Psalm 100: Four Triple Parallelisms

August 18, 2022Posted inPsalms Commentary
In Hebrew poetry the usual form of parallelism is a pair of lines that are roughly the same in meaning (synonymous), or that present a contrast (antithetical). In Psalm 6 we see nine verses in the standard form, and all of these except verse 3 are synonymous. But one verse (v.6) adds a third line…

Praying to Our Father in Heaven for Deliverance from Evil

August 11, 2022Posted inLord's Prayer
In the sixth petition we pray for sanctification. Sanctification has two parts. The first is removal of the corruption of our natures, and the second is making our natures holy again. We want more than spiritual neutrality; we want to be positively good, like God himself. Another way to look at it is that we…

Praying for Our Father’s Forgiveness

August 3, 2022Posted inLord's Prayer
In the last three petitions of the Lord’s prayer, the Lord teaches us to ask of God everything that is necessary for us. In the fourth petition he teaches us to ask for everything that we need to maintain the life of the body for service to him in his world. In the other two…

Praying that Our Father’s Will Be Done

July 28, 2022Posted inLord's Prayer
Praying “Thy will be done” is probably the most difficult of all petitions. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for the cup to pass from him, he wanted that urgently. His whole being was recoiling in horror from the God-forsakenness of the cross, but he added “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be…

Praying for the Coming of Our Father’s Kingdom

July 21, 2022Posted inLord's Prayer
The Heidelberg Catechims has a very helpful explanation of the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer in Lord’s Day 48. It teaches us that this prayer is very broad in scope because in it we pray for ourselves, for the church, against wickedness, and for the perfection of the kingdom. We pray for ourselves We…