Title: HELLO TO HALLOWED

Focus: Jesus teaches us in his model prayer to show reverence and respect for the name of God—his being and his work.

Function: To encourage the people in their daily living to honor God for who he is and what he is about.

Text: Exodus 3:1-14

Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 47

How many of us are bothered by the flippant use of God’s name? Are we startled, or offended, or surprised when Christians fail to show respect for God’s name?

How many of us deepen our knowledge of God who reveals himself in the Scriptures? Are you familiar with God’s self-revelation and do you stand in awe of who he is and of what he is about? And do we express that awe of God to him and also to one another?

And what about you, young people? Are you like this Susan I read about recently? Susan is part of a Christian family and attends public worship with her parents and friends. Susan says that she believes in God and is a Christian. I believe that she is. But Susan is in danger of losing fear, reverence and trust in God because she is now heavily involved with some friends at school in reading books on witchcraft and new age religion.

Her parents don’t know it, but the other day she attended a new age party where they all lined up in a circle and offered a chant or prayer to Gaia—the goddess of the earth. At first, Susan thought it was nothing but “fun”—something to do with your friends, something innocent. But here’s the thing: Susan is reading her daily horoscope religiously and beginning to look for things to come true in her life. On the basis of her horoscope, Susan is now ordering her life around the predictions of the stars. Susan’s mother has noticed that Susan loves to watch horror movies and her favorite TV. show is Ghostbusters. Susan likes to be “freaked out.” Where is her great respect for the God who reveals himself in the Bible and especially in Jesus Christ?

I wonder what Jesus has to say to us about our attitude toward God’s name and our flippant approach to the God of the Bible, and our tendency to dabble or invest ourselves in the powers of darkness. Jesus has taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” In that first petition of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus calls us to show reverence and respect for the name of God—his being and his work. We are to develop a spirit that welcomes and embraces and says “Hello” to God’s holiness and that abhors any flippant attitude toward God. Say “hello” to the acts of reverencing God and expressing great respect for God.

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In Exodus 3 we encounter Moses. He is about 80 years old. For the first 40 years of his life, Moses has spent his life in relative safety and luxury. At first he was nursed and raised by godly Hebrew parents, then later Egypt’s royalty raised and educated Moses. From his parents, Moses learned about his heritage, which goes back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses also learned about the God of his people, called the “Hebrews.” Moses, however, also learned the ways of the gods of Egypt. Moses grew up in a polytheistic society. Even Pharaoh himself elevated himself as a god. Egypt’s kings demanded worship from their subjects.

The next 40 years of Moses’ life were spent in the desert, where Moses ended up as a refugee, fleeing from the wrath of Egypt’s court for Moses had killed an Egyptian slave driver who was beating up a Hebrew slave--one of Moses’ own particular tribe. Moses fled to Midia and married Zipporah, the daughter of a Midian priest. Moses had children and lived among pagan people who did not know the God of the Hebrews. So, it’s safe to say that Moses did not have a deep knowledge of the God of his fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But that is about to change.

The story of Moses encountering the living God in that burning bush has four striking features. They are:

1) The mystery of the encounter: That mystery envelops us as we see, along with Moses, the “flames of fire from within a bush.” The bush is on fire, but the fire does not consume the bush. Moses is intrigued by “this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” This is mystery.

And the mystery deepens as the story unfolds, for the text tells us the “angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in flames of fire.” Moses then encounters what appears to be an angelic, heavenly being. Who can that be? What it this? The mystery deepens as the text tells us (vs. 4) that “God called to Moses from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’” It appears then that the angel of the Lord is God himself. What Moses sees is called a “theophany,” an appearance of God in angelic form in blazing fire. This is mystery that kindles and awakens a deep sense of intrigue but also fear or dread. What is this burning bush and awesome sight all about? The second striking feature is

2) God’s holiness: Listen: “Moses! Moses! And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’ “Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’” Here Moses learns something about God that he must never forget: God is holy. God must be respected. God must be revered or reverenced. God must be greatly honored. God must be approached with a fear or dread or awareness that acknowledges our place before God. Moses must learn his place before God. And once Moses learns who God is we notice that Moses “hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” “Moses, Take off your shoes!” The next striking feature is

3) God’s covenant relationship: As God reveals himself to Moses we learn that God identifies himself with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We learn that God is in relationship with the Hebrews. And we notice that God cares, and keeps promises, and has expectations from his people: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob,” said the Lord.

