A Rose By Any Other Name
Posted: September 2nd, 2009, 1:31 am
HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #132h, Re-Written 02SEP09
The Disciples’ Prayer—Part Eight: A Rose by Any Other Name
by rev dave c
Mt 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one' (NIV).
In Part Seven of this series we discussed how the addressing of the Disciples’ Prayer to “Our Father in heaven” is simultaneously a specificity of to whom we are praying, an indication of God’s divine nature/eternal power, and an acknowledgement of His holiness as separate from the baseness of our flesh and the systems of the world. This last is emphasized by the next phrase, “hallowed be your name”. Not only is Our Father in heaven holy in His Person, His very name is sacred and to be revered.
In Act Two, Scene Two, of Romeo and Juliet, we listen as the young daughter of Capulet ponders, “What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet….” At the time those words were penned by Shakespeare, the family name still carried with it enormous social impact...whether for good, or for ill. Your last name could mean immense honor, power and wealth; or, because of it, you might be resigned to anonymity and poverty. During the 400 years since Elizabethan England, Western Culture has witnessed the expansion of a strong middle class of merchants, soldiers, and adventurers who strive to rise above their class and so escape the particular blessings/curses associated with their surnames. This became the foundation for the laissez faire practices and attitudes of the Modern Era. While we may regard the importance of names with a great deal of flexibility in this, the Post-Modern 21st Century, in both the Old and the New Testaments a person’s given name was of immense significance.
The Biblical importance of a name is best exemplified by the Third Commandment given to Moses by God, Himself, in Exodus 20:7, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name" (NIV). I fear that we all face judgment by the Almighty for our increasing tolerance of frivolous, even blasphemous, use of His name throughout our conversations, movies, plays, books, and music. In Hebrew, name is transliterated shem [Strong’s #8034; a primitive word (perhaps rather from #7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare #8064); an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character]. In the New Testament, name is from the Greek word, onoma [Strong's #3686; from a presumed derivative of the base of #1097 (compare #3685); a "name" (literally or figuratively) authority, character].
From both the Greek and Hebrew definitions for name, it is readily apparent that there is a close association between someone’s name and that person’s authority and character. When Jesus teaches us to regard Our Father’s name as being hallowed [i.e., holy—#0037 hagiazo from #0040; to make holy, i.e. (ceremonially) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate], He is telling us to set aside God’s name as something sacred in our lives. This is in complete agreement with the Hebrew equivalent that we romanize as qodesh (#6944 from #6942), which means, a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity. For the ancient Hebrews, the name of God was so holy, in fact, that they would not speak it, or write it out. Hence we are presented the Old Testament name of God, YHWH, which we have come to pronounce in English as “Yahweh.”
In Chapter Three of Exodus, God linked His name, YHWH, to the Hebrew verb, hayah (#1961), meaning, to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary). 13 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?" 14 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.'" The phrase here is, 'amar 'elohiym hayah 'aher hayah, meaning “said the Supreme God, ‘I exist (who, which, what, that, when, where, how, and/or because) I exist.’” God is telling us, “I am the Is,” or “I always Am.” Although Moses asked Him His name, God provided His reluctant servant the answer to his real question, “By what authority should anyone listen to me?” “Because the Great I Am, the only Self-Existent One, the Beginner and Finisher of all things, the Creator and Sustainer of all that has been created, has given you His authority!” [Interestingly, the only other apparent occasion of the hayah—hayah structured phrase in the Old Testament occurs in Genesis 1:3, 'amar 'elohiym hayah 'owr hayah 'owr—And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. A literal translation is “Said God, ‘There is light because there is light’.” First John 1:5 says, God is light, and Psalm 104:2 tells us, He wraps himself in light as with a garment. Light appears to be an element of God’s presence. Perhaps God isn’t saying that He created light in Genesis 1:3, rather He made it visible on Earth?].
“What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet….” Not if that rose is Jesus Christ, the Rose of Sharon (SS 2:1; NIV)— for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Ac 4:12; NIV). Amen.
