We read the Word of God this morning in two passages, first of all, at the end of Numbers 6. In the end of Numbers chapter 6, the Lord is giving instructions regarding the Nazarites and the offerings of the priests, and ends that chapter with these familiar words of what we call the Aaronitic Blessing. Verse 22 of Numbers 6, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. And they shall put my name, notice that, that's how they put God's name on the children of Israel, they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them." God's name is on His people. And then we turn in the New Testament to the Gospel according to John, and chapter 12, and begin reading at verse 23, and read through verse 32. Verse 23 of John 12, And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it. and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life. If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my Father honour. Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundered. Others said an angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, this voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Those two passages, Old and New Testament about God's name, are the basis of the teaching in the Catechism, Lord, day 47. In the back of this altar on page 26, we have question and answer 122. and I want to keep this altar open after I read it once and then perhaps read it again so that we can come to an answer to the question, why does the Catechism say this is an explanation of that petition, Hallowed be thy name? Why this? Which is the first petition, Hallowed be thy name? That is, grant us first rightly to know Thee, to sanctify, glorify, and praise Thee in all Thy works, in which Thy power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and truth are clearly displayed, and further also that we may so order and direct our whole lives, our thoughts, words, and actions, that thy name may never be blasphemed, but rather honored and praised on our account." Now, if you look at that long sentence, you see, first of all, that there are two parts. First, and then, and further also, the first is a request that we know God, especially, in His works. And in those works, the Catechism says that God's power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and truth are clearly displayed. What does that have to do with God's name? That's the question we'll face first this morning. We are asking first to know God from His works. And then the Catechism says, and further also, that we may so order and direct our lives, thoughts, words, and deeds, that God's name may never be blasphemed, that's negative, but rather be honored and praised, that's positive, account of our lives. So there you see the Lord's Day that explains the petition, Hallowed Be Thy Name. We saw last time that when we pray we need to begin properly. We saw the time before that that we need to pray. And then when we began studying the Lord's Prayer, the Catechism teaches us what Jesus taught us, begin properly. That is, have the right attitude when you pray. Our Father, which art in heaven, gives us the right attitude. Confidence. He's our Father, and He'll not deny us what we ask of Him and need from Him any more than we earthly fathers will deny our earthly sons and daughters what they ask of us. Confidence. And reverence, he's our father, you revere a father, and especially this father is in heaven. Our father, which are in heaven, are the words that Jesus uses to teach us to begin praying properly. And then, after we have that foundation of how to begin, Jesus says, only now are you able to ask. And this is what you ask, and ask first. Father, hallowed be thy name. Jesus is teaching us to pray, follow his instructions, have the right attitude, and begin with God's name. There's an old saying that a preacher needs to practice what he preaches. Because if the man that stands behind this pulpit tells you one thing and then does another, you're not going to listen to what he told you because he doesn't practice what he preaches. Well, Jesus was the prime example of one who practiced what he preached. He, in his own prayer life, and in all of his ministry, practiced this. With a proper attitude, he began with this desire, Father in heaven, let thy name, not mine, let thy name be hallowed. Listen to Jesus in John 12 that we read. His soul was so troubled, because he realized that he was the seed that had to die and be planted in the ground before it could be fruitful and bear much fruit. Jesus' soul was so troubled when he began to realize more and more what he had to do. So troubled, he said, Father, save me from this hour. And then he realized, but this is why I came to this hour. And then he said, Father, glorify thy name, whatever it takes, but let my life be to the glory of thy name. This is right before the end of Jesus' ministry. A couple of chapters later, in John 17, he's praying in front of the disciples, and he says to God in heaven, God, I'm finished with my work, because what I have done is reveal thy name to these disciples. And then when he went to the garden of Gethsemane, it wasn't his will and his name and his kingdom that he wanted exalted, it was God's. Deliver me from this cup, and deliver this cup from me, and yet not my will, my name, my kingdom, but thy will be done. He practiced, Jesus did what he preached. So let's reflect in our prayers and be reminded of that this morning as we look at this first petition, what Jesus taught. Start here. After a proper attitude, pray for God's name. Let's see what that means, how we practice it, and how important that is. Praying, hallowed be thy name, the meaning, the practice, and the importance. I had us keep the catechism open because it is very difficult to understand why the petition, Hallowed Be Thy Name, first of all means we must know God by looking at what He has done and see what kind of God He is, as is evidenced by those works. Why that? God, help us to know what you're like. Well, the answer to that question is that God's name, though has similarities to our names, is