God has compassion on the suffering Israelites in Egypt. God assumes the posture of a deliverer. And God promises “to bring his people the Israelites out of Egypt.” The God of the Hebrews—our God—is a covenant God. Moses and the Israelites are his “people,” his children—and so are we through faith in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is our God. He is shrouded in mystery; He is holy; and he has a covenantal relationship with his people. That’s why we may approach him as “our Father in heaven.” These three striking features are woven into the last feature of the text—which is

4) God’s name: Listen: “Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites

and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites, I am has sent me to you.’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.”

God’s name is “I am who I am.” What’s in that name? God reveals himself in his name as the God who always is. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. God always was, always is, always will be. He is eternally present, the ever-present I AM.

And this God who is everlasting, eternally present is our heavenly Father—the Great I AM. And Jesus teaches us today to show reverence and great respect for the name of God—his being and his works. “When you pray say, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name!” In other words, welcome, embrace and say “Hello” to hallowed be your name!

Here’s how we can learn to say “Hello” to revering God and expressing great honor to God. Let’s begin by acknowledging to ourselves and one another that we

1) Need help. Throughout the centuries, Christians before us have recognized that we need help to honor God and fear his name. Did you notice hear the cry for help in Lord’s Day 47 in the Heidelberg Catechism? (As printed in your liturgy today?). Listen: “Hallowed be your name means, “Help us to really know you,… and it means, “help us to direct all our living….”

By virtue of our sinful human nature, we are prone to rebel rather than to revere God. Respecting God is not something that comes naturally; it comes and develops within us as Christ’s Holy Spirit lives and works and prays within us. Showing respect for God calls for divine help. It also means that we must

2) Take off our shoes. Saying “Hello” to God’s holy character and name calls for a knowledge of God—a knowledge that includes the mind and the heart. Hallowing God’s name goes beyond factual information or truth; it includes a personal knowledge or relationship that engages our hearts, the core of our being, with God the Father, through Christ the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We build such a relationship through prayer to God as our heavenly Father. In our prayers Christ wants us to kindle in us the childlike awe and trust that reflects our understanding of God as being a holy God, whose name must be greatly honored.

That’s why we must learn to speak well of God to others—give him credit for blessings and for all ‘that shines forth from God’s mighty works, such as power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy and truth.” We do well to respond with praise and adoration of God as we encounter God in creation.

We must learn to call upon God’s name in a respectful and appropriate manner. Flippancy shows disrespect for God’s name. “Using “Oh my God! And Gee!!!” in your casual conversations with others do not express a deep knowledge of God’s holiness and character. Elevate God by respectful reference to him! Do not be flippant. Here’s one more way to say “Hello” to hallowing God’s name:

3) Take God’s name on your lips. No, do not take God’s name in vain. Do not swear or curse using God’s name. Rather, spice your conversations, especially with other Christians, whenever appropriate, with references to God’s presence or power or divine guidance. We do well to make our plans for tomorrow and share our intentions with others by saying, “The Lord willing!” For in doing so, we honor God’s relationship and providential care—his name, his character, his being—in our daily living.

For that is what Jesus teaches us today: stay away from fiddling with powers of darkness and fooling around with witchcraft and new age religion. Honor God by paying attention to him. Show respect and a deep awe or reverence for who God is and what he is about.

Cry for help from the Holy Spirit each day.

Take off those shoes—know your place before God!

And take God’s name on your lips—in prayer, praise, blessings and worship.

Now and always. Amen.