Prayer

05/29/2011 Human Observations

Matthew 6:9
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

The only acceptable substitute for our sin instructs us to pray directly to our Heavenly Father, who dwells in this place called heaven; clearly separated from sinful earth.  Why?  And why are we to first acknowledge Him and His heavenly abode, and then to acknowledge the setting apart of His name?  To put it simply … God knows to whom we are praying; the question is … do we?  Perhaps some who may be deceived or deluded into directing their prayers to an idol or authority other than the Father of our Lord and Messiah, Jesus, mistakenly believing that someone or something else has the power and authority to override the authority of those circumstances that have brought us to the point of prayer.  Putting aside the notion of idols that can neither speak nor hear, there are creations of God who have specific authority given to them by God, indicated by their titles: Seraphim, covering angels, angels of protection, etc.  Also, in times past, there were reflections of authority such as the Urim and Thummim, and Teraphim, which may have at some point been a conduit of power, but are nevertheless not to be confused with our Heavenly father who is the source of all power.  Then there is His name that held such power at its mention that the vowels were omitted from its spelling so that its pronunciation would be prevented, eliminating the misuse of the power of the name for some vain purpose.  However, we are given a name to use to access the power of God, even Jesus, the name of our Messiah.

John 14:13
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.      

So The Father speaks and behaves in a certain way, and The Son does what He has observed of The Father.

Matthew 1:5
And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

 Such is demonstrated in the stories of Jericho and Ruth.  Rahab (Rachab) was a gentile harlot who lived along the wall of Jericho, and Ruth was a Moabitess woman who married an Israelite, the son of Naomi.  Rahab hid the two messengers who spied out the land for Joshua, and Ruth submitted herself to Naomi’s Kinsman Redeemer in order to restore the family name and ownership of Naomi’s land to her.  The father of Boaz took a gentile bride, Rahab; and Rahab’s son, Boaz, took a gentile bride, Ruth.  As a model foreshadowing things to come, the overthrow of a nation (Canaan) whose practices were an offence to God, resulted in the salvaging of the gentile Rahab’s father’s household (gentile believers), and she was later married to a member of God’s people, incorporating her family into Israel (the church).  Ruth (gentile believers) utilized the law of the Kinsman Redeemer (Jesus the Messiah) to salvage both herself, a gentile female who could not legally own land in Israel, and the previously owned land (the earth) for the family of Naomi (humans).      

Revelation 5:⁵And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. ( Luke 3:³¹David, ³²Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,)