very different from our names. Our names identify us. You know who I am by first looking at my surname, and if you knew my family, you would say, he came from that family. And then you would know more about me, perhaps, to identify me, by looking at my given name that my parents gave to me, and that's written on my birth certificate. Our names are to identify us, not so much to describe us. God's name identifies him, That's one thing, but the more important thing is that God's name, and now we'll use the plural, God's names, don't so much identify Him as describe Him. You know what He's like by listening to the names He gives Himself, and He gives Himself a multitude of names. God, Rock, Truth, Faithful, Just, Merciful, Gracious. All of those are names of God and each one helps us understand the character of God. Now you begin to understand why. Lord, day 47 says what it does. Hallowed be thy name. Grant us first rightly to know thee from all your works in your Power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and truth. Those are six of many of God's names. Now we understand that because we use that language too. Let me illustrate that by asking that if you were to build a new house and wanted to hire someone to build that house for you, you would ask what kind of reputation he has. That is, what kind of name does he have in the community as a builder? And if your friends and acquaintances told you about a particular builder that he has these characteristics, and we'll list six of them, he's honest, fair, hardworking, timely, meticulous, and very good at his craft, you would know something about that builder. It doesn't matter what his given name was. It wouldn't matter what his family name is. What would matter to you is what kind of reputation he has by his description from his work. Others have looked at his work and say these things about him. He's honest. He's fair. He's timely. He's hardworking. He's meticulous. And he is very good at what he does. That's his name. that is, his reputation. Now you begin to see more why the Catechism says this is God's name. The very same is true about God. When Moses, remember, and I've referred to this before, but it's so important that we get this down in our minds, so that when we pray this petition we remember, when Moses said, God, show me your glory, that is, I want to see with these eyes what you're like, God descended from heaven and spoke. He said something, and this is what He said. My name is merciful, gracious, long-suffering, righteous, just. You go back to Exodus 34 and read all the attributes that God lists there as descriptions of His character. This is what I'm like. That is, this is my name. God's name is His attributes. Now, we know what God is like because we look at His work. As I said about that builder that you might be inclined to hire, you know what He's like by looking at His work. What has He done for other people's homes? How has He behaved toward them as customers? Now, look at God's works and you will learn His name. Look at what God did. Study it carefully. Look at what God does. Ponder His actions. And you will learn the name of God. Number one, look at what He did in creation. O Lord, our Lord, in all the earth, how excellent Thy name. And then what does the psalmist go on to say in Psalm 8? Look at what He did in the heavens. In all the starry frame, there's no name revealed like the name of our God. Look at what He did. He made the heavens and the earth. Study what God did in the record of creation in the book of Genesis, day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and learn something about God in His power. He just spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and all of it stood fast. Learn something about His wisdom in making the worlds as they are. The more you study the worlds, the more you say, God is a wise God. He's timely. He made a plan. He stuck to that plan day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and He was finished. He's faithful in His plan and in all of His works. He's hardworking, and oh, people of God, He is good at His craft. God is the builder of all the universe. You'll learn something about God by looking at His creation. Now you understand more why the catechism says, I want to know God from His works that display His power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, and truth. Look at God's creation. Then go to God's providence and how He governs the world. He's faithful. One season follows another season, after another, and every year. It's the very same because God said, morning and evening, summer and winter, springtime and harvest. This is the way it's going to go. The sun will rise there every morning and set there every evening. The moon will rise there every month and set there shortly after it rises. You can bank on it. That's the kind of God I am. I govern the world in faithfulness, and what I say, I do. Study how God works. And then when Jesus said, I, in the passage we read in John 12, I, and 17, have magnified thy name or revealed thy name to my disciples, You mustn't scratch your head what he means there. He means the very same thing, except it's a different display of his power and wisdom and might and truth and justice and mercy. Look at Jesus. He came down to do the will and the work of God, look at everything he did, and these same attributes and a multitude more will be plain to you." God's power is displayed by Jesus. God became a man. No man can do that. Wisdom. Listen to every word he said and find nothing other than wisdom in it. Look at the miracles he performed. No man can do those works. See how good he is to the people that believed on him and trusted him. Understand God's justice and mercy and truth when you look at the Lord Jesus all of his life, from birth to death, and everything prior to his birth and after his death, and you will say, oh Lord, our Lord, in all the earth, how excellent is thy name in the name of Jesus in all the earth. Hallowed be thy name. And then one more thing, as in the first part of this meaning, when you