infinite God to be known by sinners, God must reveal Himself.
      1. God gives Himself “names” so we might know Him. His “name” is everything that reveals Him.
      2. His purpose for revealing Himself to His highest creature is so that He might be thanked and praised.
    3. 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).
  2. Jesus teaches us to ask our Father to hallow His revelation of Himself and to enable us to hallow His revelation of Himself.
    1. To “hallow” is to recognize something to be holy, reverend, honorable and distinct; not that we make it holy.
    2. We ask God to work in our minds and hearts that we may more and more see Him and His glory in all things.
    3. We ask our Father to make us sensitive to Him so He is glorified and not blasphemed on our account (Ps. 143:10).
    4. 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.
    5. We ask our Father to make us to hallow His name with others by witnessing to them and praising Him together (Ps. 34:3).
    6. And we ask our Father to vindicate His name of all dishonor (Psalm 83).
  3. What is the reason our Lord Jesus wants us to pray this petition and to pray it first?
    1. His transcendent glory makes Him worthy to be hallowed.
    2. This is to be our greatest desire; with nothing more important to us.
    3. Only when we love Him, are we able and willing to pray this petition.