Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Those are familiar lines. Most folk with any kind of church background have memorized “The Lord’s Prayer.” Expounding on this simple prayer outline could consume a book—and then some. But, for now, I want to give attention to the simple phrase, “hallowed be your name,” and relate it again to the list of highly significant and descriptive Hebrew name combinations for Jehovah-God as gathered from the Old Testament record. To be sure, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised” (Psalm 113:3). You and I are wise to be regular participants.

Recently I briefly expounded on our need for HOPELESSNESS. That’s growing on me. I think it’s a vital concept. We need to recognize that, left to ourselves, we perpetually make problems and messes that we are wholly inadequate to fix or clean up. That’s where our need for HOPELESSNESS fits in as a required quality within the Kingdom of God. The moment we entertain the notion that we, on our own, can fix and clean things up just fine is the moment we put ourselves on a path of failure away from God’s promises and provisions. In that regard, consider the prayer of David when He pleads, “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:4-5).

Here—try this on for size. Without going back to confirm their Bible references, or correct spelling for the Hebrew equivalents, I’ll just list out the Hebrew name combinations for Jehovah as I remember them, and apply to each my personal spin of HOPELESSNESS:

• JEHOVAH-NISSI—“the LORD my banner”—my ensign, my affiliation, my denomination, my family line (“sons of God”). Any pedigree of my own is HOPELESSLY inadequate for achieving His purposes and making heaven my eternal home.


• JEHOVAH-JIREH—“the LORD my provider”—without His gracious intervention to provide for the needs of my life and livelihood, both now and forevermore, I would be in a HOPELESS state of affairs. Man!—I can’t even make my own heart beat or properly process the fried potatoes and scrambled eggs I just ate.


• JEHOVAH-TSEDKENU—“the LORD my righteousness.” My natural mindset continually lies to me, misleading me to think that I’m a pretty good guy with a nice stack of GOOD to my name as compared with my stack of BAD—which I HOPE will win my place in a heavenly hereafter. But viewing things through Biblical spectacles, that too is HOPELESS. “…all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). “Filthy rags” are a HOPELESS exchange for eternal life. (See again v.33 of this chapter.)


• JEHOVAH-KADESH—“the LORD my cleansing.” All the Dial soap in the world is a HOPELESS detergent for dissolving and removing the contamination of the NATURAL SIN NATURE that soils me.


• JEHOVAH-SHAMMA—“the LORD Who is always there”—Who knows my name, address, how many hairs are on my head (or aren’t), knows “my thoughts from afar…familiar with all my ways…Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” (Psalm 39:1-6). He’s so close, He knows way more about me than I know about myself! My knowledge and being are so limited by time and space, they are HOPELESS by comparison.


• JEHOVAH-SHALOM—“the LORD my peace.” An honest view of human history shows that peace has never existed for very long at any point in the entire time line. It’s a HOPELESS notion to think that we can legislate peace either individually or collectively to the point that we all live happily ever after. It’s even HOPELESS for me to think I can establish “peace with God” (Romans 5:1-2) on my terms. He has already graciously provided peace on His terms—and all I have to do is comply and receive.


• JEHOVAH-RAPHA—“the LORD my healer.” Personally, I’m not as insistent as some are to apply this to our physical healing. While He sometimes disperses miraculous gifts of healing as He wills, I see too much evidence that God’s primary concern for my health and wellbeing is not physical, but spiritual (psycho-spiritual)—offering healing for my terminal sin sickness. It is absolutely HOPELESS for me or anyone else to truly heal that ailment independent of His gracious provision.


• JEHOVAH-ROHI—“the LORD my shepherd.” How safe and secure would sheep be if it was all left up to them? It’s just plain HOPELESS that they would ever form an alliance, assign a military, and organize a protective government. (My loony imagination is conjuring up an absurd cartoon—picturing a group of macho ram sheep around a camp fire with their swords and battle garb laying nearby. One is roasting meat on a stick and says, “Hey, Nate—how do you like your wolf?”)

When I truly hallow His Name(s), my own HOPELESS hope fades in surrender to a superior HOPE that is in Him alone.