For His Namesake
There are many important themes that can be traced all through God’s narrative since the first century church. Perhaps the most important is the truth that God’s name will be glorified. Unequivocally, without repentance, uncompromisingly, God’s name will be glorified.
As we know, God’s cosmic story did not play out the way He desired and Israel was bent on getting glory for themselves. The Lord looked at this and saw destruction as a possible way to break the will His obstinate people. Ultimately, God allowed it to happen because He said it would—God’s word will be fulfilled; however, time after time, as God ordained an outside nation to bring judgment and discipline upon His chosen people pride remained in the midst.
Fast-forward with me now to the book of Ezekiel. In chapters 25-31, God has His prophet pronounce judgment over all the nations that rose up against Israel. These were the very same nations that God, Himself, caused to rise against His chosen people. It could be that if you are anything like me, you may be wondering why God is pronouncing judgment against nations that did what He empowered them to do. I propose to you that the answer is rather simple: even in the defeat of His chosen people His name must be praised. Remember, God allowed the destruction and devastation of His people for His namesake—He said it would happen if His people would not follow His ways. In their glory over God’s chosen people, they refused to turn that glory to God—they received the fullness of their reward in the trinkets they plundered, the wives they captured, the vineyards they pillaged, and livestock they slaughtered and filled their bellies with.
Jesus illustrates this concept differently in Matthew, chapter six. Just before Jesus begins teaching his disciples how to pray he gives them instruction about being generous, but doing it quietly. “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” Jesus continues, “so that your giving may be done in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:3, ESV). It is no accident that the very next instruction Jesus gives is about prayer. Jesus instructs His disciples—this includes us—“when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matt. 6:5, ESV). Jesus then makes the same point about prayer that He does about giving to the poor—what you do in secret, the Father will reward.
Over the past few months I have watched as the body of Christ has coalesced in unity, but in unity unto prayer so that when the answer comes, we will not be able to point to one person and say, the breakthrough came when so and so prayed. Because that's not the point. And as much as every single one of us would love to think, ‘well, I could pray that prayer and see the breakthrough come and not be proud.’ The Lord really knows what's in our hearts. And He would much rather it happen anonymously. Because it's much easier for us corporately to give Him glory when we can't point at one person. And when the breakthrough comes, it comes for His namesake.
The working of unity in the Body of Christ can be likened unto Israel responding rightly and following whole-heartedly after God in response to one of the foreign nations invading and destroying them. Honestly, the unity of Christ’s church today is a greater miracle. Not only that, it is fulfillment of what Jesus prayed in the Garden, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that they world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21, ESV). As if that wasn’t enough, Jesus continues, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one” (vs. 22-23a). Track with me. God’s name must be glorified. Jesus tells the Father that the glory He (the Father) has given Jesus, Jesus is giving us! Why? Jesus tell us, “that they may be one even as we are one.” The glory that God requires will come as we move in unity and unity continues to come as we walk in the glory that Jesus gave us. The glory and unity are one!
Praying and giving in secret is not just about being anonymous, it is about God being glorified. Remember, Jesus told us as we do these things in secret, the Father will reward. I believe as we move in ‘secret’ we are moving in unity. As we move in unity, the glory of the Father is being revealed. As the glory of the Father is being revealed His kingdom is made manifest on Earth as it is in Heaven, and that is exactly what Jesus taught us to pray.
As we know, God’s cosmic story did not play out the way He desired and Israel was bent on getting glory for themselves. The Lord looked at this and saw destruction as a possible way to break the will His obstinate people. Ultimately, God allowed it to happen because He said it would—God’s word will be fulfilled; however, time after time, as God ordained an outside nation to bring judgment and discipline upon His chosen people pride remained in the midst.
Fast-forward with me now to the book of Ezekiel. In chapters 25-31, God has His prophet pronounce judgment over all the nations that rose up against Israel. These were the very same nations that God, Himself, caused to rise against His chosen people. It could be that if you are anything like me, you may be wondering why God is pronouncing judgment against nations that did what He empowered them to do. I propose to you that the answer is rather simple: even in the defeat of His chosen people His name must be praised. Remember, God allowed the destruction and devastation of His people for His namesake—He said it would happen if His people would not follow His ways. In their glory over God’s chosen people, they refused to turn that glory to God—they received the fullness of their reward in the trinkets they plundered, the wives they captured, the vineyards they pillaged, and livestock they slaughtered and filled their bellies with.
Jesus illustrates this concept differently in Matthew, chapter six. Just before Jesus begins teaching his disciples how to pray he gives them instruction about being generous, but doing it quietly. “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” Jesus continues, “so that your giving may be done in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt. 6:3, ESV). It is no accident that the very next instruction Jesus gives is about prayer. Jesus instructs His disciples—this includes us—“when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matt. 6:5, ESV). Jesus then makes the same point about prayer that He does about giving to the poor—what you do in secret, the Father will reward.
Over the past few months I have watched as the body of Christ has coalesced in unity, but in unity unto prayer so that when the answer comes, we will not be able to point to one person and say, the breakthrough came when so and so prayed. Because that's not the point. And as much as every single one of us would love to think, ‘well, I could pray that prayer and see the breakthrough come and not be proud.’ The Lord really knows what's in our hearts. And He would much rather it happen anonymously. Because it's much easier for us corporately to give Him glory when we can't point at one person. And when the breakthrough comes, it comes for His namesake.
The working of unity in the Body of Christ can be likened unto Israel responding rightly and following whole-heartedly after God in response to one of the foreign nations invading and destroying them. Honestly, the unity of Christ’s church today is a greater miracle. Not only that, it is fulfillment of what Jesus prayed in the Garden, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that they world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21, ESV). As if that wasn’t enough, Jesus continues, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one” (vs. 22-23a). Track with me. God’s name must be glorified. Jesus tells the Father that the glory He (the Father) has given Jesus, Jesus is giving us! Why? Jesus tell us, “that they may be one even as we are one.” The glory that God requires will come as we move in unity and unity continues to come as we walk in the glory that Jesus gave us. The glory and unity are one!
Praying and giving in secret is not just about being anonymous, it is about God being glorified. Remember, Jesus told us as we do these things in secret, the Father will reward. I believe as we move in ‘secret’ we are moving in unity. As we move in unity, the glory of the Father is being revealed. As the glory of the Father is being revealed His kingdom is made manifest on Earth as it is in Heaven, and that is exactly what Jesus taught us to pray.
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