read in Psalm 138 what we read at the beginning of the worship, you see even more clearly what the Word of God teaches about God's name. Here is God's name. Just imagine everything we've said about God's name. And Psalm 138 says, among all of the displays of God's name, God has magnified His Word above all His name. His Word. This Word that reveals to us God. how God worked in creation, how God governs the world in his providence, and how everything was working up to the climax of human history in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this word is revealed God in all of his wondrous display of power and wisdom and mercy and justice and truth in Jesus here. Hallowed be thy name. Then more briefly before we go on to the second point, number two, as to the meaning of this, we need to hallow God's name. We've seen so far what God's name is, now what does it mean to hallow God's name? Hallow means to set it apart to show to everyone that it is unique in its Wisdom, power, justice, truth, and so forth. Unique among everything else, this name stands out above all other names. If you've ever traveled and seen historical sites, perhaps of battlegrounds, then you'll notice that certain areas are fenced off or marked off as hallowed ground. And apart from seeing that sign, you would not understand why. this ground, and that hallowed ground looked the very same kind of ground. And then when you read the sign, you will see that many lives were taken in the battle on this ground. So that ground is set apart for special reverence and honor. And though God's name isn't like all the other names, you must think about that as you think of hallowing God's name. Take all of the names that you know of. Think of all of the people who do their work. Think of the reputation of every single man, woman, and child, or all of the gods that people worship. And you take God's name from that mass. and you lift it up so that everyone knows that that name has unique worth and value and dignity. That number two, with regard to the meaning, we want God's name to be hallowed. And number three, as to the meaning, we must hallow God's name. We want us to be involved in the elevation of God's name above every other name. That's why the catechism uses the language, grant us, that we, our lives, our thoughts. It would be a very serious mistake if we think this morning that God's name and its hallowing has nothing to do with our lives, thoughts, and words. It has everything to do with us, because there's a connection now between the name of God, Father, and us, children. And God has established that connection between His name and our lives, and we all know something about that, either because of great pain, or great joy. We all know the connection between the name of a father and the name of his children. If you children have a father whose name is a good name, there's very little that can make you happier. You're his son. And if you have a father whose name and reputation are evil, because he lives or lived godlessly, then there's very little that's more painful and shameful for you. You're his son and his daughter. We're beginning to see that there's a connection always between the name of a father and the name of his son. It can go the other way, too. The children reflect on, in a very important way, the name of their father. You're his son? And you live how? You do what? Or, you're his son, and I see that in what you say, how you think, and how you act in your lives as children. Bring honor to the father that God gave to you. There's a connection, we're saying, between children and fathers. And God has established that connection between himself, father, and all of us, his children. We read about that in Numbers chapter 6. That's why we read that Aaronitic blessing, where the priests would lift their hands and pronounce those words upon the people, after which God said, this is how These priests put my name on them. I'm going to put my name in my dwelling place, in my temple. You read, study today sometime, search the scripture and read about God's name, where God puts his name. And now we read in number six that God puts his name, God, upon the people and he elevates them. from all of the other nations of the world have a unique dignity and value and worth because they bear God's name. God stamped His name upon them. That's why you read what you do in Revelation 14. Now go all the way to the end of the Bible and read in verse 1 there, John looked and lo, a lamb stood in the Mount Zion. and with him an hundred and forty and four thousand, having his father's name written in their foreheads." Father. Father. Jehovah. Written on the names of all, on the foreheads of all of God's people. That's what happened when you were born shortly after and your parents brought you to the baptismal font to be baptized, God put his name upon you. He said to the minister, use these words, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. God at that point, symbolically, puts his name on the forehead. every member of the Church of Christ. He identifies Himself with us, so that what He is has great effect upon us, and what we are has great effect upon His name. Now you see even more clearly why the Catechism says what it does, Grant us first rightly to know God, and further also, here's the practice now, that we may direct our whole lives, thoughts, words, and actions that God's name never be blasphemed, but honored and praised on our account. There's a connection between the name of God and us. So how do we put that into practice? When we pray this petition, hallowed be thy name, what really are we asking for? Well, we're asking first that we might know God because you cannot glorify God if you don't know Him. And if you use the illustration of a father and his sons, if a father dies and his sons want to carry on the legacy of the father, the best thing those sons can do is study the kind of man that dad was. Study it. What did he do? How did he treat people? How could he have constructed a business like this? Study what dad was like. And if we want