The Lord’s Prayer – Kingdom

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The Lord telling us to pray for the Kingdom was bold then and of major importance for us today.

We have clearly addressed Who we are praying to and clarified where He is. That led us to praising Him by reminding ourselves He is holy. Our very first petition in this prayer is asking for the Father’s Kingdom to come. So, why was this a bold statement to make?

Jesus’ audience was very aware of who they were and their connection with God. They were the people God had selected, His kingdom people. Hebrews had history with God and they knew the promises that were theirs because of that history. Now, let me try to fit this prayer into the Gospels and remind us of Jesus and how we are His Kingdom.

Your kingdom come. Matthew 6:10a and Luke 11:2

In Matthew 3 and 4 (The First Block of Kingdom teaching) Jesus repeats John’s message of “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (NIV) He tells the good news of the kingdom and reenforces His words by healing the sick. He then taught the Sermon on the Mount and shared more of His vision about His kingdom, this includes the Lord’s Prayer.

*Notes to Myself* Father was not a common way for Hebrews to speak about Jehovah God. The thought of the Father’s kingdom “to come” would have been met with very different ideas from these groups.

  • The People – This was the real power group in Israel, but I am not sure they realized that. Like now, they may have been fickle and easily swayed. There were many voices telling them different things and a common thread may have been how “we” are smarter, more holy, and stronger. Jesus went to them with the Good News, these others were just in the crowds.
  • Pharisees – They fostered the synagogues.  
  • Essenes – I know a little about this group but not a lot. John the Baptist may have been one and they did the Dead Sea Scrolls.
  • Zealots – If you hear “The Fourth Philosophy” on The Chosen, this is who they were talking about.
  • Sadducees – They controlled the Temple and did not want to lose it.
  • Herod – He definitely had his own vision and opinion.
  • Rome – They thought they were the kingdom.
  • Rebel groups – I am not sure all violent groups were Zealots.  

Could you see those three words (Your kingdom come) as a call for evangelism or mission work? Is it a form of Revelation 22:20 – Come, Lord Jesus? We could advance to the Second Block of Kingdom Teaching where Jesus has told the Twelve in Matthew 10:7 that the kingdom of heaven has come near, or Matthew 12:28 when He affirms that because demons are cast out that the Kingdom of God has come. I will be honest; those three words have made me think more the last several years than ever before. Just three words from our Savior and Lord can and should give us a lot to think about. If you do a word search/study Luke has many examples of “kingdom, come”.

We are/will be the Bride of Christ, so I will present a different look at Jesus’ first time here and His return. (A look into Hebrew wedding practices may help.)

  • Jesus came to select and call His Bride.
  • The ride into Jerusalem was Him going to claim His Bride and pay the bride price.
  • He paid the price and left.
  • Jesus is waiting on the Father to tell Him to come and get His Bride.

What does this kingdom look like? Jesus used parables and many start with “the kingdom of God is like”. Those parables talked about individuals finding the kingdom, using your talents, evangelism, and feast. There are also warnings about those who chose not to find Jesus’s kingdom.

The Father also talks about His kingdom in the Old Testament. It reflects who He is and what is important to Him. Holiness, Righteousness, justice, and forgiving are attributed to Him, but so is judgment for those who refuse to do right.  I have noticed that people like to tell God how His kingdom must work, most of this appears to be based on their emotions and poor choices.

Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10b; this phrase was apparently not in Luke in the earliest versions.

I read this somewhere and liked it (no reference), “Father rule on earth as you do in heaven”. Verse 10 has legal overtones, especially this part. The on-line Strong’s does make mention of this. The Greek word for will is thelema and this form of the word is in Matthew 6:10, 18:14, and 26:42. These are just a few times thelema is used in the Gospels

Bible 911 – Judges

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Judges 9:11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? (KJV)

Judges 9:11 is part of a parable, proverb, or fable (it depends on who you read) told by a son of Gideon. The story is a prophecy/curse over the people of Shechem for killing his brothers. The drama in Judges 9 is an extension of Gideon’s life. Not everything he did was right or righteous. Yes, he had faith to free and judge Israel, for that he is mentioned in Hebrews 11.

Gideon

Judges 9 is part of Gideon’s legacy. We are taught about his faith for the fleeces and the three-hundred lights and horns; these are what we remember. The gold statue with forty years of its adoration and the seventy sons do not make Sunday School lesson plans. The ugly soap opera drama in Chapter 9 is one huge showcase of fallen humanity and really hits at how far from God Israel was at that time. Yes, the Mercy Seat was just a few miles south in Shiloh.

