Hallowed Be Your Name

In Exodus 3 Moses was charged to give the message of redemption to the Israelites. He was concerned that they would say, “Who said so?” So he asked God what he should say when the Israelites asked him who gave him the authority of this message. He wanted to go to them with power, with a reason that they should believe him. The response from God was clear and to the point: “I AM.” That was enough. He is holy so His name is holy, and all authority is therefore imbedded in that name.

What’s in a name? Your character, who you are, is tied up in your name. Moses was to go back and say that the message can be trusted because God can be trusted. Nothing more needs to be said regarding His name. It is set apart. When we pray ‘hallowed be Your name’ we are agreeing with this statement. The fact that He is God – that’s enough.

I’d like to think my name could be trusted that way – Jesus Himself said that’s the goal. My ‘yes’ should be ‘yes’ and my ‘no’ should be ‘no’ and no amount of swearing on anything can add or subtract from it. Your word will be as good as your name.

That’s what’s so powerful about this – His Name can be trusted in everything, because He is the same – yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) When Christ tells us to pray in His name, He’s not saying that we should tack it on at the end like some magic formula of success. He’s saying that we should pray in Him – because His name is who He is. Our prayers should be deep in Christ, in His will, under His protection.

Philippians 2:10 says that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” – because His name represents who He is. That name is to be exalted above every other name, because He is to be exalted above everything. The neat thing is, in Revelation 3:11 – 13 we are told that if we overcome He will write this very name upon us. We will be forever identified with Him and set apart under that very name that we are hallowing.

Name It and Claim It

One last thing about names – in Revelation 2:17 we are told that one day we ourselves will be given a new name, known only to us, that will be written in stone. The One who knows us best will name us. Can you imagine that? People go through their entire lives wondering who they are. They buy books, go to self-awareness seminars, seek counsel, and ask friends, “Who am I?” To know who you truly are is a great gift. - and God, the only one who can truly answer that question, will nail it right on the spot. We will know, by that new name, who we are and it will be there for eternity.

He removes the ‘mask’ for us and lets us know exactly who we are – with just one name. When we hear it, we will know just what He is saying – we will get every implication within that name. That’s why it’s just between us – no one else would ever understand. He will then write His name upon us as well. Our true self will be revealed and upon that will be written His name. When we pray “Hallowed be Your Name” we are in a sense hallowing our own name, as it is written under His hallowed name. He, who knows us better than we know ourselves, will claim us as His very own, for eternity.