Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Matthew 6:9c Hallowed be Your name.
PRAISE HIS ALMIGHTY NAME
God's name includes all the names He has given to Himself. Each one of His names reveals something about Him. For example, when God appeared to Abraham when he was 99 years old, He said to him: "I am almighty God" (Genesis 17:1). This name He gave to Himself at that time was certainly appropriate, for He was about to perform a miracle. He was going to cause Abraham's wife Sarah to bear a son in her old age. "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14).
In the time of David one of the favorite names used for God was "LORD of hosts." Even as David was commander of his forces on earth, the true God is the Commander of all the angelic armies or hosts in heaven, and there is no one greater than He. So we hear David praying to God: "Let Your name be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel'" (Second Samuel 7:26). David was praising God for giving David the promise that David's seed would be King forever. As the LORD of hosts, God could certainly carry out this promise. In fact, it was one of those angels in the LORD's hosts, Gabriel, who was sent to Bethlehem to tell the young girl Mary that she would bring forth David's Son and David's LORD (Luke 1: 30-33). At this time God's angel also reminded Mary of the same truth about God that He had revealed to Sarah, Abraham's wife. "With God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37). Even as Sarah could conceive a child in her womb way past the age of childbearing, so Mary could conceive a child in her womb even though she was a virgin.
Let us hallow God's name.
Let us praise Him as our almighty Savior and King.