Gideon is descendent from Manasseh, Jospeh’s oldest son. As a tribe they had the most land because they got portions on both sides of the Jordan. We are not sure where Ophrah, his hometown, was, but he called for help from the tribes of the north that were west of the Jordan.

His initial excuses in Judges 6 had the ringing of Moses when he was first called. He claimed to be the weakest and the least, but was he? No matter how he started by the end of his life he had many wives and seventy sons and a lot of gold. When Chapter 9 ends, he had one living heir, who was in hiding.

This is not the Manasseh in 2 Kings 21. This “most wicked” king was the son of Hezekiah, one of the best kings of Israel. (Interesting name associations. Genesis 41:51)

Abimelech

He was a violent, greedy man. Please, do not blame it on his mother’s status as a concubine. Half of Jacob’s sons came from concubines. https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4585-concubinage There is no indication that Jether or any of his brothers caused a problem.

In 9:2 he claims something that is a little unusual, he identifies with his mother’s family while using his father’s legacy. Similarly, King Saul and Jonathan’s connection to Gilead and Lo Debar are probably from his grandmother’s family roots in that area (Judges 21). The mothers of Israel were and are important.

The word Abimelech is more of a title than a name, not bad for the son of a concubine. Abimelech | The amazing name Abimelech: meaning and etymology

Shechem

The town and its surrounding mountains are a foundation stone in the history of Israel. It starts with the sordid tale of the raping of the virgin daughter of Israel. It continues to the Blessings and Curses in Joshua. In the New Testament we find Jesus talking to the woman at its well and John and Peter praying for the people to receive the Holy Spirit in the same region.  Shechem is a Hebrew word that means “shoulder” or “the seat of a person’s interests”1 2.

Back to Judges 9:11

You know it is fun looking at something that happened several thousand years ago and talking about it with absolute certainty. Imagine the millions of times this account has been read and studied; now we have on-line Bible commentaries to tell us everything. Before you read the fruits of my studies, stop and think about Jotham for a minute. Now, this is the Jotham in Judges; the other Jotham is a grandson of David and in the family-line of Jesus.

Jotham’s name means Yahweh is perfect.

Abimelech had sacrificed his brothers on one stone. Apparently, he did not count well because he missed one. It is not mentioned, but I cannot imagine that just the brothers were killed. Townspeople and family members almost certainly died as well or were taken as slaves. Coups back then aimed at cleaning house with no one left to claim or complain. Jotham went from “riding high” to “hiding in a hole”. So, to brave it up and tell a story, then pronounce a curse against two towns speaks volumes about this young man.

Location, location, location is important here, well at least symbolically. Jotham climbs up Mt. Gerizim where his ancestors stood in the time of Joshua to pronounce the blessings from Deuteronomy 28. He was speaking to people (Manasseh) who were not on his mount; they probably were on the mount of the curses or in the valley surrounding a “great tree” (9:6).

Etz or plants that have a woody stem now takes center stage. I see our perfect God reusing four etz in this story that are mentioned (my opinion) when Adam and Eve betrayed God. There were other trees in Israel and the surrounding nations that could have been used: oaks, cedars, palms, pomegranates are just a few. The olive, fig, and grape all have edible fruit (or products) that were/are important in the daily lives of the people. Thorns, like grapes, have a “woody” stem, but its main product and fame was an unproductive growth that was great for burning and hurting. The olive, fig, and grape knew they would have to give up something to rule, and they felt that it was not worth it. The thorn did not have to give up anything.

In 9:11 the fig did not want to give up its good fruit that was so sweet. Fig may be smug, but it was not wrong; none of the trees were. The natural importance of figs and the other etz make them ripe to be used in spiritual lessons. The fig is associated with religious works because of its debut in the Garden to hide the shame of sin from the eyes of God. Figs are mentioned several times in Numbers and Deuteronomy; the people use them for complaining and God uses them as part of the promise in the new land. Matthew has Jesus referring to them in the Sermon on the Mount and then using them twice in connection to the Sermons on Two Mounts. The last reference to figs is in Revelations when the sixth seal is broken, and they fall off of the tree because of fierce winds. My suggestion – STUDY. I saw and learned things in this study that I had not seen before.

