The Lord’s Prayer - “Who Art”
Yes, says Jesus, there is a heaven. I will write more about that tomorrow. For today, though, let's take note of those first two words, "Who art.”
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The Lord’s Prayer - “Who Art”
As we continue to look at The Lord's Prayer, we look at the next statement Jesus makes about God. He now utters the phrase: "Who art in heaven".
Yes, says Jesus, there is a heaven. I will write more about that tomorrow. For today, though, let's take note of those first two words, "Who art.” What is He saying here? Jesus is telling us that God is. That is the most basic statement of belief that can be made about God. Above all else, we must understand and acknowledge that God is.
In the book of Exodus, God appeared to Moses and sent him on a mission to deliver His people from slavery. When God told Moses about His plan to send him into Egypt to negotiate with Pharaoh, Moses said to God:
Exodus 3:13:
“Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”
Moses wanted to know God's name because he knew they would ask him under whose authority he was operating. Moses didn’t even know God’s name. Surely they were going to ask who sent him. The answer God gave him translates, roughly, to this: “I Am Who I Am.”
Moses wanted to know God’s name but God is not contained in a name or a title or any other word for that matter. The Bible uses over 900 different names that all contain some element of who God is. Jesus is teaching us that the most important thing about praying to God is to understand that He is. As His followers, we must affirm and believe this about Him. The book of Hebrews puts it this way:
Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
If we are to learn anything about God at all, if we will learn anything about His love, His mercy, His grace, His judgment, His truth ... we must first come to terms with this reality: God is.
Revelation 4:8
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