to glorify God in his name by our lives, we need to study what God's name is. Look at all of his works and learn about him. And so the first practical application of this point here in practice, knowing God, is the utter importance of the preaching of the gospel. The preaching of the gospel needs to teach us the name of God. The preaching of the gospel needs to be doctrinal in that sense of the word doctrine. Not that it's heavy and deep and understandable only by the educated adults, but that it teaches us about God. What did he do? How does he work? What's he like? And then go back to the very beginning in creation. The preaching of the gospel needs to teach about creation. How did God do that? How did He do that? And then we go to Hebrews chapter 11 at the beginning. By the word of the Lord, Psalm 33, were the heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth. And we go to John 1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him, by the Word. How did He do that? We need to be taught. What did He do on day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6? We need to learn about God's works. Timeliness, faithfulness, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy. Preaching needs to be doctrinal in that sense. Look at creation. Look at providence. How does it govern the world? And then go to Jesus Christ. and see what God did in him and study every detail of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ from his birth through his suffering to the cross and to his resurrection and ascension in heaven. Look at the Word made flesh who dwelt among us. The preaching of the gospel is so important for us to learn God's name. Name. Preaching of the Gospel needs to be faithful to this. Psalm 138, remember, God magnified His Word. Above all, His name, the preaching of the Gospel, must be a faithful explanation of this Word. And the implications of that are so many and so broad. Let me say just a few things about that. The elders must be able to determine at the end of a year, for example, of a man's ministry, that the people of God have grown in their understanding of God's power, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, truth, and all of the other attributes of God that describe to us who God is. Have you grown? and your knowledge of God. The preaching of the gospel needs to teach all of these things. This is why, second application, we need a good seminary. so that the men who are going to stand behind this pulpit are able to look at this word, even in its original languages, and understand exactly what God says here. Old Testament, Hebrew, New Testament, Greek, they need to be proficient in those languages so that they can be precise in what they teach you about God. and in seminary they need to learn the big picture of the scripture, all of the history of scripture, the nature of God's works and all the rest. It takes four long years to train, to speak on behalf of God, this is who I am. The implication next is the importance of the elders' oversight. They need to be able to have a discerning ear so that they're able to hear if the minister gets God's name wrong. And they need to be almost as proficient in the Word of God not in the original languages, but all of the rest, as is the minister, so that they can assure you that what this man is saying is indeed the name of God pronounced properly. Next application, this is the importance of listening to sermons so that you learn to frame his name as it were. And though you begin by lisping as a little child, you learn to be clear in your pronouncing the name of God so that when others hear you speak, they say, he got God's name right. And this is the important last application here with regard to preaching, of attending a church where the name of God is spoken accurately. The application there is so broad, you fill in the blanks for yourself. We need to know God, and God reveals himself to us especially by the preaching of the word, But we know God not only from the two times we come to church on Sunday, but we know God by our own personal reading and study of the word ourselves. Application number one, in that regard, you have Bible studies in church. The Bulletin today announces the Men's Bible Study, the Women's Bible Study, what probably isn't explained is the Young People's Society, and perhaps all of the other opportunities we have to study the Word of God. Take advantage of these opportunities. Go! to the Bible studies so that among the people of God you are able to learn more and more about the Word of God. Be faithful in them. Promote them to others. By your presence be an example to others and prepare for them so that you are coming able to contribute to the knowledge of the people of God with regard to God's great name. Come to Bible studies. Coming to preaching and coming to Bible studies are one thing, but what about your own reading and study of the Word of God? How much do I read the Word of God personally as compared to what I look at on the screen and occupy myself with endlessly? How much time do you and I spend with the Word of God open as compared to how much time we spend in front of a screen? Maybe the consistory ought to consider a challenge. Don't take this with much seriousness. I consider that with regard to my own grandchildren now. To see in the next month, write it down, and compare how much time you spend with this word open, studying the name of God, and how much time you spend in front of a screen. The name of God must be known by us. And then because we are interested in generations... No, one more thing before that. I knew a man a few years ago who had contact with us through evangelism work in Hudsonville Church who visited us somewhat regularly. And I asked him how he came to the knowledge of the Reformed faith, and he said that he and his friends had to practice every year to come together early, they were all singles, and for an hour a day read through the Bible orally, as a group, and finish the reading of the Bible in one year. And they did that for seven years in a row, every day