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The first petition (vers. 31, 32) in the stricter sense opens the prayer, which in ver. 28
had been outlined, according to its prevailing characteristics, as "petition," "prayer for
mercy" (forgiveness and grace), and "thanksgiving" (praise).^131
It is essentially an Old Testament "Hallowed be Thy Name," in its application to the
sanctity of an oath as its highest expression, inasmuch as thereby the reality of God's
holiness is challenged. The analogy between the second petition (vers. 33, 34) and that
in the Lord's Prayer is not so evident at first sight. But it is none the less real, since its
ideal fulfillment would mark the coming of the kingdom of God, which neither sin
from within nor enemy from without could endanger. The references in this petition
seem to be to Leviticus 26:3, 7, 14, 17; Deuteronomy 28:1-7, 15-25; and again to
Leviticus 26:33, and 40- 42, and Deuteronomy 4:26-28; 28:64-68, and 4:29-31; 30:1-5.
The organic connection, so to speak, between heaven and earth, which lies at the basis
of the third petition in the Lord's Prayer, is also expressed in that of Solomon (vers. 35,
36). Only in the one case we have the New Testament realization of that grand idea, or
rather ideal, while in the other we have its Old Testament aspect. The references here
are to Leviticus 26:19; Deuteronomy 11:17; 28:23, 24. At the same time the rendering
of our Authorized Version (1 Kings 8:35): "When Thou afflictest them," should be
altered to, "Because Thou humblest them," which indicates the moral effect of God's
discipline, and the last link in the chain of true repentance.
The correspondence between the fourth petition in the Solomonic (vers. 37- 40) and in
our Lord's Prayer will be evident - always keeping in view the difference between the
Old and the New Testament standpoint. But perhaps verses 38-40 may mark the
transition from, and connection between the first and second parts of the prayer. The
fifth petition (vers. 41-43), which concerns the acceptance of the prayers of strangers
(not proselytes), is based on the idea of the great mutual forgiveness by those who are
forgiven of God, fully realized in the abolition of the great enmity and separation,
which was to give place to a common brotherhood of love and service - "that all the
people of the earth may know Thy Name, to fear Thee, as Thy people Israel." Here also
we note the difference between the Old and the New Testament form of the petition - a
remark which must equally be kept in view in regard to the other two petitions. These,
indeed, seem to bear only a very distant analogy to the concluding portion of the Lord's
Prayer. Yet that there was real "temptation" to Israel, and real "deliverance from evil"
sought in these petitions, appears from the language of confession put into the mouth
of the captives (ver. 47), which, as we know, was literally adopted by those in
Babylon^132 (Daniel 9:5; Psalm 106:6).
Here sin is presented in its threefold aspect as failure, so far as regards the goal, or
stumbling and falling (in the Authorized Version "we have sinned"); then as perversion
(literally, making crooked); and, lastly, as tumultuous rebellion (in the Authorized
Version "committed wickedness"). Lastly, the three concluding verses (vers. 51-
(^)