The Disciples’ Prayer—Part Eight: A Rose by Any Other Name
by rev dave c
Mt 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one' (NIV).
In Part Seven of this series we discussed how the addressing of the Disciples’ Prayer to “Our Father in heaven” is simultaneously a specificity of to whom we are praying, an indication of God’s divine nature/eternal power, and an acknowledgement of His holiness as separate from the baseness of our flesh and the systems of the world. This last is emphasized by the next phrase, “hallowed be your name”. Not only is Our Father in heaven holy in His Person, His very name is sacred and to be revered.
In Act Two, Scene Two, of Romeo and Juliet, we listen as the young daughter of Capulet ponders, “What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet….” At the time those words were penned by Shakespeare, the family name still carried with it enormous social impact...whether for good, or for ill. Your last name could mean immense honor, power and wealth; or, because of it, you might be resigned to anonymity and poverty. During the 400 years since Elizabethan England, Western Culture has witnessed the expansion of a strong middle class of merchants, soldiers, and adventurers who strive to rise above their class and so escape the particular blessings/curses associated with their surnames. This became the foundation for the laissez faire practices and attitudes of the Modern Era. While we may regard the importance of names with a great deal of flexibility in this, the Post-Modern 21st Century, in both the Old and the New Testaments a person’s given name was of immense significance.
The Biblical importance of a name is best exemplified by the Third Commandment given to Moses by God, Himself, in Exodus 20:7, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name" (NIV). I fear that we all face judgment by the Almighty for our increasing tolerance of frivolous, even blasphemous, use of His name throughout our conversations, movies, plays, books, and music. In Hebrew, name is transliterated shem [Strong’s #8034; a primitive word (perhaps rather from #7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare #8064); an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character]. In the New Testament, name is from the Greek word, onoma [Strong's #3686; from a presumed derivative of the base of #1097 (compare #3685); a "name" (literally or figuratively) authority, character].
From both the Greek and Hebrew definitions for name, it is readily apparent that there is a close association between someone’s name and that person’s authority and character. When Jesus teaches us to regard Our Father’s name as being hallowed [i.e., holy—#0037 hagiazo from #0040; to make holy, i.e. (ceremonially) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate], He is telling us to set aside God’s name as something sacred in our lives. This is in complete agreement with the Hebrew equivalent that we romanize as qodesh (#6944 from #6942), which means, a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity. For the ancient Hebrews, the name of God was so holy, in fact, that they would not speak it, or write it out. Hence we are presented the Old Testament name of God, YHWH, which we have come to pronounce in English as “Yahweh.”
In Chapter Three of Exodus, God linked His name, YHWH, to the Hebrew verb, hayah (#1961), meaning, to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary). 13 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?" 14 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.'" The phrase here is, 'amar 'elohiym hayah 'aher hayah, meaning “said the Supreme God, ‘I exist (who, which, what, that, when, where, how, and/or because) I exist.’” God is telling us, “I am the Is,” or “I always Am.” Although Moses asked Him His name, God provided His reluctant servant the answer to his real question, “By what authority should anyone listen to me?” “Because the Great I Am, the only Self-Existent One, the Beginner and Finisher of all things, the Creator and Sustainer of all that has been created, has given you His authority!” [Interestingly, the only other apparent occasion of the hayah—hayah structured phrase in the Old Testament occurs in Genesis 1:3, 'amar 'elohiym hayah 'owr hayah 'owr—And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. A literal translation is “Said God, ‘There is light because there is light’.” First John 1:5 says, God is light, and Psalm 104:2 tells us, He wraps himself in light as with a garment. Light appears to be an element of God’s presence. Perhaps God isn’t saying that He created light in Genesis 1:3, rather He made it visible on Earth?].
“What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet….” Not if that rose is Jesus Christ, the Rose of Sharon (SS 2:1; NIV)— for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Ac 4:12; NIV). Amen.