for an hour. And he said, all of the bad theology that I learned was washed away by the reading of the Word of God. Read the scripture, learn God's name. Now generations, because we're interested in generations and we believe that God works generationally, it's my commitment as a parent and a grandparent and yours to see to it that our children learn the Word of God. Personal reading of scripture is one thing. Your reading and study of the Word of God with your family, your wife, your children, is another thing. How often, how long, how carefully do you read the Word? Teach them from their infancy the importance of the Word of God. Teach them about creation. Teach them about providence. teach them about our Lord Jesus Christ when they're on your knee, and they can't read those words themselves, you open the Word of God to them, moms, and tell them about Jesus, the name which is above every name. We need to know the name of God. And then the practice is, And that's where the catechism goes on and says, and further also, now it becomes very real to us, further, that we so order our whole lives, what we think, what we say, and how we live, that nothing in our lives blasphemes the name of God. Oh, God. Please don't let my life, what I think, what I say, what I do, in any way bring dishonor to your name. Oh God. That comes from the word of God so clearly in the New Testament. You read those passages, search the word blasphemy. And read how Romans 2 has Paul saying to the Jews, you caused God's name among the Gentiles to be blasphemed because you say you know and love the law but you don't obey the law. You caused God's name to be dishonored among the Gentiles. It's what Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 6, honor your employer, something so practical because if you dishonor your employer, God's name is going to be blasphemed. Your life, the word of God says, has everything to do with the lifting up or the degrading and debasing of God's name. Women, Paul says to Titus, keep Your home, be chaste, be obedient to your husbands, that God's name be not blasphemed. And this opens us up then to the second part of the second point, oh God, don't let anything in my life blaspheme thy name. You, you, a Christian, And I see you there? Ha! You are Protestant Reformed and claim the truth about God and you speak how? You? You fill in the blanks. All the disobedience to the word of God and the name of God. Do that. with the name of God written upon your forehead? Ha! God, your God, is no God, or you aren't a son or a daughter of God. You treat them in that way, you won't forgive them, you won't make peace with them, you won't do everything in your power to reconcile with them, and you say You are a child of God and live in the family of faith? Ha! Oh God, we pray in this first petition, don't let my life in any way do anything to bring dishonor to your great holy name. Oh God, what a God you are. Let your name be magnified by what I do. You. That's why. You live the way you do. That's why you submit to the will of God as you do. That's why you treat the people of God the way you treat them. I know why, because you are a son or a daughter of the living God. God be praised by your words and by your thoughts and by your conduct. Oh God, hallowed be thy name. People of God, We end this morning by just reminding ourselves how important this is, bringing us back to the very first part of the sermon in the introduction. Jesus said, you want to know how to pray? This is how you pray. Start with the right attitude. Look up and see God in heaven, who's your father, and reverence him because he's in heaven and he's a father, but trust him. And now pray, starting with this. So whether you're crying out to God in your trouble, or whether you're thanking God for something, some great blessing He just gave to you, it doesn't matter how you begin, you begin with this in mind, I want God's name to be magnified above every name. That's how important this is. We start here. It's urgent. It's urgent. Jesus said to his disciples, this is how. It's a model. You don't have to use these very words, but use the ideas and follow this pattern. Begin here. O God, hallowed be thy name. So, when you pray this, Now we have to learn how to pray. What are you going to say when you follow that pattern and get to this first petition? Hallowed be thy name. Think of everything that's been said in this sermon so far about what God's name is, how we know about God's name and his work. Study his works. Study his great work in Jesus Christ. You can see that this petition alone, if you would concentrate only on it, would occupy a 15-minute prayer. God, teach us through preachers and a good seminary and good Bible reading and Bible study so that we know exactly what thou art like. start here. Pray these words. And because it's so important, people of God, he's going to answer this request. He will. Father, glorify thy name, Jesus said. And if God answered Jesus' prayer when Jesus struggled with it, Oh, God, deliver me from this hour. And then he stopped and said, but it's for this hour that I came, glorify thy name. And what it took to glorify God's name is that that seed, Jesus, be planted in the ground in death. And so we pray, God, if that's what it takes to glorify thy name, that I die. to all these earthly pleasures, and I have not one of them left, then so be it. God will answer our prayers by hallowing his name, even if it means through our suffering. O God, hallowed be thy name. Amen. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we trust and do not doubt, but thou wilt be pleased always to give us what we ask in the name of thy Son. And sometimes we know that when we ask it, it will come, the answer will, in the way of our suffering and our dying. But we thank Thee, Father, for Jesus, whose name we bear. Thanks, O Jehovah, for Thy name upon our foreheads, and enable us now to be faithful to Thee, Father, so that Thy reputation is not debased in any way, but always exalted by what we do. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.