Well, it is time to check my inner Sadducee, step over my Pharisee limitations, and quell my Zealot tendencies and rethink fig. The fig was good (tov) like everything God made in the Garden. It became the second tree (etz) that Adam and Eve tainted. They worked it into a covering to shield them from a righteous God. (Not the work they were made to do.) The Father made a sacrifice and gave them new “skins”. Many references with fig have a negative side, especially if you want to be grumpy, but the fig tree helped Zacchaeus to see Jesus. I will keep the thought of the fig and its tree representing works and remember there are religious works and works of righteousness.

Does Jotham’s parable have more than one layer? I am sure it does. Abimelech and the townspeople probably thought about it and asked questions for several years. Then reality and its truth grew thorns, stuck them, and blossomed into open hostility. Think about what groups or thoughts the four etz may represent.

These are some references that may help you study.

  1. Olives the oil honors gods and men; oil Strong’s Hebrew: 1880. דָּ֫שֶׁן (deshen) — fatness, ashes of fat, honor Strong’s Hebrew: 3513. כָּבַד (kabad or kabed) — to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome   give up oil not fruit
  2. Figs good and sweet; sweetness Strong’s Hebrew: 4987. מֹ֫תֶק (motheq) — sweetness, good Strong’s Hebrew: 2896. טוֹב (towb) — beautiful, fruit Strong’s Hebrew: 8570. תְּנוּבָה (tenubah) — fruit, produce
  3. Grapes cheer gods and men; new wine Strong’s Hebrew: 8492. תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh) — must, fresh or new wine, rejoice Strong’s Hebrew: 8055. שָׂמַח (samach) — rejoice, be glad
  4. Thorn – get low (humble yourself) and come under my shade Strong’s Hebrew: 6738. צֵל (tsel) — a shadow

Do not leave these out of your quiet time reading, they may be appealing.  

Strong’s Hebrew: 5128. נ֫וּעַ (nua) — to quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter

Strong’s Hebrew: 6086. עֵץ (ets) — tree, trees, wood

When I branched out from Judges 9:11 I found these and thought they were interesting.

Rabbi Meir 

Forbidden fruit – Wikipedia This one is wild and has many “different” ideas.

Judges is history. In the accounts are natural and supernatural deeds and lessons, some have been okayed for Sunday School and others would require too much explaining. Four Judges are mentioned by name in Hebrews 11 and not all of those are children’s stories. It is very easy to pick and pull at them, like Chapter 9, and miss the real hero in the Book – Father God. He had a plan and a purpose, but His people had other ideas. Take your focus off of the Judges and find what God did in them and through them to carry Israel. Father wanted a righteous relationship with them just as He wants one with us now.

The Lord’s Prayer – Hallowed be Your Name

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The Lord’s Prayer is important. As a stand-alone prayer, it has been a source of help and comfort for millions for centuries. I believe, it is also a model of how we should pray.

Today’s post has one of the two things that require action on our part. We are to hallow the name of the Lord. The other is forgiving those who sin against us.

God is holy. He loves justice and righteousness. His Name is already holy, because He is holy. We are to show His Name holy to the world.

Hallow not hollow was topic for a post in this series, as well as the job of a translator. Some of the words involved today may also show how important this work is in understanding our God.

Leviticus 20:3 Profane Strong’s Hebrew: 2490. חָלַל (chalal) — pierce Hebrew letter #8 heth חָלַל

1 Chronicles 16:10 glory Strong’s Hebrew: 1984. הָלַל (halal) — shine Hebrew letter #5 He הָלַל

Strong’s Hebrew: 6944. קֹ֫דֶשׁ (qodesh) — apartness, sacredness   Hallow; First use was in Ex. 3:5 – Moses and the bush.

Strong’s Hebrew: 6942. קָדַשׁ (qadash) — to be set apart or consecrated   Hallow

Strong’s Greek: 37. ἁγιάζω (hagiazó) — to make holy, consecrate, sanctify  Hallow

Greek Concordance: Ἁγιασθήτω (Hagiasthētō) — 3 Occurrences

see GREEK hagios       

Strong’s Hebrew: 8034. שֵׁם (shem) — a name

Word search tools are very helpful. Just be aware of which translation you search in because key words may vary; then compare those words in other translations.

Leviticus 20 and 1 Chronicles 16 were found using “holy name” in a word search with the NASB. If you view these in context, they add another dimension into the study. Leviticus 20 is God addressing the people about offering their children to Molech and how this would profane His holy Name and the sanctuary. 1 Chronicles 16 is the polar opposite of Leviticus and comes from a praise of David to God after the Ark was brought to Jerusalem. Using that word search will show Father God is serious about His Name. Psalms and Isaiah have many positive statements about honoring His Name, while Ezekiel has many references about the people dishonoring His Name. God’s holy Name is the same but the people handled it differently.

