Bible Study for Beginners
Prayer is a conversation with God. We pray , we wait and we listen. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them one thing. They asked Jesus to teach them to pray.
This prayer is commonly prayed with a doxology ending. People ritualistically recite the words. We are going to unpack these versus. As you begin your walk with the Lord start by acknowledging who he is.
The Lord's Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer according to Luke
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
And he said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
Luke 11:1-4 EVS
The Lord’s Prayer According to Matthew
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:7-13
The beginning verse is relational. Luke addresses God in his presence. Matthew distances God placing God in heaven. Both identify God as father using the word Pater. The next verse is one of the most overlooked and underrated versus. Hallowed be your name. Let’s unpack these words so when you pray them you are acknowledging who you are addressing.
Hallowed be thy name . People commonly say these words but give no thought to what they are saying. The prayer has become ritualistic instead of an intimate acknowledgement of the character and attributes of the one to whom we are praying. In this part of your journey we are going to unpack “hallowed be thy name”.
The word translated as hallowed is hagiazo. It means to render or acknowledge. Hallowed in the Old Testament is Qadash meaning to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate. It is the same word used in the 4th commandment instructing us to honor the sabbath.
When we speak these words, we should not just say them mindlessly. We should say them with an understanding of who we are calling on. Hallowing the name of God brings intimacy and relationship to our prayer.
Enjoy the video.
A Closer Look for an Advanced Study
Πάτερ
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου·
“Father, hallowed be your name.”
It is with the perspective that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, that I believe Abba or Father is for the purpose of character identification. God talks to us in language we are capable of understanding. The author, audience and culture must be considered when interpreting the Word of God.
Gender
The gender of God has become such a prevalent concern many scholars pray to Mother God and refer to God as she. I believe this is rooted in defiance and rebellion against patriarchy. God is identified as Father throughout the Bible. Most important, the Bible repeatedly identifies God as Spirit. However, man has given God a body and created an accepted image of God as a white male with a long white beard. The bead is significant because many believe men with higher levels of testosterone and DHT significantly more facial hair.
The Bible scholars debate the gender of God with the understanding God is spirit. Many use Genesis 1:27
27 וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם
to say the multiplicity of Eloheim proves God’s essence of male and female. I believe this is important to explore because we live in a time when society and culture are erasing human gender. The oppression of patriarchy and racism are so ungodly there appears to be a spiritual backlash of rebellion.
Dispelling the myth God is an old white man with a long beard as portrayed in visual images of God, allows us to explore why is God repeatedly addressed as Father in scripture? It opens the door to examine the historical context of author, audience and culture. What role did fathers play in historical context of this culture?
The Concept of Fatherhood in Traditional Jewish Sources and Its Impact on Current Views of Fatherhood
A published dissertation by By Ephraim Levitz
Fatherhood and the identity of Christ
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/896251/jewish/The-Jewish-Father.
The Ten Commandments
The Rulers In Our Lives
We don’t realize the Rulers in our lives. We don’t consider the things we allow to control our emotions. What are the things that are most important to you?
The representation of Christianity has earned a bad name for the Body of Christ. We profess to be Christians but we choose not to make Christ our behavior modifier. So often Christians are more concerned with power, money land, popularity and personal desire that we fit the Lord in where it is comfortable for us.
Christians say Jesus is my Lord and savior I put Him first; then we see judgment, hate, greed, lies, gossip, character assassination, sexual promiscuity and the consistent attempt to steal God given free will.
That’s on a large scale. Taking personal evaluation how important are cell phones, social media likes and following, relationships, personal sexuality, addiction, lying, money, power in your life?
What would you change to make the Lord the Ruler, head and controller of your life?
The third statement in The Aseret Hadibrot, “The Ten Statements,” is Do not take G-d’s name in vain. According to Jewish faith it is proper to use “Hashem,” Hebrew for “the name.” There is also the belief you are not to Spell Out G-d’s Name. The Protestant third commandment is Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. The third Roman Catholic commandment is “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
Looking at God through a faceted lens, there is more than one perspective or way to view things. My Protestant 21st Century interpretation of this commandment includes lifestyle as a representation of God when you take on His name. We argue this is a Christian nation, founded and built on Christian principals. In order to make that statement or belief true, there has to be a false narrative of history.
We have become blinded by our idols. Do not be fooled by a political smokescreen.
Look at what is being done, not who is doing it.
Donald Trump is only a man that answered a powerful call on his life. God has used him to expose the hearts of Americans.
His motives and intentions are between him and God. He is only one person. As followers of Christ, we should examine the actions and expectations of Christians.
What is our witness to the nonBelievers and the world? What is the example we set as God’s people?
