Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Matthew 6:9c Hallowed be Your name.
PRAISE HIS NAME . . . NOW!
No one else has a name like our God. That is, no one can do what He does or has His power and authority. God's prophet Isaiah was sent to proclaim the greatness of God's name. Listen to the words of the prophet as he speaks for God: "I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images" (Isaiah 42:8).
Sad to say, the children of Israel often followed the ways of the nations that lived around them and made idols for themselves and worshipped them. Obviously the worship of idols is not a way to hallow the name of God. The true God dare not be placed on the same level as the idols of heathen nations. The true God is a jealous God. This means that God has a zeal for His own name. How can He allow people on earth to mix Him up in their minds with all kinds of man-made and mind-made gods who are not really gods at all?
It is true that God does not at once strike down dead all those who do not hallow His name. He does not always do what He did to the followers of Korah, who refused to honor His name. That is, He does not always have the earth open up and swallow His enemies, as He did on that occasion (Numbers 16). God's apparent inaction and indifference on these occasions when His name is blasphemed has led some to believe that God either does not care or He is unable to take action.
Psalm 50 shows that it is a serious mistake to think of God as unable or unwilling to defend His name. After reciting the evil deeds of the wicked, the Psalm goes on to say to the wicked: "These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes" (Psalm 50: 21). Those who continue to insult and bring shame to God's name will eventually have to face God as their Judge. Everyone on the Last Day will have to give honor to the LORD.
Let us not wait until the Last Day. Rather let us hallow God's name now and praise Him as our almighty Savior and King, our only Savior and King.