Hallow is an important word in the Lord’s Prayer. When the Geneva and the KJV was written it was even more important. BibleGateway – Keyword Search: hallow  I was taught to say it and have said it many times, but I am not sure anyone in the church I grew up in ever taught me what it meant. To share in that comment, I never studied the word or concept growing up, my loss.

Bless the Name of the Lord o my soul and let everything that is in me hallow His holy Name.

Jehu, No; We Need Jehoiada

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Jehu you may know, but who is Jehoiada? Okay, the title of this post started as Jehu, Wake Up Church.

Jehu was the chosen, anointed leader of the Northern Kingdom of Israel at the time of Elisha the Prophet. He destroyed the house of Ahab, killed Jezebel, ended Baal worship, and God honored him by fulfilling the promise of four generations of his family ruling over Israel. Much of this has been covered in

Jehu – The Start

2 Kings 9 11

Jehu and the Prophets

You will find Jehu’s story in 2 Kings 9 and 10 and his children in 13, 14, and 15. This man had it all, he did what he was given to do for the Lord. He ruled for twenty-eight years and could have made the list in Hebrews 11. He had prophets of God to help him, especially Elisha. With all of this going for him, he had a serious issue that he did not let go of. See 2 Kings 10:28, 29. He ended Baal worship, but could not let go of the golden calves in Bethel and Dan. The first King Jeroboam started this practice after he got a promise from God and had it fulfilled. See 1 Kings 12:25. I guess they had something in common, they were blessed by God but held on to the bull.  

Jehoiada’s story is mixed in with Joash king of Judah – 2 Kings 11 and 12, and in 2 Chronicles 22:10 through 24:27. Maybe I should say that King Joash (not the father of Gideon) had a story because of the Jehoiada the priest. Athaliah, who was not a loving nana, killed almost everyone in royal line of Solomon and took the throne. She missed Joash because of his aunt who stole him away and hid him in the Temple. Jehoiada was Joash’s uncle, by marriage, with this aunt, Jehosheba. (Okay, if you are into the Law governing priest, that marriage should not have happened, she was from Judah. But thank God it did happen.) No Joash means no Joseph who married Mary the mother of Jesus.

Jehoiada hid Joash, protected him, restored him to power, and helped him restore the Temple of God, and helped Joash as long as he lived. When Jehoiada died Joash forgot the Lord and met with a bad ending.

Church of Jesus, we need Jehoiada’s not Jehu’s or Joash’s. Jehoiada was faithful in his work for the Lord and served his community by doing what was right. Maybe a better title would have been: Two Kings and a Man of God.

The Lord’s Prayer – More Than One?

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“More Than One?” comes from the fact that Matthew and Luke have different versions of the Lord’s Prayer. If you extend your search, you will find translations of the Bible and denominations also have slightly different versions. My simple answer to that is – Because!

Imagine my surprise as a preteen, when I visited a different denomination and they did not know the Lord’s Prayer. Everyone stopped and did not finish it; they left the ending off.     

My post, my opinion, and my hope is that you will study so that “you can show yourself approved” if you ever choose to get into a discussion on this or any topic. I will even inject a few facts.

Not only are there variations between Matthew and Luke, but other people have done some well-meaning additions since they were written. There has been attempts in the past to make Luke sound more like Matthew, or the translators’ choice of sin or debit, and the big one of adding a line after temptation. By 1599 the Geneva Bible had – but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen. That means by 1611 it was also in the King James. This addition to the Prayer sounds a lot like 1 Chronicles 29:11, which is part of a prayer from David.

So, was this to be the perfect prayer or a pattern of how to pray? Read Matthew 6:5 to 7:12, now compare it to Luke 11:1-13. Yes, I am contemplating learning activities, but for now, how would you defend your answer?

Did this perfect prayer pattern (see what I did there) have an effect? Analyze Colossians 1:9-14 and compare it to the Lord’s Prayer. How does Ephesians 4:32 reflect the Prayer? Do the differences and additions show a lack of competent teaching or a lot of use?  

More Than One? The Lord prayed many times, yet only one is named. John 17, the Garden, and on the cross; Jesus prayed some powerful prayers. The Our Father is important, but is it a formula or a foundation to a relationship?