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/video-series/10-commandments/transformed-by-the-10/
Remember the sabbath and keep it holy
Ex. 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. ASV
Pure Heart Ministry is different from most Christian ministries. It is truly a non-denominational ministry avoiding denominational thought. Honoring the Sabbath has been a tool for discord within the body of Christ. People argue if the Sabbath should be observed Saturday or Sunday. Pride has infiltrated the Sabbath with thoughts of superiority. Both trains of thought believe they are right and the other is wrong. There are years of theological debate proving each train of thought correct or incorrect depending on the denominational belief.
The commandment to honor the sabbath with rest seems to not apply to most clergy. Years of ministry taught me Sunday is the hardest working day of the week. The study corner will address the history of holidays and Holy Days. For now, we will examine “sabbath”.
שַׁבָּת
Strong’s 7676 שַׁבָּת the transliteration is shabbath. It is used in the AKJV 108 times. It is defined sabbath, day of atonement, sabbath year, week, produce (in sabbath year). The root word is Strong’s H7673 שָׁבַת the transliteration is shabath pronounced shä·vath’. It is a verb. to cease, desist, rest, desist (from labour), (Hiphil) to cause to cease, put an end to, to exterminate, destroy, to cause to desist from, to remove, to cause to fail and (Qal) to keep or observe the sabbath.
The commandment is plain. Keep the Sabbath holy. There is a lot to unpack in this simple statement. It’s safe to say this is a commandment to maintain selfcare and appreciation. In my humble opinion, to argue on the specific day to rest and worship God is as futile as the ongoing argument of what happens when we die, sleep or God’s presence. There are too many theological debates proving opposing theories correct/incorrect depending on who is presenting the argument. Pure Heart ministry says the more you learn, the more you should realize you don’t know. The concern should be how we live not what happens when we die. We’ll find out soon enough.
Self care and appreciation should be ongoing. If we eliminate the 24 hour day concept and acknowledge when God speaks of days it does not necessarily mean 24 hour periods. Reading the story of creation, God creates, observes and creates more. Rest and appreciation is not mentioned until the seventh day. The number seven is associated with completion.
The Pure Heart understanding of this commandment is at the completion of your work day, rest. Always acknowledge and appreciate God in all things. Take one day to primarily reflect and recuperate from your week. Enjoy the blessings of God.
https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/7.html
Honor your father and your mother
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Exodus 20:12 EVS
I was taught “honoring parents” was the primary focus in this scripture. This commandment will be used as a tutorial. Because I have questions regarding this commandment, we will go through the process of examination together. There are two ways we interpret the biblical scriptures, Exegesis and Eisegesis. When reading something that stands out to you, BEFORE discussing it with anyone else for clarity, do your own research to avoid Eisegesis.
For those new to studying the scriptures, the following is an excerpt from a research article in Sage Journals written by Jay G. Williams of Princeton Theological Seminary : Exegesis is legitimate interpretation which “reads out of’ the text what the original author or authors meant to convey. Eisegesis, on the other hand, reads into the text what the interpreter wishes to find or thinks he finds there. It expresses the reader’s own subjective ideas, not the meaning which is in the text.
http://Exegesis-Eisegesis: Is There a Difference? – SAGE Journals https://journals.sagepub.com
Always pray for clarity and understanding when reading scripture. God’s word is faceted. Each time you read scripture, you get something new. The more you read, the more God reveals. Paying attention to what stands out to you is key in establishing a personal relationship with the Lord.
Establish your question based on what sands out to you. PHM teaches the Bible is not just a story from the past. Scripture is relevant in our daily lives as a living word that is an applicable behavior modifier. Looking at the evolution of our culture and society my question is rooted in “that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
The wisdom and life experience of elders is seldom appreciated these days. Understanding the value of their life experience, I wondered if the scripture could also relate to more than parental figures.
To help gain understanding I’m going to look at the words used in the translation relating to my question.
Father is ‘ab אָב
- father of an individual
- of God as father of his people
- head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan
- ancestor
- grandfather, forefathers — of person
- of people
- originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
- of producer, generator (fig.)
- of benevolence and protection (fig.)
- term of respect and honour
- ruler or chief (spec.)
אָב ʼâb, awb; a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application:—chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal
Mother is ’em אֵם
- of humans
- of Deborah’s relationship to the people (fig.)
- of animals
- point of departure or division
אֵם ʼêm, ame; a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively [like father]):—dam, mother, × parting.
Translations compliments of blueletterbible.org
While ‘ab אָב and ’em אֵם do literally mean paternal mother and father in most cases, the words are also used figuratively. This answers my question and allows me to study with increased clarity and broaden my understanding of scripture. I highly recommend https://www.blbclassic.org Take advantage of the dictionaries and encyclopedias.
Do Not Kill
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10
There are numerous ways to kill. There are numerous ways to die. The remaining commandments are in conjunction with ‘You shall not kill.’
