The Lord's Prayer (Part 2)
J.A. Macdonald Matthew 6:10, 11 Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. The verses before us contain three of the seven petitions of this model prayer. These are - I. THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD MIGHT COME. 1. God's absolute empire is in his arm. (1) It was there before the creation. From everlasting. Essentially. (2) Millions of possible universes now slumber in that arm. 2. The kingdom coming is the gospel in triumph. (1) The kingdom came in the advent of the King. It was manifested in his mighty works of wisdom and love. The essence of sovereignty resides in laws. The gospel laws are immutable wisdom and love. They are the laws of heaven, and therefore the voice of the sovereignty of heaven. (2) The kingdom comes spiritually when the gospel triumphs in the believer. When it informs his mind. When it directs his will. When it captivates his affections. When it rules his life. (3) It will come visibly. The fifth monarchy of Daniel describes the coming kingdom (see Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:26, 27). In this kingdom the Lord from heaven will bring with him the angels of heaven. It will be the kingdom of the first resurrection (Revelation 20.). In it the Redeemer will be "King of kings, and Lord of lords; "for his saints will then be "kings and priests unto God." 3. We should pray for the coming of Christ in his kingdom. (1) Visibly. Righteousness will then replace oppression and distraction. Peace will replace violence and war. Joy will replace misery and sorrow. (2) Spiritually. The suppliant should seek himself to become an epitome of heaven. Loyalty to Christ the King. No rebel in the soul. Perfect love. II. THAT THE WILL OF GOD MIGHT BE DONE. 1. In the heavens it is perfectly done. (1) In the mechanical heavens. The stellar heaven. The atmospheric heaven. (2) In the angelic heaven. The ear of angelic obedience is sensitive. The wing of angelic obedience is swift. "They go and return like a flash of lightning." (3) There is no prayer here that the will of God may be done in heaven or in the heavens. The way in which it is done there is taken as a pattern for us. 2. The will of God is man's highest wisdom. (1) Necessarily so, for it is the wisdom of God. See its expressions in nature. Uses; adaptations; balancings. (2) See its expressions in the gospel. Design; means to the end. (3) We have it in the example of Christ (see Matthew 7:21; Matthew 12:50). Therefore choose religion (cf. Joshua 24:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). (4) The will of love pledges help. We cannot trust ourselves to fulfil God's Law. We may trust the help of his Spirit. III. THAT WE MAY BE NOURISHED IN HIS SERVICE. 1. Bread stands for the necessaries of life. (1) Ἄρτον, like לחם, expresses all these (cf. Genesis 49:20). (2) Things necessary for the life of the body. Food. Coverings, viz. raiment and habitation. "Our bread." This is a prayer for remunerative labour (cf. Genesis 3:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10). What we eat without labour is not our own bread. (3) Things necessary for the life of the Spirit. Nourishment. From the Word - in the ordinances. Protection. From the wrath of God. From the power of evil. 2. This is the language of pilgrims. (1) "This day." Life is a day. (2) "Daily bread." The manna was gathered daily. So is our spiritual as well as our natural food. Supply us with profitable subjects for thought - affection. These are the food of the mind. God gives angels what to think and love. (3) God is the Giver and the Gift. The Lord himself is the Bread. Still he cometh down from heaven. (4) Take no anxious thought for the morrow. As to the temporal supply. As to the spiritual. We do not receive the grace for dying until we are called to die. We should now be most solicitous about the grace to live. God knows our need. His resources are ample. His heart is good. - J.A.M. Parallel Verses KJV: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. WEB: Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.